Patience

I didn't post after the Cardiff game on the basis that we all have a bad day at the office sometimes. Unduly charitable I thought, when Charlton promptly put in the same style of performance against Bristol City, albeit without the dismissals. The form, and current league position of the team does have an impact on the due diligence being conducted by Zabeel. It has too, as there is a fundamental question to be answered, namely, are we buying, or heaven forbid, bringing in loan players in January to push Charlton over the line to promotion, or are we looking at players to stave off relegation? Our current form says that we will be in a relegation dogfight unless results turn in our favour, and soon. Zabeel are looking to buy a Championship club with pretensions to the top flight, not one that is sliding inexorably towards Division 1.

We are now a third of the way through the season, so I don't buy the "it's early days" argument. We are 20th for a reason, and it isn't all down to bad luck. I believe that the current position, amongst other reasons may well stop the sale, and my experience of takeovers tells me that we should probably have heard by now as Charlton is not a complex business.

In the meantime, patience is the key, in terms of both the takeover, and indeed, the playing side. I am happy to be patient about the former, and delighted if I am proven wrong about a withdrawal, and for me, time is running out for the latter.

P.S. - Ballcocks - within five minutes of posting the above, Zabeel have announced that they will not be buying Charlton Athletic.

Zabeel's On The Bus

I remember a feeling of deep unease when Charlton were first promoted to the Premier League after THAT game at Wembley. I voiced my disquiet to other Charlton supporting friends and was regarded by them as mad. So why was I concerned? Well, I felt I was losing my football club, that's why! The impersonal nature, and superficial money fuelled values of England's top flight left me with a bitter taste, as I watched them make my beloved club become more distant to me.

And yet, when we were promoted again, I didn't have the same feelings or concerns, why? Perhaps I had become used to dining at football's top table. Maybe, I knew that for Charlton to thrive rather than just survive, we had to be at the trough with the rest of the chosen few. And it is probably for the same reasons, that on balance, I would welcome Zabeel Investments as the new owners of South London's finest.

So while Waggsy has been removed to Saprrows Lane, and the money men occupy his office for due diligence purposes, I wonder what this turn of events is going to do for Alan Pardew? The unreal expectation about Charlton returning to the Prem, which was starting to damp down, as more and more fans realised that we were going to be an adequate Champ side for the forseeable future, is about to go into orbit once more. The January transfer window is about to get a little bit more interesting, but I do wonder whether it will be Pardew doing the spending, despite the statutory vote of confidence from the prospective new owners.

Meanwhile, over here in Nigel land, Simon Jordan must be orange with envy.