Katrien - Q & A

not many answers though

A much needed win for the Addicks yesterday. Just about deserved with the players clearly showing more urgency and determination than on Tuesday.

Having slunk off following recent defeats Robinson was keen to lap it up and to high-five anyone in the same postcode. Remember the manager tells us that he's the same win or lose!

After this game Robinson couldn't praise the players enough. No doubt there'll all be useless again should we lose to Coventry.

All that aside earlier in the day I was part of the audience for the Q&A with Katrien that the trust organised.

It was always going to be a pretty futile exercise as you knew she wouldn't put her hand up to most of the mistakes and her general incompetence. That she was quite so brazen and dismissive in her responses was a bit surprising.

Apologies for a long post but you ought to know this. Some you may have heard or read this elsewhere but some you may not.

Meire was flanked by Dave Joyes and Tom Rubashow - chief financial officer and head of comms or PR guru if you like.

There were about 25 people in attendance. Most details have been posted on Charlton Life and I'm sure that the Trust will post a summary.

One questioner John ( coyote John ) has posted his question and the subsequent response on Charlton Life. John's question was very well worded and thought out and he followed up with points as he obviously felt she wasn't going to give the desired answer. 

It was a question I guess we'd all ask and her refusal to acknowledge the extent of failure is staggering. Meire's response was to just say " that is your opinion ".

I have the accompanying video for a couple of questions which I'm unable to post sadly. I'd welcome suggestions as to how to do so as folk really ought to see it.

Here's the text for John's question :-

Preamble: CJ:
KATRIEN. YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT LEARNING FROM YOUR MISTAKES BUT YOU HAVE FAILED TO ADDRESS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF ALL. AS CEO, YOU HAVE PERSONALLY PRESIDED OVER A CATASTROPHIC THREE AND A HALF YEAR PERIOD FOR CHARLTON ATHLETIC 

WHILST MANAGERS HAVE COME AND GONE YOU HAVE STAYED IN YOUR SINECURE POST WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH ENORMOUS RESPONSIBILITY BUT WITH NO ACCOUNTABILITY WHATSOEVER.

YOU CLING TO A MEANINGLESS MANTRA OF 'NOT DOING FAILURE' WHEN ALL THE EVIDENCE PRESENTS OTHERWISE. IF YOU REALLY HAD THE BEST INTERESTS OF THIS CLUB AT HEART YOU SHOULD HAVE RECOGNISED THIS LEVEL OF FAILURE AND RESIGNED

Question: CJ
IN FACT, THE DECENT AND MOST GRACIOUS THING YOU COULD DO IS RESIGN RIGHT NOW TODAY. THAT’S RIGHT ISN’T IT?
Response: KM
WELL THAT'S YOUR OPINION

Follow up: CJ
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DEFEND THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF FAILURE?

Response: KM
ITS YOUR OPINION 
SO, 
RELEGATION TO THIRD TIER
LOWEST LEAGUE POSITION SINCE 1926
DISAFFECTION OF FANS
PUBLIC AND IN-GAME PROTESTS
LOSS OF AROUND 4,000 STHOLDERS
DWINDLING CROWDS

NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, 
NO ACCOUNTABILITY, 
NOTHING?

Response: KM
IT IS FOR SURE OUR RESPONSIBILITY BUT FOR YOUR QUESTION OF THE RESIGNATION THAT’S YOUR OPINION.

NO REAL RESPONSE THEN.

Incredible that she didn't bother to defend herself or her record. Simply that's your opinion. However, it's not though is it, it's fact !

I said when she finally rides off into the sunset she'd be remembered amongst other things :-

• The sofa
• Silly mascots
• Falling attendances
• Lowest league position in living memory
• £1,000's wasted in transfers and manager payoffs
• The Dublin Conference
• Numerous managers

Generally abject failure.

How do you think you'll be remembered ?

KM then started waffling about the academy and telling me that it didn't matter as she doesn't have an ego! Really ?

I pointed out that the academy has been here for years but I never got anything else that she felt she'd be remembered for.

A further question was made about non-renewal of season tickets and people not coming to games. It was pointed out none were ex-staff or been involved in CARD activities. They are just discontented fans.

A point was made that on a similar Tuesday night to that just gone when we were in our second season in League One following a spell of 3 draws and 3 defeats the attendance was just over 17,000. So obviously something is going wrong it's not just the football.

This was summarised to :-

a. why have the attendances fallen so low in comparison to our last time in League One
b. If Roland Duchatelet is aware why does he continue to say that the discontent is really just the result of some unhappy previous employees.

KM : obviously we dropped some attendances because of the situation what happened last year it wasn't a pretty sight and the fans turned their back on the club.

Why was that ?

KM : because of us. I recognise that and we have a huge task ahead of us to bring them back in.

You're never going to do it.

KM : Well that's your opinion.

You'll never do it.

So you do accept responsibility, you said because of us.

KM : Yes, because of the ownership, I'm not a fool.

You do accept responsibility now ?

KM : Yes.

But you're still here ?

KM : Excuse me ?

Still here. Still don't feel any professional responsibility that you ought to resign or anything, no ?

You've sacked countless managers. Has Roland ever questioned your position as the person who's appointing those unsuccessful managers repeatedly?

KM : You obviously have to ask him that question.

General laughter in the audience to that response given that Roland is never around to ask anything !

Ask yourself, Katrien ask yourself that question. Three and a half years !

KM : I think I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could handle the situation.

You know you're in a sinecure post. You know Duchatelet won't remove you. When you go home at night after three and a half years you don't recognise that anything's wrong ?

KM : Roland has businesses everywhere across the world and if he's not happy with a senior manager he will take action, believe me.

Well I'd like to know what you're objectives are, I think we'd all like to know what your objectives are. If you're objectives are to reduce the fan base, take us to the lowest position ever then you're achieving all that.

Would you publish your objectives so that we can all see them.

KM : Our objectives are...

Not our objectives, your objectives !

KM : My objectives are aligned with the club's objectives, what's best for the club and best for the club is to get back in to the Championship and try to and re-engage with the fans. The why I'm here  here sitting today. As long as Roland has the club this is the way forward.

Amongst other things it seems Robinson is here to stay and Katrien told us she has been reviewing players with Robinson. They are looking at 5 attributes like pride and wait for it.....playing for the shirt ! Yes, she really said that !

It may take longer to secure some players especially if they're involved in play-offs. Presumably from the conference......she didn't specify !

Much was made of the new website. This was talked about at length. Great ! We'll have the best website in League One or Two then.

Overall one left with the feeling that neither Meire or Robinson are going anywhere. In her case Meire will cling on as long as she can. She'll never admit her time as CEO has been a failure despite almost admitting it.

She again insisted that she and Roland are fans of the club and passionate about it. This akin of course to a parent saying they love their kids and getting Shannon Matthews to babysit !

Nothing will improve whilst Roland owns the club and Meire is our CEO. We've known that for some time of course. Let's hope they go soon before the damage they do is terminal. As it is it will take a long time to recover from the harm done to date.