POST-MATCH THREAD: Cardiff City v Charlton Athletic: Saturday 19th September 2026: KO 12:30
Nathan Jones named an unchanged starting eleven for this early kick off in his native Cardiff. One change to the bench, as Charlton welcome back Josh Edwards returning from his lengthy injury to be in contention for return to first team action.
Charlton stated well, with Tyreece Campbell having the beating of his man down the left. Yet it was Cardiff that scored the opening goal on about seven minutes through some clever give-and-go down the Charlton right on their first meaningful attack. Once Lloyd Jones committed himself and failed to win the ball, it was only Okonkwo left to beat.
Cardiff’s second goal came on twenty three minutes when Tyler Bindon was pinned in the box, the shot on the turn giving Okonkwo little chance. Less than five minutes later, Cardiff made a mistake in trying to play out from the back. Tyler Bindon made amends when he calmly slotted a pass through to Tyreece Campbell on the edge of the box that split the Cardiff defence. Campbell gathered and continues his run across the Cardiff keeper, scoring with his left foot to continue his good run of goals to start the season.
Cardiff had multiple clear opportunities to extend their lead in the first half, if not for being wasteful in front of goal and coming up against an imperious Arthur Okonkwo. The Charlton keeper pulled off two or three excellent saves to keep the visitors in it. Cardiff were very dangerous on the attack but vulnerable at the back. Charlton didn’t collapse though they looked uncharacteristically vulnerable themselves. Campbell’s goal and Okonwo’s saves meant Charlton remained in it and competitive for the second half.
Nathan Jones made two changes at half time, moving to a five man midfield. Tyler Bindon and Milenic Alli made way for Amari’i Bell and Timothy Ouma. The change in formation seemed to unsettle Cardiff a little as they tried to get to grips with the stacked midfield and higher press. Karlan Grant had Charlton’s first attempt on the break when he was put through one-on-one with the keeper, but he put it wide from a tight angle when he may have done better to play Campbell through on the other side. Cardiff, only minutes later, forced another fine Okonkwo save from point-blank range.
With just over half an hour to go, Cardiff found the net again through Moylan, who eluded Coventry and a covering Ouma to bang it past Okonkwo from the edge of the box. It was an absolute rocket the crunched off the inside of the post but he shouldn’t have been given even half the space. With his talent, he was dangerous throughout, pulling strings and occupying dangerous areas.
With a week off to prepare we would have expected to be more competitive in frustrating the home side and stifling their attacking intent. Instead, we were vulnerable in an open, end-to-end affair that was only ever going to favour the Welsh outfit.
At three-one down, Conor Coventry made way for Charlie Kelman and the formation went to a flat four-four-two. His impact was almost immediate when he was put through on goal. The Cardiff keeper managed to smother the attempted shot and stifle the attack.
With less than ten minutes of normal time remaining, Moylan was taken off, with Charlton also making a string of changes. Josh Edwards returned to action, coming on for Danny MacNamara, and Sony Carey came on to see things out, replacing the hard-working Miles Leaburn. However, it was over at that point anyway.
This was a frustrating one. We were outgunned and outplayed.
Cardiff 3 Charlton 1
Over to you.
Comments
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70 -
Happy International Break to everyone who celebrates.32
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What a load of rubbish5
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I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more flattering 3-1 defeat30
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Game wasn't even competitive.No excuses here and look like a relegation side.Wish we had 3 solid weeks to work with the squad but bet they can't wait to leave and be with their National sides.5
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Not good enough, no bullshit NJ😤2
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I was looking forward to watching this game. What a fool I am.1
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Fucking dreadful. It's a shame we've got some international call ups coz we need the lads to spend as much time together in training as possible.
At least Josh Edwards is back.2 -
How on earth did Grant survive 5 substitutions?26
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Absolutely dreadful performance & we’ve all seen some shit Charlton performances over the years3
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You can always tell. When the first 10 mimutes are exciting, end-to-end football, we are going to lose - even when we are playing well. Just not built to do well when a game gets stretched.1
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Good start massively papering over the cracks. That was absolutely diabolical. AGAIN. Summer window looking an absolute flop so far. Need huge improvement after the international break. Seriously pissed off. AGAIN!!
11 -
Seriously concerning that we aren't even trying. We don't threaten enough when it's still 0-0 and when we concede it's already game over. I'm really, really concerned. The two key players are Chalobah and Koumetio and yet we won't get much out of them. Skipp, Ouma and Bindon should be ashamed of themselves. Yeah, someone like Docherty was technically crap, but at least he tried in every fucking game. Do you think Ouma or Skipp would have played through a torn groin to get us over the line last season? Not a fucking chance.12
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No patterns of play, no quality, no shots, no desire. 27 shots to our 6. Deeply worrying. Are we going to become Barcelona again after the international break? I fear not.4
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Hmm, not great. Needed a win going into the break as those first three games feel very far away now. On the plus side, we’ve clearly been suffering with our injuries and having Koumetio, Chalobah and co back will definitely help. On the plus side I didn’t watch any of it so can’t be bothered to get too annoyed about it4
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Maybe, but the new boys in the division did us 3-1 and we either shape-up tactically after the break, or we are in a relegation battle again.Oakster2 said:I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more flattering 3-1 defeat2 -
Worrying performance2
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Worrying thing is NJ does not even recognize Grant is shit and leaves him on for 90 mins! He’s not the best judge of a player3
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Poor football
poor tactics
poor changes
Getting bored of the NJ bluster of evolution- we haven’t improved since this time last year, and wasted another years budget whilst we’re there!No goals in us, no grit either - we look like cannon fodder. Our home form is going to be HUGE this year!Unfortunately seems like everything in SE7 is falling apart - attendances down, dross in the kiosks & bars, club shop not at it, and the football recruitment and then the team floundering.
depressing17 -
Dreadful. Cardiff the only team that tried to play positive football, as they always do. To play the way we do is a choice.4
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Had enough of this non-existent forward play that I’ve endured for a year and half now, which I can describe as crap, shyte, shit, wank, jank, piss, poo. What is wrong with us playing forward? Snatching odd goals is not good enough.18
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We have now tried 7 different players in the 10 spot and none have convinced. I think NJ has to work out a system that does not require any of our supposed 10s, as Knibbs, Carey, Ouma all look League One or worse. Maybe play Kelman or Godden there if fit, otherwise I fear for our survival.1
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My optimism has gone now, and fully on the lets try to stay up team. Players and manager poor showing.Desperate for a champs quality centre mid (or 2), right winger and striker. Nothing new here.5
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Against a team that hadn’t won in the league this season:
6 -
Something needs to change because that was utter utter shite.
i was previously of the impression that once players are back it will get better. I’m not sure that’s the case.Almost each player looked lost out there today.There seems to be no tactical patterns to our attack. The players are not good enough to make it up on their own or rely on talent.Seriously concerned5 -
Ouma was the wrong sub. Should’ve been JRC.
Coventry and Skipp are far too similar to work as a CM pairing (Coventry offers a lot more than Skipp). It feels very similar to Cov and Doch last season with plenty of industry but a real lack of creativity.
Chalobah was always going to be a risk and now he's inevitably crocked (naively even I was surprised how soon that happened) we don’t really have anyone who can properly replace what he brings to the side. We have to sort this out in January otherwise this has the potential to be a long (and perhaps dangerous) season.
Campbell had a good game.
Millwall v West Ham was far more entertaining.
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Would have been 6-1 without the keeper making some good saves. At some point our owners will need to pay some decent money on players to stay in this league. Getting quality players on the cheap because they are always injured is not a sustainable strategy.16
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A shocking performance. Bindon was dreadful and Ouma just looks completely clueless. Skipp, Alli and Grant also poor..
Can't see three worse sides in the Championship.4 -
That was dire.3 points and 2 goals from the last on paper appealing 5 games…Bristol game is huge as can’t see us getting much the following 4 games. December looks incredibly tough too
relegation battle here we come2 -
Crap, backwards football when we actually had it, Bindon is a dud, as is Skipp, Jones makes an error and it costs the first goal, Leaburn not in the game at all or is getting kicked in the head with nothing given, Greedy Grant doesn't pass to TC, when Bindon did we scored, but then we stick TC LWB for 25 mins and he's too busy having to track back to cover out of position defenders, Coventry stands off the man for the third, Alli was so bad he was hauled off at half time, Mcnamara got a stupid yellow card again, and the less said about Okonkwo's kicking the better.
Ouma passes the ball like it's a grenade and he's trying to get it as far away as possible, Carey spent his 10 minutes on the pitch falling over, Kelman can't stay onside, Bell looks spent every time I see him.
At least Josh "The Shark" Edwards is back.
Bug 3 weeks ahead now, need no injuries to players on international duty, and need Jones to pick from his squad and work on a way to create more per 903
