Our vastly wealthy
owner hires a fourth division manager – who signs fourth division
players. Who are skinned by Port Vale and Cheltenham – better known
for the Potteries and the ladies’ college.
Our players simply
do not have basic skills. Look closely – we can’t pass accurately
ten yards from one to another. He has to check, track back to
collect the ball. It goes out: a kerfuffle. We have a throw-in. Our
man stands, frozen: utterly brain dead.
Innis is a plank,
bumbling and caught by a team recently non-league. And our midfield!
They can’t win a tackle – Fraser misses it, then puffs to get
back, shuffling along with a banana up his arse. Jayesimi is a
toddler crashing into plastic furniture in a garden in Sidcup: he
simply can’t trap a bouncing ball.
Kirk stands around –
he should sprint at the defender in possession ten yards away –
make an impression, hassle him. There is never any quick or
intelligent movement up front. Aneke lumbers on, a lump suited more
to boxing, or grid-iron. Morgan is set free in the box – and skies
to the roof of the stand.
This is hapless,
comical stuff – slapstick comedy.
It’s wrong to
blame the ref. Or the state of the pitch. Or even poor,
fourth-division Garner. He complained that Port Vale beat us with
anti-football. Well, he was wrong! Port Vale won with great strength
and skills.
Our recruitment is
hopeless: cheap signings of crocks and unwanted free transfers. And
our coaching staff have failed, yet again and again. The free-kicks
that don’t beat the first man, the corners that plop straight to
the keeper’s hands. We demand far better than this. Get rid of
them all.
Sandgaard can shove
his guitar up his arse. Sideways.
Reading between the lines, you're not impressed at the moment are you?
No surprise to me, TS has not had a clue how to run this football club and that became very clear to me the week before we played Sheffield Wednesday at the start of last season. Having bought the club in the previous September he had so much time to have in place a decent squad for the following season. The team that day simply was not good enough for anything like a promotion campaign and the subs were just there to fill in the blanks.
Unless TS decides to get in proper help we are going down the plug hole, how far we fall will depend on when the TS and family finally leave SE7
Feel sorry for Garner but I’m not too upset he has gone.
Even with this squad, we should be doing better. It’s been abysmal.
Just worried what TS next ridiculous move will be.
Under two managers this squad has been lower mid table... In fact this season it has more L2 players so I'm interested to know why or how you think it should be doing better.
Our vastly wealthy
owner hires a fourth division manager – who signs fourth division
players. Who are skinned by Port Vale and Cheltenham – better known
for the Potteries and the ladies’ college.
Our players simply
do not have basic skills. Look closely – we can’t pass accurately
ten yards from one to another. He has to check, track back to
collect the ball. It goes out: a kerfuffle. We have a throw-in. Our
man stands, frozen: utterly brain dead.
Innis is a plank,
bumbling and caught by a team recently non-league. And our midfield!
They can’t win a tackle – Fraser misses it, then puffs to get
back, shuffling along with a banana up his arse. Jayesimi is a
toddler crashing into plastic furniture in a garden in Sidcup: he
simply can’t trap a bouncing ball.
Kirk stands around –
he should sprint at the defender in possession ten yards away –
make an impression, hassle him. There is never any quick or
intelligent movement up front. Aneke lumbers on, a lump suited more
to boxing, or grid-iron. Morgan is set free in the box – and skies
to the roof of the stand.
This is hapless,
comical stuff – slapstick comedy.
It’s wrong to
blame the ref. Or the state of the pitch. Or even poor,
fourth-division Garner. He complained that Port Vale beat us with
anti-football. Well, he was wrong! Port Vale won with great strength
and skills.
Our recruitment is
hopeless: cheap signings of crocks and unwanted free transfers. And
our coaching staff have failed, yet again and again. The free-kicks
that don’t beat the first man, the corners that plop straight to
the keeper’s hands. We demand far better than this. Get rid of
them all.
Sandgaard can shove
his guitar up his arse. Sideways.
Brilliant and hilarious if it wasn't so depressingly true
Probably a better coach than a manager. Hopefully he'll get another chance somewhere to prove that theory wrong but as ever with these things, it gives somebody else a chance.
Hmmm...depends how you define 'a chance'. Half a transfer window with very little money and 20 games?
Maybe a different style, with the same players, could have produced better results (especially away from home). There are teams above Charlton that no doubt have the same budget constraints or worse.
I do know what you mean though; no manager under TS has lasted.
Don't think we'll see a permanent manager this side of January. I'd appoint Hayes as caretaker with advice/support from Curbs while they either search for a manager who can strengthen the team in January to his style or "hold the fort" until new owners of investment secured.
I heard Hayes speak at a fans thing recently. Nice Chap, knows his football but seemed very quiet. I didn't see a manager in him.
Who would honestly want to come to Charlton apart from a nobody happy to sign a three year contract in the knowledge that he'll probably get a pay-off in a few months time\?
Probably a better coach than a manager. Hopefully he'll get another chance somewhere to prove that theory wrong but as ever with these things, it gives somebody else a chance.
Hmmm...depends how you define 'a chance'. Half a transfer window with very little money and 20 games?
Maybe a different style, with the same players, could have produced better results (especially away from home). There are teams above Charlton that no doubt have the same budget constraints or worse.
I do know what you mean though; no manager under TS has lasted.
What style works without a single player that consistently score goals, an assortment of right backs, midfielders and wingers forced into playing left back and a center back so badly out of form that they were finally put out of their suffering and replaced with a 17 year old?
Don't think we'll see a permanent manager this side of January. I'd appoint Hayes as caretaker with advice/support from Curbs while they either search for a manager who can strengthen the team in January to his style or "hold the fort" until new owners of investment secured.
I heard Hayes speak at a fans thing recently. Nice Chao, knows his football but seemed very quiet. I didn't see a manager in him.
Bob Paisley was quiet....but he did inherit an ok team I guess (!)
Feel sorry for Garner but I’m not too upset he has gone.
Even with this squad, we should be doing better. It’s been abysmal.
Just worried what TS next ridiculous move will be.
Under two managers this squad has been lower mid table... In fact this season it has more L2 players so I'm interested to know why or how you think it should be doing better.
Well Adkins had a nightmare no doubt (I was fairly happy with appointment)but at least JJ took us from the bottom to mid table safety. Although lack of Plan B was frustrating at the end .
Yes we made mistakes letting some players leave like Washington and you’re right we bought league 2 players but Garner must take some blame for this. He must of felt the Swindon freebies and fellow league 2 players could make the step up. He must of recommended these players.
It’s a managers job to make the best of what he has. Adapt. There are plenty of limited squads in this league. This possession/pressing football is depressing and unrealistic with this squad. It’s his job is to motivate the players, get some fight into them . Performances could have been a lot better. He seemed a bit weak to me. Don’t get me wrong TS is the problem. Don’t think Garner was ever the answer though, even if he has been thrown under the bus. Swindon/Bristol Rovers fans laughed when we appointed him. What had he achieved exactly.
It’s Game of opinions of course. 17th position is unacceptable for me.
God knows what TS will do next. That’s the scary bit .
Sandgaard originally said it is better to lose 4-3 than 1-0. Cheltenham? Port Vale?
He never backed guys with credible forwards to score those goals beyond the odd freak high score game (usually against Plymouth). Garner started well enough, the possession football was kind of intriguing. But results weren’t all that, and then we get poor discipline from the players, poor example and discipline from Garner, complete bollocks comment about Port Vale being anti football, and we’re running on fumes, and there is a problem with culture. If Garner feels he hasn’t been backed, or promises broken then have the cojones to say so, this blame stuff seemed pathetic to me. Play the cards you have been dealt and be positive about it, if nothing else go for the effing 4-3 defeats if you have to, don’t whinge. Of course club saviour Sandgaard doesn’t have a clue, and only listens to his son and Keohane and Raylene but that’s the deal until he sells up. I will say one thing very much in Garners favour, he only took a moment in football terms to realise McGillivray is a useless liability and brought in a decent keeper….but then again McGrandles?
Sad but predictable.As a supporter of over 65 years this must rank as the worst Charlton squad ever.However I can’t really blame the manager as some of the football on the ground is very good.It is just that we get catastrophic errors,poor defending and a complete lack of strikers.This May or may not be Garner’s fault but the lack of investment from an owner who has talked big but does not have deep enough pockets to back his claims is now coming home to roost I saw no point in sacking a manager who had to play 2 young kids at the back and a winger as a striker in the last game and got u done by one of the most farcical piece of goalkeeping ever. Sandgaard has bitten off more than he van chew and now wants out and for me the quicker the better.In addition it is time Galen took some responsibility,other clubs seem to bring in nuggets from loans and lower leagues and he brings in McGrandles. As for the new manager,what chance does he have with dodgy keepers,ponderous centre backs and one fit striker.It is only the youngsters plus maybe Dobson and Clare who can offer us any hope for the future. sorry to be so pessimistic but to me League 2 is beckoning
I can't see us getting a decent manager under the Sandgaards, they've reached the point, as Dutchelet did, in sacking a manager every six months and still don't understand that the problem is not the manager but the set up that manager inherits. Its amazing that both TS and RD take a hands on approach to team affairs with neither having any experience in football whatsoever, both owners added to their debt with contracts cancelled or paid up but continue with their almost identical policy of interference and belligerence when advice could be sought. Be it Katrien or Martin the outcome is the same, huge losses to add to the debt of running a football club in the English third tier, its almost certain that Sandgaard will start crying foul in the coming months, demanding full reimbursement for his losses just like RD, there is one difference though, Sandgaard can't afford to ride the losses and he has no bargaining ground.
I am actually more pissed off about this sacking than the Jackson one. It was clear from the start Jackson wasn't what TS wanted, and to be honest, the football was awful.
All though results have not been the best, I think we was heading in the right direction in terms of football and style, but Garner was let down badly in terms of recruitment. Once he started going public about the lack of support it was never going to end well. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a break in the contract if we dropped below a certain position in the table, hence the sacking now.
At the moment, I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel, it feels like TS is going out of his way to create a war with the fans. Who will come to Charlton in it's current state? False promises, a squad low on confidence, and owner who is trigger happy!
Unless a takeover happens quick, we are in deep shit!
I must've been lucky the home games I went to under JJ because we won 7 of the 9 games including 7 clean sheets in 21/22 league and prior to that the two home games under Nigel Adkins where we were bereft and lost. Third tier football we are in not Champions fucking league despite the crazy talk of Thomas Sandgaard with his 5 year plan that had zero chance of coming to fruition.
Johnnie took the "worse squad in living memory" from 22nd to 11th before we hit the ceiling as we didn't have the quality or fitness to see out a season or a balanced squad to just play one system. 13th summed up where we were under TS and Ipswich away on the last day was the result of issues off the field with the insecurities of pro football where so many players were trying to sort out contracts plus JJ probably knew he was going as 8th place hadn't been reached.
Ben Garner who as the insightful have worked out did everything over the last few weeks to get the sack and a payout on his 3 year contract. Failed to win football matches, played JFC and put out a team at home without one striker in the starting 11! The gamble of playing two youngsters at the back ironically was ok where Inniss was the culprit for cockups.
Play Casey and Kanu* who are goal scoring strikers not two wingers in DJ and Rak Sakyi who looked like fish out of water in the central positions.
Ben Garner will have to go back to League 2 or national League to play possession football but he made a mistake leaving Swindon for the poison chalice of Charlton where the club and fans are so damaged after the last 15 years or so. The odd decent season and promotion but only ever temporary in the never ending shambles of Cafc.
*Garner played 17 year old Mitchell at the back so why not 18 year old striker Daniel Kanu who is a bone fide striker ?
Ben Garner has found getting blood from a stone is difficult.
I am actually more pissed off about this sacking than the Jackson one. It was clear from the start Jackson wasn't what TS wanted, and to be honest, the football was awful.
All though results have not been the best, I think we was heading in the right direction in terms of football and style, but Garner was let down badly in terms of recruitment. Once he started going public about the lack of support it was never going to end well. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a break in the contract if we dropped below a certain position in the table, hence the sacking now.
At the moment, I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel, it feels like TS is going out of his way to create a war with the fans. Who will come to Charlton in it's current state? False promises, a squad low on confidence, and owner who is trigger happy!
Unless a takeover happens quick, we are in deep shit!
I must've been lucky the home games I went to under JJ because we won 7 of the 9 games including 7 clean sheets in 21/22 league and prior to that the two home games under Nigel Adkins where we were bereft and lost. Third tier football we are in not Champions fucking league despite the crazy talk of Thomas Sandgaard with his 5 year plan that had zero chance of coming to fruition.
Johnnie took the "worse squad in living memory" from 22nd to 11th before we hit the ceiling as we didn't have the quality or fitness to see out a season or a balanced squad to just play one system. 13th summed up where we were under TS and Ipswich away on the last day was the result of issues off the field with the insecurities of pro football where so many players were trying to sort out contracts plus JJ probably knew he was going as 8th place hadn't been reached.
Ben Garner who as the insightful have worked out did everything over the last few weeks to get the sack and a payout on his 3 year contract. Failed to win football matches, played JFC and put out a team at home without one striker in the starting 11! The gamble of playing two youngsters at the back ironically was ok where Inniss was the culprit for cockups.
Play Casey and Kanu* who are goal scoring strikers not two wingers in DJ and Rak Sakyi who looked like fish out of water in the central positions.
Ben Garner will have to go back to League 2 or national League to play possession football but he made a mistake leaving Swindon for the poison chalice of Charlton where the club and fans are so damaged after the last 15 years or so. The odd decent season and promotion but only ever temporary in the never ending shambles of Cafc.
*Garner played 17 year old Mitchell at the back so why not 18 year old striker Daniel Kanu who is a bone fide striker ?
Not sure they squad is any better than when Jackson was here... The age of the squad has gone down, but certainly not sure it is better!
Mitchell hasn't looked out of place in the little minutes he has played, whereas Kanu has looked miles off it.. Think maybe a bit too much hype around him!
wouldn't call egbo or wollacot fourth division players. there are diamonds in the rough
I think all the 'we only brought in League 2 players' thing is a bit of an easy cop-out anyway to be honest. Wollacott and Egbo are good as you say, but O'Connell is a decent player and has spent more of his career in L1 than L2. Payne has clearly lost his way a bit (might help if he ever got a run in the team) but has spent the vast majority of his career in L1and was a clear standout for Swindon in L2 the one season he was there. We got two Premier League loans in. I'm not really willing to be drawn on McGrandles, he's had a horrible season with injuries and we've just not seen him enough. On the face of it though, signing a player who had just had two very good seasons for a L1 team is more or less what we should be doing
The bigger problem is we lost loads of players, replaced some of them but did nothing about the unsuited players we already had. Lavelle has been truly atrocious, Morgan has reverted to being Morgan, Stockley has scored one goal in open play. Kirk continues to do one good thing every 6 games, DJ has been injured but I somehow don't think he'd have saved us if he wasn't. We made signings to plug gaps but we're still requiring one of Inniss or Lavelle to play as a passing CB every week because we weren't willing to bring in enough signings to overhaul the whole team. We don't have a striker suited to playing the way we play and the only options are a disaster or a player whose fitness record is impossibly bad.
I'd actually rather have an entire squad of players signed from L2 that are suited to the way the team is trying to play than the mish-mash of nothing we currently have. We got Garner in telling him to get the team to play the most energy-sapping, technical way possible and gave him not even half a toolbox to do it with. I'd rather have Wollacott than Mac, Egbo than Gunter and Matthews, O'Connell than Famewo and JRS than Leko but it's meaningless when the overall set-up is broken. I don't hate the signings, I hate that there were nowhere near enough of them to compete
More worrying is the poor culture that Garner mentioned back in August. We're now in December and he mentioned it again in his post match Cheltenham interview so it's not something he's been able to affect. And not will any new manager until the Rot at the very top stops.
I cannot say a feel very much about Garners going. These days not possible to invest any sense of support or appreciation in our managers as they do not last long enough. What I do feel is fear that this has vastly increased the chance of relegation. As I cannot see why any reputable manager would want to work for a cash strapped owner with an over inflated Iidea of his own abilities to run a football team.
wouldn't call egbo or wollacot fourth division players. there are diamonds in the rough
I think all the 'we only brought in League 2 players' thing is a bit of an easy cop-out anyway to be honest. Wollacott and Egbo are good as you say, but O'Connell is a decent player and has spent more of his career in L1 than L2. Payne has clearly lost his way a bit (might help if he ever got a run in the team) but has spent the vast majority of his career in L1and was a clear standout for Swindon in L2 the one season he was there. We got two Premier League loans in. I'm not really willing to be drawn on McGrandles, he's had a horrible season with injuries and we've just not seen him enough. On the face of it though, signing a player who had just had two very good seasons for a L1 team is more or less what we should be doing
The bigger problem is we lost loads of players, replaced some of them but did nothing about the unsuited players we already had. Lavelle has been truly atrocious, Morgan has reverted to being Morgan, Stockley has scored one goal in open play. Kirk continues to do one good thing every 6 games, DJ has been injured but I somehow don't think he'd have saved us if he wasn't. We made signings to plug gaps but we're still requiring one of Inniss or Lavelle to play as a passing CB every week because we weren't willing to bring in enough signings to overhaul the whole team. We don't have a striker suited to playing the way we play and the only options are a disaster or a player whose fitness record is impossibly bad.
I'd actually rather have an entire squad of players signed from L2 that are suited to the way the team is trying to play than the mish-mash of nothing we currently have. We got Garner in telling him to get the team to play the most energy-sapping, technical way possible and gave him not even half a toolbox to do it with. I'd rather have Wollacott than Mac, Egbo than Gunter and Matthews, O'Connell than Famewo and JRS than Leko but it's meaningless when the overall set-up is broken. I don't hate the signings, I hate that there were nowhere near enough of them to compete
Agree that theres no "spine" to the team, maybe one vertebrae Dobson (? for how long). Despite the calamatous error by Mc Goalkeeper this w/e,(over a season he was better than average L1 GK) Wollacot was an investment (time and money) we didn't actually need when there were more urgent priorities in defence and attack. At the time it was thought to be an upgrade throughout the team but as it turned out it was one of few.
Comments
Unless TS decides to get in proper help we are going down the plug hole, how far we fall will depend on when the TS and family finally leave SE7
or Fuck Off as you are destroying my lovely football Club 👎👎👎
Destroying club happening ,how far or for how long is my question.
Just pray that Varney knows the answers of how to get this club back on track,with or without the help of Roland.
Sandgaard is a dead man walking we all know that. But don’t take our club with you.
I do know what you mean though; no manager under TS has lasted.
Lennie didn't appear to be overly loud.
It’s a managers job to make the best of what he has. Adapt. There are plenty of limited squads in this league. This possession/pressing football is depressing and unrealistic with this squad. It’s his job is to motivate the players, get some fight into them . Performances could have been a lot better. He seemed a bit weak to me.
Don’t get me wrong TS is the problem. Don’t think Garner was ever the answer though, even if he has been thrown under the bus. Swindon/Bristol Rovers fans laughed when we appointed him. What had he achieved exactly.
Cheltenham? Port Vale?
Garner started well enough, the possession football was kind of intriguing.
But results weren’t all that, and then we get poor discipline from the players, poor example and discipline from Garner, complete bollocks comment about Port Vale being anti football, and we’re running on fumes, and there is a problem with culture.
If Garner feels he hasn’t been backed, or promises broken then have the cojones to say so, this blame stuff seemed pathetic to me. Play the cards you have been dealt and be positive about it, if nothing else go for the effing 4-3 defeats if you have to, don’t whinge.
Of course club saviour Sandgaard doesn’t have a clue, and only listens to his son and Keohane and Raylene but that’s the deal until he sells up.
I will say one thing very much in Garners favour, he only took a moment in football terms to realise McGillivray is a useless liability and brought in a decent keeper….but then again McGrandles?
Sandgaard has bitten off more than he van chew and now wants out and for me the quicker the better.In addition it is time Galen took some responsibility,other clubs seem to bring in nuggets from loans and lower leagues and he brings in McGrandles. As for the new manager,what chance does he have with dodgy keepers,ponderous centre backs and one fit striker.It is only the youngsters plus maybe Dobson and Clare who can offer us any hope for the future.
sorry to be so pessimistic but to me League 2 is beckoning
A cricket comparison; people say "never set fields for bad bowling".....but if all you've got is bad bowlers, then you'd be an idiot not to.
Remember he brought in O'Connell and Egbo as well as Wollacott all were decent until their injuries none have a big history of getting injured.
I must've been lucky the home games I went to under JJ because we won 7 of the 9 games including 7 clean sheets in 21/22 league and prior to that the two home games under Nigel Adkins where we were bereft and lost. Third tier football we are in not Champions fucking league despite the crazy talk of Thomas Sandgaard with his 5 year plan that had zero chance of coming to fruition.
Johnnie took the "worse squad in living memory" from 22nd to 11th before we hit the ceiling as we didn't have the quality or fitness to see out a season or a balanced squad to just play one system. 13th summed up where we were under TS and Ipswich away on the last day was the result of issues off the field with the insecurities of pro football where so many players were trying to sort out contracts plus JJ probably knew he was going as 8th place hadn't been reached.
Ben Garner who as the insightful have worked out did everything over the last few weeks to get the sack and a payout on his 3 year contract. Failed to win football matches, played JFC and put out a team at home without one striker in the starting 11!
The gamble of playing two youngsters at the back ironically was ok where Inniss was the culprit for cockups.
Play Casey and Kanu* who are goal scoring strikers not two wingers in DJ and Rak Sakyi who looked like fish out of water in the central positions.
Ben Garner will have to go back to League 2 or national League to play possession football but he made a mistake leaving Swindon for the poison chalice of Charlton where the club and fans are so damaged after the last 15 years or so. The odd decent season and promotion but only ever temporary in the never ending shambles of Cafc.
*Garner played 17 year old Mitchell at the back so why not 18 year old striker Daniel Kanu who is a bone fide striker ?
Ben Garner has found getting blood from a stone is difficult.
Mitchell hasn't looked out of place in the little minutes he has played, whereas Kanu has looked miles off it.. Think maybe a bit too much hype around him!
And not will any new manager until the Rot at the very top stops.
What I do feel is fear that this has vastly increased the chance of relegation. As I cannot see why any reputable manager would want to work for a cash strapped owner with an over inflated Iidea of his own abilities to run a football team.
Despite the calamatous error by Mc Goalkeeper this w/e,(over a season he was better than average L1 GK) Wollacot was an investment (time and money) we didn't actually need when there were more urgent priorities in defence and attack. At the time it was thought to be an upgrade throughout the team but as it turned out it was one of few.