POST-MATCH THREAD: Cardiff City v Charlton Athletic: Saturday 19th September 2026: KO 12:30

NabySarr said:

golfaddick said:

MuttleyCAFC said:

I think Leaburn needs help. He is far too isolated. Jones has a bit of time to rethink but if we don't carry enough of a threat it invites teams on to us especially away from home. Alli was a complete passanger today both offensively and defensively. That doesn't help. Grant is good enough and experienced enough to find Campbell who would have had a tap in at 2-1. If a player with his experience can't do that you have to worry. Bindon weakens the defence greatly IMO. Coventry and Skipp are too similar and need to be fighting for one place. Skipp was far better than Coventry today but Coventry has had a few good games this season. Who can play with them?

Problem is, we have to play Alli as it's been shown over the previous 7 games that neither Grant nor TC are effective on the right. Also, TC is too good on the left to be playing on the right - you lose all our attacking impetus by moving him 

If Apter is fit after the break we might as well give him a go there. Alli is fine from the bench but not as a starter 

Could we see NJ going with Apter and Ramsay on the right after the Int break...

I can accept losing even though it obviously hurts. That's football. What concerns me far more are the performances.

Awful performance and worrying that we dont seem to have learned from the issues at Stoke. So many poor performances

NabySarr said:

12 points from 8, only our second defeat of the season and there’s threads asking if Jones is under pressure and demanding Phil Chapple out. Yes it was shit today, but fucking hell

Normally I’d agree. But due to the style Jones employs, he is always going to need results to speak for him…. Because the standard of football is abysmal - we accept it because it has given us some success.

The minute results stop coming, he’s going to have pressure because people don’t want to turn up and watch anti football and no goals, at a hiked ticket price.

Bedsaddick said:

Dave Rudd said:

Understandably there has been a lot of discussion about individual players on this thread ... and that's fair enough.  We had one or two (understatement) who were woeful.

But let's look at why Cardiff spent so much time in Zone 14.  They more or less played across the front of our penalty area unchallenged for most of the game.  And it's no surprise when a few of their several attempts at goal from that general area ended up in our net or were beaten away by the occasional save.

And this is not the first time.

We concede possession far too easily.  It's like we don't think that it matters.

Cardiff found space in key areas because we sat so deep.  We didn't match their movement and we were (and generally are) outmuscled in midfield challenges.  This last point is a recurring theme and sadly reflects the blueprint that we seem to adhere to in recruitment and at academy level.

I'd look to get some strength into midfield.  We could do worse than put Mesiḱ there.  But that is hardly enough.

We lack a guv'nor in midfield.  Not a willing runner or a spoiler.  But someone who can boss things and demonstrate some physicality.  Looking at the squad, the choices are limited ... but Mesiḱ may be worth a go. 

You lost me at Zone 14 .🤔

Zone 14: The Most Dangerous Area in Football? - The Football Analyst

When we are bad, we are an absolute abomination.

I half jokingly said on the match thread after the first goal that it felt like Stoke all over again, statrted ok and looked lively and then imploded in pretty impressive fashion.

Other than Onkonkwo and Leaburn we were really poor. Jones sold himself for the first goal, Bindon was pathetically weak for the secoind and the collective lack of interest in pressing the man on the ball for the 3rd was criminal.

Experienced players fell way short today. McNamara had his worst game for us, Coventry and Skipp both struggled and we even had Llyod Jones gifting the oppo a goal.

The thing that worries me most is, that as soon as teams spot a weakness with us they exploit it relentlessly and we simply do not do anything to counter it. Cardiff consistently pushed their full backs on and looked for a ball back to the edge of the area. Time and again no one was near the on rushing midfielders and the gaps between our units got bigger and bigger as the game went on.

IMO that needed changing after 30 mins today and we waited till half time when we could have been 3/4 goals down. Even then, within 5 mins Cardiff had worked us out, tweaked their formation and ran all over us.

We are desperately missing Chalobah and Koumieto and I am really hoping both will be back after the international break.Chalobah not being there is an even bigger blow as Coventry is so much better with him alongside him.

Jones was baffling today as well. How on earth did Grant stay on for so long? Campbell at wing back again?!?! Poor Mesic played about 5 different positions and chucking Ouma to the dogs again was madness. As soon as we went to a flat 4-4-2 we should have been giving Nkeng a go. If he is on the bench then we need to at least try him.

The situation with Knibbs is now becoiming farcical. Carey has been really poor for a while now and I keep saying it, but Knibbs had a great pre-season and other than Spurs has been given no chance at all. 

Not convinced we can keep playing 4-2-3-1 away from home. We are too open, the full backs are left horribly exposed with teams constantly overloading us in wide areas. That means that we invite pressure and get deeper and deeper, the two defensive midfielders were literally camped on the edge of our box today.

Hoping that the break will see some players come back and Jones shakes it up for the Bristol City game. Leaburn has put some shifts in up front but lets face facts he has not looked like a goal threat, we need to get Kelman alongside him and get him some help.

Is Parker still available. Upgrade on Jones required I’m afraid.
I don’t dislike the guy, in fact you couldn’t ask for a more committed manager. I just think he may have reached his limit.

77Hullathome said:

Is Parker still available. Upgrade on Jones required I’m afraid.
I don’t dislike the guy, in fact you couldn’t ask for a more committed manager. I just think he may have reached his limit.

I can read the headline now... 'Charlton Sack Nathan Jones While Club Sits 8th in the Table'.

Article talks about how he got us promoted, kept us up with a bottom two budget, but was deemed not good enough after two bad away losses. 

1. They were much better than us.

2. We lost.

3. Err...that's it. 

Clem_Snide said:

When we are bad, we are an absolute abomination.

I half jokingly said on the match thread after the first goal that it felt like Stoke all over again, statrted ok and looked lively and then imploded in pretty impressive fashion.

Other than Onkonkwo and Leaburn we were really poor. Jones sold himself for the first goal, Bindon was pathetically weak for the secoind and the collective lack of interest in pressing the man on the ball for the 3rd was criminal.

Experienced players fell way short today. McNamara had his worst game for us, Coventry and Skipp both struggled and we even had Llyod Jones gifting the oppo a goal.

The thing that worries me most is, that as soon as teams spot a weakness with us they exploit it relentlessly and we simply do not do anything to counter it. Cardiff consistently pushed their full backs on and looked for a ball back to the edge of the area. Time and again no one was near the on rushing midfielders and the gaps between our units got bigger and bigger as the game went on.

IMO that needed changing after 30 mins today and we waited till half time when we could have been 3/4 goals down. Even then, within 5 mins Cardiff had worked us out, tweaked their formation and ran all over us.

We are desperately missing Chalobah and Koumieto and I am really hoping both will be back after the international break.Chalobah not being there is an even bigger blow as Coventry is so much better with him alongside him.

Jones was baffling today as well. How on earth did Grant stay on for so long? Campbell at wing back again?!?! Poor Mesic played about 5 different positions and chucking Ouma to the dogs again was madness. As soon as we went to a flat 4-4-2 we should have been giving Nkeng a go. If he is on the bench then we need to at least try him.

The situation with Knibbs is now becoiming farcical. Carey has been really poor for a while now and I keep saying it, but Knibbs had a great pre-season and other than Spurs has been given no chance at all. 

Not convinced we can keep playing 4-2-3-1 away from home. We are too open, the full backs are left horribly exposed with teams constantly overloading us in wide areas. That means that we invite pressure and get deeper and deeper, the two defensive midfielders were literally camped on the edge of our box today.

Hoping that the break will see some players come back and Jones shakes it up for the Bristol City game. Leaburn has put some shifts in up front but let’s face facts he has not looked like a goal threat, we need to get Kelman alongside him and get him some help.

Did he? He played well in one game against a league 2 team. Don’t think that’s enough for it to be a great pre-season 

77Hullathome said:

Chunes said:

77Hullathome said:

Is Parker still available. Upgrade on Jones required I’m afraid.
I don’t dislike the guy, in fact you couldn’t ask for a more committed manager. I just think he may have reached his limit.

I can read the headline now... 'Charlton Sack Nathan Jones While Club Sits 8th in the Table'.

Article talks about how he got us promoted, kept us up with a top two budget, but was deemed not good enough after two bad away losses. 

Fair response but let’s revisit this in November…. Your 8th will probably become 16th. Let’s see…

If we finish 16th then the season has been a success and Jones will deserve praise not the sack 

msomerton said:

golfaddick said:

th0rryy said:

It's a very poor performance against a team we are probably going to be scrapping against for league positions towards the end of the season. Credit to Cardiff - they played some good football and Moylan, imho, was absolutely the difference-maker. More progressive and better all over the pitch.

As others have said, I don't think Coventry and Skipp works well enough to generate chances and positive football. Both of them play as disruptive, neat footballers but you need to compliment one of them with someone better on the ball and more forward thinking. Chalobah works better, but like Burke, he's got the durability of a damp wafer and cannot be relied on. JR-C or, imo, Knibbs are the other potentials, but JR-C has very little pace and often drifts out of games as a result, whilst Knibbs has less quality on the ball and also has the same anonymous streak. Carey could also arguably work there as an 8, but is completely off form. Ouma is already a player that looks massively out of his depth, is a failed experiment and will likely disappear in January. I don't want to see Ouma again outside of emergencies.

The result of this is that all of our attacking players will look worse as a result. Leaburn is doing what he can, but like last season, playing up front alone for Charlton is difficult graft. TC is doing what he can and I think Grant can unlock things, but I genuinely feel he's getting frustrated with the lack of quality around him. I think Grant looks better as the wide player than the 10, but with Carey's form dropping off a sheer cliff, we lack the creativity of both an 8 and a 10 to generate opportunities for those around them.

Somehow, we need to find a better combination of players. Honestly, I'd start dropping Mwamba into more games and maybe look at bringing Fullah back into the fold, as they are arguably our only other options if the senior players aren't doing the work. Fwiw, I think fitness and the amount of games have been punishing for us, because as soon as we start to rely on our "weaker" players, the quality dips. I also think that some of the players might be frustrated by us playing as much on NJs leash as we do - it's just a feeling, but it's no coincidence that so many pundits predict our games as decided by the odd goal.

We need to find a better formula for taking games to people - that starts with team selection from NJ, so I hope he moves away from 2 holding midfielders. We outworked teams when their fitness wasn't as good as ours, but as other teams catch up and the schedule becomes more punishing, the approach doesn't work.

We have what we have until January, but I hope we're looking to identify targets for out midfield already.

I wouldn't rely on the January transfer window to get us out of trouble. I don't think there will be much money to strengthen imo. And even if we did we'd need to shift a few out due already being at the max squad size. 

we might get £10+ million for TC by then.

Wouldn’t hold our breath for much of that to be reinvested though. 10 more goals from TC and the owners will laughing.

msomerton said:

golfaddick said:

th0rryy said:

It's a very poor performance against a team we are probably going to be scrapping against for league positions towards the end of the season. Credit to Cardiff - they played some good football and Moylan, imho, was absolutely the difference-maker. More progressive and better all over the pitch.

As others have said, I don't think Coventry and Skipp works well enough to generate chances and positive football. Both of them play as disruptive, neat footballers but you need to compliment one of them with someone better on the ball and more forward thinking. Chalobah works better, but like Burke, he's got the durability of a damp wafer and cannot be relied on. JR-C or, imo, Knibbs are the other potentials, but JR-C has very little pace and often drifts out of games as a result, whilst Knibbs has less quality on the ball and also has the same anonymous streak. Carey could also arguably work there as an 8, but is completely off form. Ouma is already a player that looks massively out of his depth, is a failed experiment and will likely disappear in January. I don't want to see Ouma again outside of emergencies.

The result of this is that all of our attacking players will look worse as a result. Leaburn is doing what he can, but like last season, playing up front alone for Charlton is difficult graft. TC is doing what he can and I think Grant can unlock things, but I genuinely feel he's getting frustrated with the lack of quality around him. I think Grant looks better as the wide player than the 10, but with Carey's form dropping off a sheer cliff, we lack the creativity of both an 8 and a 10 to generate opportunities for those around them.

Somehow, we need to find a better combination of players. Honestly, I'd start dropping Mwamba into more games and maybe look at bringing Fullah back into the fold, as they are arguably our only other options if the senior players aren't doing the work. Fwiw, I think fitness and the amount of games have been punishing for us, because as soon as we start to rely on our "weaker" players, the quality dips. I also think that some of the players might be frustrated by us playing as much on NJs leash as we do - it's just a feeling, but it's no coincidence that so many pundits predict our games as decided by the odd goal.

We need to find a better formula for taking games to people - that starts with team selection from NJ, so I hope he moves away from 2 holding midfielders. We outworked teams when their fitness wasn't as good as ours, but as other teams catch up and the schedule becomes more punishing, the approach doesn't work.

We have what we have until January, but I hope we're looking to identify targets for out midfield already.

I wouldn't rely on the January transfer window to get us out of trouble. I don't think there will be much money to strengthen imo. And even if we did we'd need to shift a few out due already being at the max squad size. 

we might get £10+ million for TC by then.

And we’d still waste it 

Calling for Jones head already... Could almost count on it at the first hiccup.