Sandgaard's Folly!

Wednesday’s cup exit at the hands of Stockport came as little surprise to the Valley faithful. Even without Garner’s dismissal a couple of days before it was fairly predictable.

Aside from the loss there was much to concern us. Overall there appeared to be a lack of discipline. Stockport should have had a penalty in the first half as Clare climbed all over one of theirs. Dobson ultimately gave away a penalty following a rash challenge earlier on.  

The lack of desire from so many and general poor performances across the team indicate a general sense of malaise.

No one can blame Hayes for the defeat although one might question the starting eleven. He may have had an eye on Saturday’s league and prioritised that but this was a game that was very winnable and victory would have given the team a much needed boost.

There have been some times as a Charlton fan but at present the situation we find ourselves in is right up there with the worst of them!

Our owner seems to have given up completely even though his son is still employed by the club or rather him. The video that emerged of Thomas bragging about being a celeb in London and how people want selfies with him was further evidence of just how big a narcissist he really is.

Sandgaard has spent a lot of money and gone to a great deal of effort to afford him the opportunity to strut around a football pitch playing his guitar and imposing his awful music on already long suffering fans. Give me 3 Blokes From F Block any day of the week over the dross he serves up!

His apparent rescue of our club afforded Sandgaard a little latitude early on and we were prepared to look at the bigger picture and indulge him.

Over time his increasingly bizarre behaviour and failed appointments allied to his “I know best” approach to running our unique club started to wear thin with the fans. His seeming complete lack of empathy towards the club’s staff and his apparent disregard for our employment laws further angered both staff and supporters.

How on earth the man has managed enjoy any success in any field of business is a real mystery.

The club is in real trouble and the trap door to League 2 and maybe beyond is starting to open.

We have to hope that someone is out there willing to burden themselves with the large expense and onerous task of securing a deal with the two worst owners we’ve ever had.

As fans we don’t want much. Just someone who’ll make sufficient investment in the team and run it with the best of intentions and in a responsible and respectful manner.

It doesn’t have to be a billionaire although that’d be nice of course!

Time is running out as it’s hard to envisage Thomas being that bothered about getting a full time manger or spending anything in the January transfer window no matter how obviously imperative that is.

One can only predict a scenario where he takes as much money as he can from the club before riding off into the sunset strumming his guitar singing Rhinestone Cowboy or somesuch.

In the meantime we face another vital game away to Morecambe. They may be bottom of the league but we’d struggle to overcome a pub team at present so expectation is low.

Good luck and best wishes to all travelling fans.

Come On You Reds!

Garner's Gone

The rumours started yesterday but have just been confirmed by Rich Cawley and it seems Garner has become the latest manager to be dismissed under Sandgaard's tenure.

Maybe the owner waited until today just to make the 5th December even more memorable alongside the return to The Valley and the infamous victory at The Den. Bizarrely, He was sacked yesterday it seems and yet Garner took training this morning.....you really couldn't make this up!

His hire 'em and fire 'em approach isn't restricted to managers and Thomas has shown to be possessed of an awful recruitment process that started with Adkins and Roddy (remember him?).

Some of the firings have been merited (see above) but this is right up there with Jacko's as extremely harsh. It seems clear Sandgaard made promises he never kept. At a minimum, when left with only one fit and experienced striker, Garner must have believed at least one recognised and proven striker would be coming in.

Thomas made much of the prolonged selection process that preceded Ben's arrival and praised the style in which the new manager likes to play the game. However, having done so Sandgaard failed to give him the tools with which to do the job he'd been employed for.

Garner could repeat the commons speech of Geoffrey Howe and his cricketing analogy. If in similar fashion his dismissal is the catalyst for the Danish-American's demise then it won't altogether be a bad thing.

Whilst accepting the above, Garner hasn't been without making mistakes that have done little to help himself and have been hard to defend. The tactics and teams selections of late have taken an even more bizarre twist. I think last Friday's starting eleven was Garner's way of sticking two fingers up at the owner who was watching in the stands.

Yet Garner's dismissal is still something of a surprise at it will cost Sandgaard of course and at a time when it's rumoured he's looking to sell.

A caretaker is set to be appointed. That will probably be Anthony Hayes, I certainly hope so. I think he'd do a good job and in time will prove to be good manager much like Nathan Jones before him. Whether it could be too early for him to get it full time only time will tell.

Today already had us harking back for the good old days when everyone on and off the pitch was united and you were so proud of what had been achieved. One can only guess where we'll be in 30 years time but let's hope it's in a much better place than we currently find ourselves. 

Here's hoping!

Come On You Reds!

 

We Need A Win

Tonight, the Addicks return to League action after another spell of cup fever. We went out of one and scrapped a draw in the other.

Saturday’s lacklustre display against Stockport doesn’t really raise thoughts of a win tonight. The continued absence of Stockley doesn’t help either. As poorly as he’s been playing we can ill afford to not have him in the starting eleven.

He needs an experienced strike partner as does Aneke. Chuks last just over 60 minutes on Saturday but failed to make the impact he does when he comes off the bench.

The last equaliser was a real kick in the teeth. Having travelled down by coach I left early to ensure I got across to Victoria on time for the return journey. It was some time after the final whistle before I checked and discovered that we’d not won. Foolishly, I felt that we’d see the game out…….after all these years I really ought to know better.

If anything summed up how things are it was the free kick in the second half that just outside the box. No one knew who was taking it with others lost as to where they should be. That had to get direction from Garner. Oh dear!

I can’t go tonight as I’d made plans some while ago. This is yet another game I’ll miss. The decision to move the game from tomorrow was a silly one in my view. I’m not sure many Charlton fans are that bothered about watching England over their club especially on the 30^th Anniversary game.

In addition, the kick off could have been brought forward as many other clubs have done. It’s proved totally unnecessary of course with England now playing on Sunday.

We need a win but I’m really not confident. I can easily envisage us getting dragged back down the table particularly given Sandgaard’s total disinterest in anything Charlton.

I was pleased to see Olly Groome take him to the cleaners. The man’s a fool who seemingly knows even less about British employment law than he does about running a football club. Quite some achievement.

We can only hope that someone decent is waiting to buy the club and hopefully with it the Valley and the training ground.

Garner hasn’t done himself any favours recently but in terms of pure football matters the situation is not entirely of his own making. On that basis we can cut him a bit of slack although there is plenty he can improve upon.

I suspect that Sandgaard can’t afford can’t afford to dismiss him anyway especially after this week.

We have to hope that Ben can eek out enough points to keep us safe until a knight in shining armour arrives.

Fingers crossed for a win tonight.

Come On You Reds!