Sheffield Wednesday 1 Charlton Athletic 0
Plenty of positives to take from today’s game, although the negatives are hardly unknown.
The game ended in a 1-0 defeat, but for 70 minutes we were as likely to win as Wednesday were, and we totally dominated the first half where we moved the ball around very well. The possession and shot stats were all heavily in our favour but as has been pointed out many times we look short on firepower and an ability to see teams off.
We are also short on personnel. Another striker is an absolute must, plus two left-sided defenders before the transfer window closes. If nothing else the style Garner wants to play, and one that we did so well for 45 minutes, is energy zapping and to reach those levels for 90 minutes means Garner needs options. On the bench match days and in the squad to rest and recuperate players.
Two weeks of the transfer window left, and Thomas needs to put his hand in his pocket. This is a mid table budget but with a fanbase and a manager that has much higher aspirations. And rightly so.
Garner spoke well after again, amid Scott Minto asking some direct questions. Garner did manage to slip in the budget comment once more, but I don’t like this ‘we did well against the promotion favourites’ sales pitch. We don’t need to spend big like Wednesday, but Thomas has to give Garner and the squad the very best opportunity to compete for promotion.
I think the Garner could have made better use of the subs in stifling conditions, but that’s easy to say after the fact, and our bench did not have the game-changers on it that Wednesday’s did.
As for the players. From my perspective I was again disappointed in Fraser. Stockley for all the grumbles needs a 10 buzzing around him, and more supply and support from out wide. If CBT had better awareness then he would not be in L1 mind.
Too early to be discouraged, and there were a lot of things to admire about our play. However I will issue a reminder that this is a results business. Pretty is lovely, but personality is everything.
We have another date on Tuesday.
Ben Garner: “Very disappointed, there is a lot of frustration there. First half, in particular, we were excellent. To come here and create as much as we did and not take the opportunities was the disappointment.”
Stats (CAFC first): Possession – 56% / 44%; Passes – 326 / 251; Accurate passes – 275 / 194; Shots (on target) – 9 (3) / 3 (1)
Chicago Addick 
CA, this wont be the last time you write “dominated but failed to score”
In fact it will become a bit of a broken record.
We have been saying it all Summer – WHO is going to score the 80 goals needed to compete for top 6?
Unless………………….but it does not look likely.
Spot on houndal and not rocket science but maybe to CAFC
It was great to see us compete for the first hour in which we could definitely have got something out of the game, but it was a similar scenario in the previous two games. Created chances, but couldn’t convert them into goals. The hierarchy need to dig deep in the next two weeks, spend some of the ‘Pope’ money, and recruit a proven, mobile, number 9, otherwise we will be languishing in mid table again for the duration.
Greg, I think the Pope money will only be in installments and yes it appears they not going to address it but we tried our best again and if not mid table at best
Ah, ok John I didn’t realise that money was paid in instalments, but I’m sure TS could be able bridge the gap knowing that it’s coming eventually…….I reckon TS may think the new kid from Palace is our saviour unfortunately !!!!
TS is hoping (praying) Rak-sakyi is the goal-scoring forward we so clearly need. If he turns out to be not that, it will be too late to get a striker in.
We’ll then womble on to January missing chances. Then the mad scramble for a striker will be on.
It would be so much wiser to get a striker in by the end of August, I fear TS will not open his purse to do so. (there are two or three squad members who could go, to help with the wages situation)
Right now I can’t see us improving on last seasons finish. TS has the power to change that, it seems not the willingness.
As I continue to say, at the bare minimum at least one good solid striker needed and one left footed player in defence required, otherwise we will fair no better than last year! Sangaard appears to still have no real idea of what is required to get out of this division and that you actually have to spend some cash to get, especially a reasonable proven goal scorer in.
Yep…a bit of luck and we would have had at least a point from a game against the team tipped to win the league. The shot from CBT that was cleared off the line was the what if moment for me.
Overall I see signs of Garner’s philosophy coming through, we dominated possession built well, kept the ball moving and asked a few questions.
We are light on striking options – but these players do not come cheap, we have Chuks Aneke close to a recall plus Miles Leaburn and Daniel Kanu coming through. But a lot will depend on Stockley, Aneke and the untried Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and other midfielders to contribute and the defensive team need to score a few. Garner’s team at Swindon relied heavily on a false number 9 to score goals so those midfielders simply need to make runs into the box.
Defensively Mandela Egbo is also close to a recall. I presume one or two players are going to have to leave the club before new blood comes in – rumours suggest that Alex Gilbey and Craig MacGillivray are up for new clubs. We definitely need another centre-back, Ryan Inniss can only play one game a week – and he’s going to get injured at some point. We also have a couple of loan spots available – with the prem season kicking off now there could be a couple of defenders who teams will loan to us – however after the Nile John/Juan Castillo situation I doubt Spurs or Chelsea will be returning our calls.
I was giving Fraser the benefit of the doubt at the start of the season because of his injury situation last season. But I have now seen enough to say that he is not the answer in midfield.
Last January’s transfer window was a disaster. A club of CAFCs heritage should be able to recruit better
Points may very well win prizes but in this shop goals win games.
Clearly not yet understood by TS (or whoever)