Banned boss Ben Garner criticises his Charlton Athletic owner and also causes a stir with comments made about Port Vale.
The Addicks manager, who was given a two-match touchline ban and fined by the FA following his red card in the match against Ipswich Town. due to his improper language and behaviour, expected things to be different when he took over the reins at The Valley, seeing his side’s winless run stretch to four League One games after a 1-0 defeat at Port Vale.
He admits his squad isn’t competitive enough to challenge at this level and said he wasn’t able to spend the money he anticipated he would be able to in the transfer window.
🗣 ‘It was a horrible game’
An honest assessment from the gaffer following today’s defeat at Port Vale.
🔴⚪️ #cafc pic.twitter.com/RMBgEOuE5h
— Charlton Athletic FC (@CAFCofficial) November 19, 2022
“I expected a different set of circumstances when I came in,” admitted Garner, whose side are 14th in the table, six points shy of the play-off places.
“I haven’t been able to recruit as I would have like to. We’ve been limited with that. I’ve only had a limited amount of the budget available to me. That makes it an uphill task. This isn’t a team that was flying last season and finished high up the division. It’s a team and a club that struggled last season. We’re trying to improve that.
“We were making good progress. We’ve now got eight out injured and we’re threadbare in the squad. These are not excuses for today. We have to play and give a lot more than we did today for the supporters who travelled. That has to be a lot better, and I’ll make sure it is moving forwards.
“We’re not strong enough. We’ve not got the depth to compete at the top end of this division. That’s a fact. I’m not a magician, I’m not a miracle worker. We’ve made good progress in a number of areas, but we’re handcuffed in a lot of others.
“Between now and January we’ve got to fight and play a lot better than that to get as many points on the board as we can. Progress as far as we can in each cup competition. And then January is big time for us. We have to improve and strengthen.
“I’ll be looking to make changes moving forward. We have to turn this squad over. We need to get better players in. We have to strengthen. We have to invest. You can see at the moment, across this part of the season, we’re not competitive enough in this division.
“We don’t want to get on to any sort of [winless] run. No defence. We’ve had a lot of games, we haven’t been able to rest and rotate as we’d like because of the numbers we’ve got. We’re really unbalanced in the squad at the moment but we have to find better ways of performing than that. That’s as simple as it is. Not a good afternoon. No excuses from me. I have to find solutions and ways of improving that very quickly.”
Ben Garner also said Port Vale played ‘anti-football’ to beat his side 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Asked for his views on the game overall, he said: “Horrible, would be my summary. A horrible pitch. A horrible performance. A very disappointing afternoon. The way they [Port Vale] play, they play anti-football. They just want to stop you. We weren’t good enough with the ball. I don’t think we fought enough without it. Didn’t show enough brightness. And then we give a horrendous goal away. That gives them something to hold on to and they can kill the game.
“As horrible as the game was, at 0-0 you’ve got a chance to go on and win it. Not many positives in there this afternoon. We have to be much better than that.”
He said his own team had to improve but added: “Port Vale are like probably 80 per cent of the teams in this league, they set out just to stop you playing. There is no ambition for them to go and really attack and take the game to you. They were at home today and their ambition was to sit and stop us, make it a dull and horrible game and try to nick it 1-0 which they did.
“It is hard when you are playing against that on a surface like that but that is no excuse. We have to do much better than we did. We didn’t show enough character and personality. I have had some strong words in there and will certainly be expecting a response on Tuesday and Saturday.”
Talking about Port Vale’s style, he said: “It can be effective, but for me that’s not football. For me it’s about trying to win the game. I always want to be the team trying to win the game and being the protagonist. Everyone chooses how they play but they sat literally just to stop us and disrupt and go physical. I thought the ref helped that with the way he officiated the game.
“But that is what it is. We have to solve that. We have to be better and look at ourselves.”
Assistant manager reflects on back-to-back home League One victories as the Vale seal 1-0 win against Charlton.
Crosby said: “[We were] disciplined without the ball, compact without the ball, forced the ball to certain areas of the pitch that we wanted it to go to.
“We were really good at defending our box and nullifying the opposition’s threats and were better in the second half in the transition and on the counter attack – connecting the game – and then taking the moment when it materialised.
“Dan [Butterworth] travelled a long way with the ball and executes a great finish. I am delighted for the whole group; I admire the resilience, the togetherness, you don’t get that at a lot of football clubs.”
Vale enjoyed plenty of final third entries as the game developed, though the game’s major moment of quality came just before the hour mark as Butterworth fired in his second goal in as many home League One games.
“[At half-time] We just spoke about one or two details, which we did pre-game, let the lads see a few visuals and spoke about connecting the game,” Crosby explained. “You want to take advantage when there is a turnover and go forward as quickly as you can but maybe we were too rushed in the first-half and didn’t spend long enough with the ball.
“When you are defending against a possession-based team, you need to nullify that threat and stop the game becoming two and three minutes without the ball; we were better in the second-half and we just thought there would be one moment. Thankfully, Dan [Butterworth] has carried the ball over a big distance, created an opportunity for himself and thankfully executed it very well.”
On the Vale’s on loan Blackburn Rovers forward, Crosby continued: “Dan has incredible talent in possession; he can create chances, he can score, he can play the final pass, that is not in any doubt. He has got to add other things to his game to become a more all-around player, but he has a desire to improve and credit to him.”
When asked about the performances of midfield duo Ben Garrity and Tom Conlon, Crosby added: “I think with Corey [Blackett-Taylor] coming into the team for Charlton, we spoke about the threat of the counter-attack from their left and we had to be really organised behind the ball.
“We changed one or two things pre-game so it was more Ben [Garrity] outside the box than Wozza [David Worrall]; we thought we could exploit them back post with crosses, but we also had to be wary of the counter-attack because he has got incredible pace. Ben did a great job and the skipper [Tom Conlon] was absolutely incredible today and epitomises everything that is good about our group.”
Vale kept back-to-back home League One clean sheets for the first time this season in a battling display, responding well to last weekend’s 4-0 defeat at Oxford United.
“We said in the week that whichever 11 players are out on the pitch, it is not about relying on six or seven to keep a clean sheet, it has to be collective,” Crosby said.
“The whole group have to contribute to keeping a clean sheet; it is not just about the goalkeeper or the defenders – that is where the finger generally gets pointed – it is about everyone fulfilling their role for the team. That is just as it is when we get the ball back; everyone has to be a creative part of the team as well.
“I am delighted with every single one of them. I don’t think they had many opportunities; we handled the physical threat of [Jayden] Stockley and [Chuks] Aneke when he came on, they have pace on the side of the pitch that we did really well defending one-v-one against and forced the ball into areas of the pitch we wanted to.”
Twitter users reacted as the banned boss Ben Garner takes aim at Charlton owner and causes a stir with comments about Port Vale…
@Maccn5: Don’t get sent off then! … one trick ex-Palarse pony. Love how he’s so confident that Tommy will be signing players for him in January
@Deano1802: Haha, TS won’t sign any players in January.
@BenjaminGrocott: Saved his script from the playoff loss I see
@Joe_PVFC1876: 12 seconds and he moaned about the pitch. Excuse merchant
@nodgers: No change from the Swindon days, all tip tap and no end product, he hates us and we hate him 😂 No problem with Charlton but Garner is an absolute top hat 🎩
@jbvalefan: In May he moaned his bag off that we didn’t water the pitch and how it impacted him, now it’s pissed down all week the pitch is too wet 😂 admit it Ben, we’ve done you again, stop being so salty
@Pvfcjoe: Hahaha he definitely polishes his head the bald fraud
@jackhud98: How did this bloke fluke a job at a club like Charlton it’s a total mystery to me all his teams are the same never done a good job anywhere.
@BrandonPVFC849: Surprised he didn’t mention the pitch and the wind and the humidity and the fans
@cbratton84: It’s on you!!! You’ve had a week to set them up and you did this. Shambles
@leetbrookes80: Loves coming to Burslem does Ben. He always leaves so happy. Absolute sausage.
@PVFCMatty: Ben Garner once again outclassed by Dazza
@PerthGas: The pitch was poor, didn’t like the way Port Vale set up but no excuses. Jeez Garner hasn’t changed since he took Bristol Rovers from 4th in Division 1 to the edge of relegation and was sacked. The Covid interruption saved him from a relegation on his CV. Gold Medal whinger.
@MikePea26: One of the ropiest teams I’ve seen up the Vale all season. Looked poor at the back & if Ellis Harrison hadn’t been suspended & we had a fully fit Wilson, I think it would’ve been more comfortable. You’ll learn with Garner, talks a great game but punching well above his level.
@boslemduck: He’s taken two teams to Vale park this year and lost both, feels pretty sweet!
@Sausagedog111: Put curbs in as director of football something seriously needs to change at this football club #cafc tired of the same old crap week in week out we deserve better
@UnofficialJamo: Like a broken record 😅
@leighwykes345: Oh Dear Ben. What an absolute bell end. Obviously still bitter about little vale beating Swindon on penalties. Grow up and accept defeat graciously from the stands!
@WestLondonAddi1:
“It was a horrible game” – that’s down to you. You are supposed to coach them all week.
Can’t even do the basics. Time & patience running out for BG
@tsproston: You are horrible – full set there! #cafc. Ungracious man. Didn’t give any credit to Vale. Cracking result, made all the sweeter listening to him. Feel sorry for the Charlton fans, I’m sure they don’t deserve this manager. #pvfc
@TwistedmindPhot: Both sides had to play on a heavy pitch , #Vale adapted to it better . Your forwards need training on the cows ar*e test as you seem incapable of hitting one with a banjo from 3 yards. He is to blame you just didn’t set up or perform here today
@rockape793929: He hates vale as we have now beat him again . He’s a child shouldn’t be managing a football club .
@MichaelFerns12: Horrible bitter human being, ridiculous appointment by Charlton they deserve far better considering the size of the club and their history the bloke has no class at all sad to see.
@IanW1983: “For me it’s about trying to win the game”, Ben Garner there talking about Port Vale who errrr, won the game? What a pipe! Tell me Ben, did you try and bully the opposition groundsman into watering the pitch this time? Note; you don’t win football by playing triangles in your box
@AleAndValePod: He’s a bitter man. Not like Charlton played carpet football is it?
@CafcFacts: It’s a results business at the end of the day. Win by any ways or means.
@dm055y: So patronising, Port Vale go above us in the league and if BG knew about their ‘style’, he has to find a way to overcome it, this is Division 3. Bleating about budgets to cover the teams inefficiencies won’t do that, having more than 1 shot on target with 64% possession might..?
@killerandflash: Ridiculous comments when we’re hardly Pep’s Barcelona. He’s not doing himself any favours tonight.
@BertyBoyCAFC: Anti Football they played better footbal than we did not sure about this one tbh
@Chips11: This is league one. We’ve been there for a while. We should be used to it. We are not. The better teams find a way. We don’t. TS is failing and he’s noticeable by his absence. Impossible to break even and compete. Pay up or jog on.
@nodgers: Anti football, yet only one team actually tried to win the game. Same old excuses from Garner, robbing a wage at a club of Charltons stature. Well out of his depth
@rockape793929: He’s a sore bitter looser . Yes they had a lot of possession in there half but they had no edge. We attacked as 13 shots made by Vale V 6 proves that .
@StevensNeil83: Very snobbish attitude from Garner, hate this sort of crap in the game… Imagine how we’d feel if we beat Brighton in the EFL Cup and hear this from their Manager? Port Vale have won more games than us, and have more points – So they’re clearly doing something better
@gavcradd: Horrible pitch, yes. Horrible football? Nah. Nonsense to say we sat back and soaked it up, have you seen the stats on chances/shots? Vale were just better. Petty, bitter little man. Seen some decent teams in this league (Ipswich etc). Charlton nowhere near that. Although 23 ace.

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