Finally, confirmation on the Charlton website that Ben Garner has been appointed to succeed Johnnie Jackson on a three year term. No mention of the delay in getting the deal over the line but it does look like a marriage proposal stalled by the unseemly haggling over a pre-nup.
A source from Swindon suggested the deal would be announced today in a Tweet yesterday, when he said the delay was caused by negotiation over £80,000 of compensation to Swindon. If that proves to be the case, then the actual sum in question would have been the difference in the two positions which I suspect was less than the £80,000. Charlton might have saved as much in not paying Ben Garner two week's wages in the meantime. It does begin to look a bit small-time, especially as there is no news of appointment of Garner's two sidekicks and further rumour that we are continuing to negotiate their deals.
Much was made in the announcement of a desire to have attacking football played throughout the club. No-one is going to argue with that but it's hardly an objective ambition. They might as well have said 'winning football' as the only stats that will matter at the end of the season is the league table. Swindon may have had the most impressive set of stats in their division but they finished sixth. Logic suggests their stats at the other end of the pitch weren't the best in the division.
No mention either of Ben Chorley, Swindon's Director of Football who resigned shortly after Garner was linked, although Sandgaard's appetite for haggling with the Swindon Chairman might not extend to a fourth person.
More encouragingly, the update reinforces that Garner will now work closely with the rest of the recruitment team in bringing in the players we need for next season. Ultimately this is how the pre-season will be judged, so I hope they do this early and put together a squad we can all have confidence in, unlike last Summer.
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