Ben Garner: Charlton Athletic sack manager after six months in charge

Ben Garner took Swindon to the League Two play-offs last season before joining Charlton

League One side Charlton Athletic have sacked manager Ben Garner after less than six months in charge.

The 42-year-old only joined the club from Swindon in June, signing a three-year-deal at The Valley.

The Addicks have taken only two points from their past five League One matches to slip to 17th, however, just seven points above the relegation zone.

First-team coach Anthony Hayes has been put in caretaker charge, with former club captain Jason Pearce assisting.

"In his time at Charlton, the club have achieved some standout results, including big wins against some of the better teams in this league," Addicks owner Thomas Sandgaard said of Garner.

"Unfortunately, we haven't been able to sustain a consistency of results and our league position and recent form have left us in a situation where we had to act to give ourselves the best opportunity to get the most from this season as well as building a positive and winning environment for future years."

Garner's final game was Friday's 1-0 defeat at home to struggling Cheltenham, which saw the Addicks booed off by their supporters.

After the game the former Bristol Rovers boss told the South London Press that sacking managers would not solve the club's "cultural" problems.

He said: "You can keep changing manager every three or four months if you want. It's deeper than that. It's a cultural issue. It's a mentality issue. That's harder to change but that's what we've got to do.

"I want to do that. I'm very willing to do that. I know I'll be successful if I'm given the opportunity to do that."

Despite guiding Charlton to a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Premier League Brighton, Garner won only three of his last 16 league games in charge - dating back to August. They all came in succession in an 11-day spell in mid-October.

The Addicks are due to visit League Two Stockport on Wednesday (19:45 GMT) in an FA Cup second-round replay.

'Club at lowest ever ebb'

Louis Mendez, Charlton reporter for BBC Radio London

A decision that felt inevitable after an apparent breakdown in the relationship between Ben Garner and owner Thomas Sandgaard.

The former Addicks boss criticised the club's transfer policy after a recent defeat at Port Vale. He said the circumstances he found when he arrived at the club weren't what he expected, and that he wasn't given the access to the budget he was promised.

Results on the field clearly haven't been good enough - Charlton have won just five of their opening 20 in League One and sit 17th in the table. Garner made it clear he didn't think the Addicks have the squad depth for a promotion push this year. Injuries have taken their toll as well in SE7 this season.

But, tellingly, Garner isn't the first manager who has, either publicly or privately, expressed concerns about how the club operates under Sandgaard. Lee Bowyer resigned shortly after the Dane arrived in south London. Nigel Adkins and Johnnie Jackson both lasted less than a season.

Charlton have been through the wringer with their owners over the last few years. Crowds continue to dwindle at The Valley. Failure to gain promotion this year will signal their longest spell in the third tier since the 1920s - the club are truly at their lowest ever ebb on the pitch.