Sun Aug 28, 2005 12:37 pm
Unbelievably pathetic but totally predictable
We havnt played well this season and this result was on the cards. We got lucky fluky wins against Rotheram and Forest. We were crap against Southend, average at Hartlepool and crap again at Palace
Defensively we have now conceded 14 goals in our 6 matches. The 2 teams who came up from the bottom division have come to Bescot and hit 7 goals alone. Staunton gave one of the worst defensive performances i have seen from a Walsall defender. To those who wern't there, he was even worse than Dakinah!!! Another unbelievable crap pointless signing from Merse. No need for him, and another over the hill waste of money. Looks like Merse is already going the Colin Lee way in signing old, slow players and then playing them. In the first few games i thought Westwood looked over rated. Now it is far more simple. He is totally crap. Cant tackle, can't organise, cant head the ball. Ok Bennett is no left back, but is that an excuse for his shambolic display as well? Pead was poor too but he at least has been solid in previous games. Last season our defense cudn't handle pace, crosses, ale house balls and set pieces. We still can't
It is difficult to comment on midfield when u don't actually see them in the game. Lets start with Smith. On his debut, he looked like a pub player on his testimonial. Well with each gamehe plays he gets worse and worse. Another totally pointless unbeliveable signing by Merse. An old, slow over the hill player brought in a position where which we didn't need. Its a sign of our desperation that we can't leave Wright out because he is the only player with pace (even though he can't tackle, can't pass, can't cross). Taylor has just been poor all season
Up front again like previous games i don't have complaints. Fryatt and Jorge again linked up well and scored
Swansea have already had a couple of hammerings this season and like Southend, wont bother the top or bottom of division this season. To lose 2-5 at home to them is nothing short of a disaster and is on a par witha similar hammering we received last season at Oldham early in the season. I predicted a mid table finish before the season started but if we lose Fryatt i can see another flirt with relegation looming. With the way Merse is going with his signings, i won't b surprised to see that if Fryatt goes we bring an old, slow over the hill replacement like Les Ferdinand or Steve Claridge in!!!
What has become clear is that our best 2 centre halves r not playing. As i've said before, Roper needs to come straight in. He defends and he heads the ball. Forget passing, thats not his game or job. Gerrard is the next best defender and needs to come in. I wud have Bennett as 3rd choce and then Westwood 4th choice(i'm not going to even mention Staunton as that wud b an insult to the word defender). In midfield, Osborn has to play with Kinsella as 2nd choice in that position. We need to sign a right and left winger but then we needed that since last season so i don't anticipate anything will b done
The most worrying aspect i can see is that it looks to me that certain players r going to play most of the season as they r either Mersen's favourites or he feels oblighed to play them now that he has signed them. They r Westwood, Staunton and Smith and Wrack. That means we r effectively starting games now with only 7 men