Swansea City Sat 27th August. (h)

[Pedagogue]

........... according to a good source of mine, no where to be seen for the first 45.

Merson, as he always does now, watched the first half from the Directors' area at the back row in the centre of the H.L.Fellows stand. He sits next to Bonser or Halsall or both.

[Larryhaggler]

I hope he didn't Leamore, because if he did, he wants ukin for not changing that load of rubbish at half time.

[Neil Ravenscroft]

He's been watching the first half from the stand this season (soemthing I agree with, as you see the gane much better). How come he couldn't see that there needed to be a couple of changes at half time is beyond me, however.

[sid swifty]

merson has got 4 games left as far as i am concerned because he's had
a full season and not learned a damned thing,he is still making the
same basic mistakes he was making last season. i'm beging to think that
bonser is some sort of councilor and merson is his patient and has stopped
him taking drugs,booze & gambling and said here you are paul here's a
football club for you to play with mate try not to fudge it up mate wont you :evil: :x

[Optimistic Saddler]

Still scored two, and hey, it could have been 8-all the way the game went.

Imagine what it'll be like when we start playing well?

[sid swifty]

Still scored two, and hey, it could have been 8-all the way the game went.

Imagine what it'll be like when we start playing well?

WELL I CAN SEE WHY YOU'VE PICKED THAT NAME MATE BUT I THINK YOU ARE IN A MINORITY :lol:

[Saddlerchick]

I'd just like to apologise to the young familiy of four that me and my old sis' gave four free complimentary tickets to. Sis' was given them at work but I'd already bought or tickets so they were going spare. We stood and looked at the ticket queue and picked out this young family and in a philanthropic gush we gave 'em the four tickets.

'How much do you want for 'em?' the mom asked - 'Nothing' we said, 'just keep bringing these two to games' we said pointing at the two little fresh faced boys they had with them and walked off before they could say anything else.

Will they keep coming? On yestedays performance, I doubt it!

But I did notice that there were a hell of a lot more kids at the game yesterday than I've seen for a while - nice to see, shame they must have been bored shitless.

This was my first game of the season, I got out of bed full of anticipation - should have known better shouldnt I?

I dont ever remember watching a Walsall game at home where evrything was so wrong. Tactics, team selection - why was Smith on the pitch, Staunton is so slow, he's never worth the wages maybe his 'older' head will start to pay later in the season...maybe. And Wrack..............? Did we have a midfield, i dont remeber seeing them. And we seemed to be pushed off the ball or just couldnt keep it or just forgot how to string three passes together.

Sorry - I'm not adding much to the match analysis.......... I just wanted to say sorry to that family. :oops:

[Guest]

Totally agree Dave --the midfield is the main area for concern.The biggest loss was not getting Surman back who was instrumental in the last 5 games he played.Of all the many midfielders we have none can do what he did.
Merson should play himself in the Wrack position --he could not possibly do any worse.Personally I would terminate Wrack's contract. Smith should not be far behind.All of the signings have `added nothing to last seasons side.I include Wrack as a signing as Merse has given him a 3 year deal.Wrack must be laughing.
Why change the defence from the last 6 games of last season when we won every game and hardly conceded? The only change should be Fox for Purplethingy.Gerrard and Ropes must be outraged.
As for Staunton --well it's just jobs for the boys isnt it?
Talk about building from last season? We have taken several steps backwards.This proves to me that Merse will never make a good manager.If he can't see the problems he alone has created then there is no hope!

[Salop Saddler]

Well I thought Swansea were excellent. They played to their strengths, used pace to great effect, ran at people, and when a crucial decision went against them they rolled up their sleeves and redressed the matter in great style.

As for us, I said at halftime that we could be in for a good hiding and so it proved. We have no pace, we play too square and our midfield (if such it can be called) appear to believe that running at a man is a capital offence.

Until the issue of pace (or lack of it) is addressed, throughout all sections of the team, we're going to find ourselves at the mercy of teams such as Swansea on a weekly basis.

[sid swifty]

Well I thought Swansea were excellent. They played to their strengths, used pace to great effect, ran at people, and when a crucial decision went against them they rolled up their sleeves and redressed the matter in great style.

As for us, I said at halftime that we could be in for a good hiding and so it proved. We have no pace, we play too square and our midfield (if such it can be called) appear to believe that running at a man is a capital offence.

Until the issue of pace (or lack of it) is addressed, throughout all sections of the team, we're going to find ourselves at the mercy of teams such as Swansea on a weekly basis.

The difference between the teams was up front because swansea were a joke at the back i.e the 2 centre halves and the goalie in fact they were worse than us, but as you say we have no pace up front, wright is supposed to have pace but he cant get round people and he cant cross a good ball when it is needed, but it all lands on mersons lap and if he cant think of anything to do about the situation, well just go merson!

[London Saddler]

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

[Guest]

:cry:

[King Crimson]

I'd just like to apologise to the young familiy of four that me and my old sis' gave four free complimentary tickets to. Sis' was given them at work but I'd already bought or tickets so they were going spare. We stood and looked at the ticket queue and picked out this young family and in a philanthropic gush we gave 'em the four tickets.

'How much do you want for 'em?' the mom asked - 'Nothing' we said, 'just keep bringing these two to games' we said pointing at the two little fresh faced boys they had with them and walked off before they could say anything else.

Sorry - I'm not adding much to the match analysis.......... I just wanted to say sorry to that family. :oops:

I wouldn't beat yourself up about it. They were going in anyway. At least they didn't have to pay £50 to watch that mess! :wink:

[Ace]

London Saddler, you r right

:wink:

[Casual D]

yep, he is.

8) GERRARD AND ROPER 8)

[WFC_Rob]

Westwood MOTM ? Are these people crazy ? I'd leave those prawn sandwiches alone from now on, they're obviously gone off and doing strange things to your mind. If that is what Hartlepool fans consider a top notch player then I dread to think what a bad player is like.

Although I would agree that Westwood did nowhere near enough to be awarded man of the match, he wasn't our worst player by any means. As for him being a bad player, I strongly disagree - play him alongside Gerrard (or Bennett if Gerrard can't play) for the rest of the season & I'm sure we'll se what a good player he is.

[sid swifty]

Westwood MOTM ? Are these people crazy ? I'd leave those prawn sandwiches alone from now on, they're obviously gone off and doing strange things to your mind. If that is what Hartlepool fans consider a top notch player then I dread to think what a bad player is like.

Although I would agree that Westwood did nowhere near enough to be awarded man of the match, he wasn't our worst player by any means. As for him being a bad player, I strongly disagree - play him alongside Gerrard (or Bennett if Gerrard can't play) for the rest of the season & I'm sure we'll se what a good player he is.

i'm glad i was'nt the sponsor who had to decide, because normally the fall back position for sponsors is to give it to the goalie but i think he must have had to toss a coin (11 times) to get the man of the match.

[YGA Saddler]

im glad ive been in stoke since yesterday evening so there has been no mention of yesterdays score until ive just got home!

I was ASHAMED to be a walsall fan yesterday. Once we brought it back to 1-1 then 2-2 i really thought we was going to win the game. OK we are all blaming Staunton and Smith but theres one bloke that hasnt been mentioned and thats Andy Oakes, hes been the best keeper we have had since Jimmy but he cannot kick a ball, hes terrible in one on one situations and is dodgy on crosses.

Last season Gerrard and Roper were immense and we very rarely conceeded. Now with Westwood and whoever Ranieri wants to pick our defence is all over the place. You need a consistent team and a team that play with each other week in week out, otherwise you will get freak results if you constantly change the team.

Merson has shot himself in the foot. He was praised by alot of us for his substitutions but his constant fettish with squad rotation is very worrying. How he can leave ozzie on the bench and not even have fox in the 16 is shocking. We NEED ozzie in our team week in week out.

Im off to bournemouth but this is going to be a very important game. We lose, the decline of last season will emerge and fans will be calling for mersons head. We win and its back to where we left off from.
Its going to be a very dodgy atmosphere.

[geoffwhiting]

wfc_2uk, Fox was injured so didn't play yesterday, I believe he'll be out tomorrow as well. Other than that I agree with you.

[WFC_Rob]

but theres one bloke that hasnt been mentioned and thats Andy Oakes, hes been the best keeper we have had since Jimmy but he cannot kick a ball, hes terrible in one on one situations and is dodgy on crosses.

I think you're clutching at straws to blame Andy Oakes for our poor defending. Yesterday, he was left two-on-one for 3 of the goals due to us committing too many players forward who couldn't get back to defend and was also beaten by a heavily-deflected shot. Are you forgetting the save he made when Akinfenwa was through on goal? From what I rmember, he was also very good saving one-on-ones at Rotherham. As for his kicking, I would agree with you to the extent that he often tries to kick the ball to an isolated player (often Wright) who has little chance of doing anyhting with the ball, however his kicking is generally sound. Had Petr Cech been in goal yesterday, we would have still been beaten due to our inept defending. GERRARD MUST PLAY!!

[YGA Saddler]

wfc_2uk, Fox was injured so didn't play yesterday, I believe he'll be out tomorrow as well. Other than that I agree with you.

SUNDAY 28TH AUGUST 2005 Geoff whiting agrees with me! :shock:

[im a swans fan]

:D 5-2 wot a result dont think walsall that good to be fair we played much better football all ova you .

[Ace]

:D 5-2 wot a result dont think walsall that good to be fair we played much better football all ova you .

That may as well have been in Welsh for all the sense it made to me 8)

[lamburt]

:D :D :D :D SWANS 5 - 2 WALSALL wot a game hahahaha


England is full of s.h.i.t is full of s.h.i.t :P

[Guest]

:D 5-2 wot a result dont think walsall that good to be fair we played much better football all ova you .

That may as well have been in Welsh for all the sense it made to me 8)

fuk u ... you english Scunthorpe

[Ace]

English star? Why thank you 8)

[lamburt]

5-2

5-2 to the sheep shaggers 5-2 :P :P :P

[Ace]

I've nothing against the Welsh, because i like Dirty Sanchez :D

Mind you, they're from mighty Cardiff :wink:

[Guest]

english star u twaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat hahaha ur mother loves my c.o.c.k lol

[Guest]

woopy not the cardiff there s.h.i.t they cant play football to save there lifes .