Barnsley - AWAY - 29th Oct 05

[YGA Saddler]

Just got back..

Well what can I say? First half was probably the worst half performance from a Walsall team for so many years. Just one shot on target and that was easily saved by Colgan. At half time the chants of 4-4-2 obviously made Merson bring Jorge on and in fairness we did play much better, still nothing to show for it though.

What was Pead thinking of? I really hope the club throw the book at him because that was disgusting. But even though what he did, you lot that booed him and made hand gestures towards him should be put down. He didnt deserve it and frankly he is one of the few players that does want to play for this club.
the question I want to raise from todays game is WHY THE F**K did Gerrard play central midfield?! He was awful, gave away pass after pass out of position, never got forward, along with Kinsella and really looked like a sunday league player. But its MERSON'S FAULT, again! He did look so much better playing centre half with Roper for the last 15 minutes of the game though.

[WS1]

Utter crap first half, one of the worst away games I have seen in many a year, did not help having Taylor, Ishmel, Fryatt under performing in the first half.

No help when Gerrard replaced Standing in midfield----was Standing fully fit before the game ?

Second half a lot better when Jorge came on and we played 4-4-2, we started to use the wing with Ishmel coming in to the game a lot more, stupid Pead why oh why did you have to lash out.

Got back in the game with an equaliser from Fryatt, silly mistakes for their two goals then we score a second goal only for the AR to rule it off side----no way was it off side their full back was playing Fryatt on.

Their no 15 Kay who brought Ishmel down late in the game who had already been booked should have been sent off.

All three officials where shite, Barnsley players where falling over like fairys on a tree, one was down in agony but has the ball came near him he soon got up---cheating t**t.

Also Murphy threw the ball out for a Barnsley player to receive treatment when play resumed instead of passing the ball back to Murphy they kicked it out for a goal kick----very sporting of you Barnsley----no wonder you are known as the dingles in Yorkshire.

Just so pi$$ed off with today, got that off me chest now for a few beers to try and forget it happened

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

[Bristol Fan]

Really, really, unbelievably awful in the first half. Barnsley deserved to be 5-0 up at half time despite not actually being any good themselves. I can't remember us being that bad before, even under Merson. I'm absolutely dreading Friday - if we play anything like that, we will lose.

Having said that, we played so well after half time we were really unlucky not to get a point. Merson was idiotic to bring Gerrard on for Standing when Broad was on the bench, and Pead was absolutely stupid beyond belief to do what he does. Sorry wfc_2uk, Pead deserved a hell of a lot more booing than he got. He cost us the game.

Murphy played really well, made some fine saves and his kicking is miles better than Oakes. Roper and Bennett were again outstanding (and the latter spent the last 15 minutes playing as one of two left wingers - what the f---?!?!)

Our full backs were dreadful. Theirs were exceptional and our wingers didn't really have a clue. Sztybel is a million miles from being ready for the first team, he was anonymous and ineffective and I felt rather sorry for him for being asked to play. Ishmel was good when we were chasing the game late on and he was actually playing a long way forward but in the first half he kept collecting the ball midway in our own half and then trying to play a glory ball to Fryatt, which was a waste of time and not what he's there for.

Our midfield was really disrupted by Standing going off, especially given who was chosen to replace him. Again, I felt sorry for Gerrard having to play there, and I felt sorry for Broad sitting on the bench watching him. Kinsella was atrocious, he is well past it. Taylor was dreadful in the first half and excellent in the second half. Up front Fryatt was a forlorn figure for the first 45 minutes (if we're going to play 4-5-1 then we need the midfield to burst forward to support the striker, like Surman did for us last season, and I guess Standing was meant to today, but nobody did it today, which is why we never had a shot; Fryatt would get the ball in their half and there'd be no Walsall player within 20 yards and by the time anyone bothered to venture forward, the five Barnsley defenders had unsurprisingly outnumbered him and got the ball off him). In the second half he was completely different, with players actually helping him out. Jorge did NOT look injured. He was terrific and had he started and we'd played 4-4-2 I imagine we'd have won.

Merson OUT.

[Bristol Fan]

Good God, I forgot to mention the referee. What an absolute prat. He got the sending off right but everything else wrong.

Fryatt looked MILES on side for the goal that was disallowed, and the ref just didn't have a clue. Fryatt and Leitao were bundled all over the place and got given nothing at all. Leitao's booking came after HE had been fouled! I was completely in disbelief when the kick was given the other way, and to see the yellow card come out - a joke!