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Oldham (A) - 6th December 2005 - League

Reports and reaction from the 2005-06 season as Walsall finished 24th (R) in League 1
Hednesfordred
 
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 11:44 am

I was at the game last night, and i have to say i am surprised by some of the comments on here.

If anyone can say we "performed well" but came away with nothing they must have been at a different game. We were sh!t for all but the last 10 minutes. Only when Kris Taylor came on did we appear to have any balance in the side.

Merse - why continue with tactics like 4-5-1 when we do not have a striker who can play the system. Time & time again last night we could not clear our lines for long enough to bring the back four out from the edge of the 18 yard line.

Merse - why play Fox in midfield, when he is patantly the best left back in the club, and leave Kris Taylor, who is patently the best left side midfield player in the club, on the bench. Bennett is no full back - positional sense & distribution not good enough.

Merse - why change the formation at half time to 4-4-2 when it was obvious that Daryl Taylor was haveing an absolute mare of a game. If u were goin to play 4-4-2 why not move Jorge to play wide right & bring Constable on (mind you he didnt do a lot when finally introduced)

Sorry for the long post, but it was a long trip for a night game, £21 quid in, and fudge cold. I sincerely believe that the 177 fans who went last night deserve a bit better than we got.

Finally, to put our performance into perspective, if Oldham had been any where near a good side, we should have been slaughtered last night.
Still, i will be at Forest hoping for a lot better.

Up the Saddlers

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Cheesebag
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 11:56 am

Hednesfordred wrote:I was at the game last night, and i have to say i am surprised by some of the comments on here.

If anyone can say we "performed well" but came away with nothing they must have been at a different game. We were sh!t for all but the last 10 minutes. Only when Kris Taylor came on did we appear to have any balance in the side.

Merse - why continue with tactics like 4-5-1 when we do not have a striker who can play the system. Time & time again last night we could not clear our lines for long enough to bring the back four out from the edge of the 18 yard line.

Merse - why play Fox in midfield, when he is patantly the best left back in the club, and leave Kris Taylor, who is patently the best left side midfield player in the club, on the bench. Bennett is no full back - positional sense & distribution not good enough.

Merse - why change the formation at half time to 4-4-2 when it was obvious that Daryl Taylor was haveing an absolute mare of a game. If u were goin to play 4-4-2 why not move Jorge to play wide right & bring Constable on (mind you he didnt do a lot when finally introduced)

Sorry for the long post, but it was a long trip for a night game, £21 quid in, and fudge cold. I sincerely believe that the 177 fans who went last night deserve a bit better than we got.

Finally, to put our performance into perspective, if Oldham had been any where near a good side, we should have been slaughtered last night.
Still, i will be at Forest hoping for a lot better.

Up the Saddlers


I was at the game also and can't argue with any of your points above.

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YGA Saddler
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 12:54 pm

Last night was probably the worst 90 minutes I have seen from a Walsall team for few seasons. At least at Barnsley we played better 2nd half, last night no-one could be bothered (except the 177 travelling faithful). There were too many players that were hiding last night Fryatt, Pead, Murphy and D.Taylor were the main culprits.
Why did Merse decide to take Ozzie off and bring K.Taylor on? Surely the better option would have been to replace Bennett with Taylor, drop Fox back at left back and have Ozzie and Taylor in midfield.
Their first goal was a gift. Poor defending from Pead and then D.Taylor for letting their player turn and then cross, but even worse defending from Ropes and Gerrard for letting their bloke to get behind them to head in such an easy goal.

I have had enough of paying hard earned money to watch players like Fryatt and D.Taylor only play when they can be bothered, if we went into work just working when we could be bothered we would be out the door. People will come on here and say "they are only kids", to be honest thats a load of crap they have been playing long enough now to know what is needed in this league.

Sorry to go off on one but Its really annoying.

Highlight of the night: Merson controlling the ball so well, turning around smiling, being big headed then falling over the box! :lol:

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Neuromantic
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:22 pm

wfc_2uk wrote:Last night was probably the worst 90 minutes I have seen from a Walsall team for few seasons. At least at Barnsley we played better 2nd half, last night no-one could be bothered (except the 177 travelling faithful). There were too many players that were hiding last night Fryatt, Pead, Murphy and D.Taylor were the main culprits.
Why did Merse decide to take Ozzie off and bring K.Taylor on? Surely the better option would have been to replace Bennett with Taylor, drop Fox back at left back and have Ozzie and Taylor in midfield.
Their first goal was a gift. Poor defending from Pead and then D.Taylor for letting their player turn and then cross, but even worse defending from Ropes and Gerrard for letting their bloke to get behind them to head in such an easy goal.

I have had enough of paying hard earned money to watch players like Fryatt and D.Taylor only play when they can be bothered, if we went into work just working when we could be bothered we would be out the door. People will come on here and say "they are only kids", to be honest thats a load of crap they have been playing long enough now to know what is needed in this league.

Sorry to go off on one but Its really annoying.

Highlight of the night: Merson controlling the ball so well, turning around smiling, being big headed then falling over the box! :lol:


Bit harsh on Fryatt mate, i dont think you can hide really when you have absolutely zero service from the rest of the team.

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Duke
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:35 pm

wfc_2uk wrote:Last night was probably the worst 90 minutes I have seen from a Walsall team for few seasons. At least at Barnsley we played better 2nd half, last night no-one could be bothered (except the 177 travelling faithful). There were too many players that were hiding last night Fryatt, Pead, Murphy and D.Taylor were the main culprits.
Why did Merse decide to take Ozzie off and bring K.Taylor on? Surely the better option would have been to replace Bennett with Taylor, drop Fox back at left back and have Ozzie and Taylor in midfield.
Their first goal was a gift. Poor defending from Pead and then D.Taylor for letting their player turn and then cross, but even worse defending from Ropes and Gerrard for letting their bloke to get behind them to head in such an easy goal.

I have had enough of paying hard earned money to watch players like Fryatt and D.Taylor only play when they can be bothered, if we went into work just working when we could be bothered we would be out the door. People will come on here and say "they are only kids", to be honest thats a load of crap they have been playing long enough now to know what is needed in this league.

Sorry to go off on one but Its really annoying.

Highlight of the night: Merson controlling the ball so well, turning around smiling, being big headed then falling over the box! :lol:


Still waiting to hear our managers (if you can call him that) comments from the game
will it be the dog & duck under 10s or another hard luck sob story
chances are we'll beat forest on saturday and everything will rosie in the garden again
its getting worrying not to mention depressing

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Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:48 pm

Well there seems a pretty strong concensus from those who were at the game that it wasn't very good. Injuries should be a pretty safe bet for Merse on the excuse front, especially with Skora going off. Also the last 15 minute onslaught and the different clarse save by their keeper from Taylor. "those are the things that are the margin between manager's getting the sack" don't you know - not at Bescot Paul!! You have a job for life matey.

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tinned
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:02 pm

The trouble is, during our mini revival at home, I have tried to enjoy the upturn in results. However at the back of my mind I've just been worrying whether we're in fact not in a revival at all, but just another temporary upturn in the great cycle of Merson's management.

How do we fall for it everytime ? I have posted many times about the happies not seeing the greater pattern, yet one or two decent results and I'm cinvincing myself the fabled corner has been turned.

How many times must we repeat this horrible cycle ? :(

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YGA Saddler
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:18 pm

wednesbury Saddler METFAN wrote:
wfc_2uk wrote:Last night was probably the worst 90 minutes I have seen from a Walsall team for few seasons. At least at Barnsley we played better 2nd half, last night no-one could be bothered (except the 177 travelling faithful). There were too many players that were hiding last night Fryatt, Pead, Murphy and D.Taylor were the main culprits.
Why did Merse decide to take Ozzie off and bring K.Taylor on? Surely the better option would have been to replace Bennett with Taylor, drop Fox back at left back and have Ozzie and Taylor in midfield.
Their first goal was a gift. Poor defending from Pead and then D.Taylor for letting their player turn and then cross, but even worse defending from Ropes and Gerrard for letting their bloke to get behind them to head in such an easy goal.

I have had enough of paying hard earned money to watch players like Fryatt and D.Taylor only play when they can be bothered, if we went into work just working when we could be bothered we would be out the door. People will come on here and say "they are only kids", to be honest thats a load of crap they have been playing long enough now to know what is needed in this league.

Sorry to go off on one but Its really annoying.

Highlight of the night: Merson controlling the ball so well, turning around smiling, being big headed then falling over the box! :lol:


Bit harsh on Fryatt mate, i dont think you can hide really when you have absolutely zero service from the rest of the team.


I understand what your saying Daz, the long ball was inefective again to hoof it up to someone who cant header a ball. But when the oldham defenders were passing the ball around there was only jorge running after it, Fryatt just stood there and watched. Likewise when Ishy had the ball on the wing there were so many occasions when he was after a run from Fryatt but he never moved.

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YGA Saddler
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:22 pm

I spoke to someone at the game last night and he told me, that it was his first away game of the season and until last night he had his positives of Merse as manager. Now he wants him out.
I suggest all the happy clappers, mostly those that only watch the home games, try going to more away games sampling the dire football then make up your own conclusions of this idiot.

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Zippy
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:26 pm

wfc_2uk wrote:I spoke to someone at the game last night and he told me, that it was his first away game of the season and until last night he had his positives of Merse as manager. Now he wants him out.
I suggest all the happy clappers, mostly those that only watch the home games, try going to more away games sampling the dire football then make up your own conclusions of this idiot.



Mmmmm, I wonder who that was aimed at :?:

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Duke
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:29 pm

Dave Roe wrote:The trouble is, during our mini revival at home, I have tried to enjoy the upturn in results. However at the back of my mind I've just been worrying whether we're in fact not in a revival at all, but just another temporary upturn in the great cycle of Merson's management.

How do we fall for it everytime ? I have posted many times about the happies not seeing the greater pattern, yet one or two decent results and I'm cinvincing myself the fabled corner has been turned.

How many times must we repeat this horrible cycle ? :(


The thing is dave during this mini revival we still playerd crap football
against even crappier teams (is there a word called crappier)

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Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:36 pm

DAVEDEAN wrote:
Dave Roe wrote:The trouble is, during our mini revival at home, I have tried to enjoy the upturn in results. However at the back of my mind I've just been worrying whether we're in fact not in a revival at all, but just another temporary upturn in the great cycle of Merson's management.

How do we fall for it everytime ? I have posted many times about the happies not seeing the greater pattern, yet one or two decent results and I'm cinvincing myself the fabled corner has been turned.

How many times must we repeat this horrible cycle ? :(


The thing is dave during this mini revival we still playerd crap football
against even crappier teams (is there a word called crappier)


No lol

Hednesfordred
 
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:40 pm

I actually dont think we play much better at home. It's just that the system suits our players slightly better than the 4-5-1 we play away.

As for Fryatt, i dont think he can play this system away. He must get fed up watching the ball repeatedly hit the central defenders head. No wonder he gives up the ghost after a while. As has been said before, get some proper coaching into him & he has the makings of a very good player.

And for the first time ever in my posts (thanks to last night )

MERSON OUT! OUT! OUT! (but i know it won't happen)

Up the Saddlers

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Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:47 pm

DAVEDEAN wrote:Still waiting to hear our managers (if you can call him that) comments from the game
will it be the dog & duck under 10s or another hard luck sob story


http://icwalsall.icnetwork.co.uk/sport/ ... _page.html

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Flemish Saddler
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:47 pm

DAVEDEAN wrote:even crappier teams (is there a word called crappier)


crappiest :lol:

oh no, not again :?

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Duke
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:54 pm

KJC wrote:
DAVEDEAN wrote:Still waiting to hear our managers (if you can call him that) comments from the game
will it be the dog & duck under 10s or another hard luck sob story


http://icwalsall.icnetwork.co.uk/sport/ ... _page.html


thanks KJC Its the schoolboy excuse again :shock: :x :cry:

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Wed Dec 07, 2005 3:05 pm

Zippyzip wrote:
wfc_2uk wrote:I spoke to someone at the game last night and he told me, that it was his first away game of the season and until last night he had his positives of Merse as manager. Now he wants him out.
I suggest all the happy clappers, mostly those that only watch the home games, try going to more away games sampling the dire football then make up your own conclusions of this idiot.



Mmmmm, I wonder who that was aimed at :?:


Actually Zippy before you become further enveloped in paranoia, I said the exact same thing over a year ago, before you were even registered. It is of course very very true, as the contrast between our results and performances home and away shows. Hence the vast majority of calls to WM following an away defeat are from fans sitting in the comfort of their own homes.

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Wed Dec 07, 2005 3:27 pm

Having read Merson's interview, littered with truisms such as 'we can't be a bunch of homers' or some such tripe, one piece of advice for Merse.

"Stop moaning and get behind the lads!"

:evil:

London Saddler
 

Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:24 pm

Predictable performance and predictable result. Back to reality for some

I never expected anything less than a defeat. Most people wern't fooled by the wins at home. Pleasing as they were in their ease and comfort, one is hardly going to go overboard in home wins against the likes of Gillingham (crisis club, lost to some non league team, sacked their manager etc.), Rotherham (no win in around 15) and Yeovil (have currently lost several conscutive games). Rather than propelling us to a play off spot, our home form is ensuring we stay out of the relegation zone. My only surprise is not that we have now lost a number of consecutive away games, but the fact that we have actually managed to win a couple of games (dodgy last minute goal at Rotherham and against 10 man Scunthorpe who still dominated against us)

Can't be bothered to work out what formation we played last night. Whereas before we had to put up with different formations every game, now it has reached such a farcical state that we have to put up with 2-3 different formations per game. As for players playing out of position, we are all used to it. Oldham are an average team (relatively speaking for this crap division) who have spent some money. But they have struggled at home this season. But were comfortable winners yesterday. Only coming under brief pressure once they went 2 up

Defensively we were useless. I thought we had defended magnificently against Yeovil but it was back to normality yesterday conceding a minimum of 2-3 goals per away match. Murphy looked crap like he was against the Franchise. Not one of the defenders had a good game including surprisingly Ropes who has looked immense since he has come back into the team

Midfield was awful. Osbourne who has been player of the season so far, had his 2nd consectutive crap match after Yeovil. Taylor struggled but needs a few more games under his belt. For some unknown reason, Merse thinks Fox has been brilliant this season. I may be the only one, but he has been crap at left back and whilst he tackles and gives 100%, his passing makes Ropes look like Maldini. As for Skora, after 2 bright inital performances, he has faded. I will judge him by January but to suggest a Championship reserve team player, who is injury prone and whose contract is up a the end of the season is worth more than 50 grand is an absolute joke. Ismael wasn't his usual bright self but has looked stunning in most games and is the find of the season so i would persist with him and play him from the start

As usual i am not going to criticise our strikers. We all know with service they can score easily, but little u can do when no service and when they have to score at least 3 goals to win. Fryatt will score 20 goals this season and if he goes for anything less than 750k-1 million (absolute correct valuation when u take into account his age, his scoring rate and the current maket value for how much similar strikers from our division have been sold for) then Merse and Bonser will find three and half thousand at Bescot instead of the four and a thousand that gates have dropped to

This is not just a moan about yesterday's game but a reflection of virtually all the away games since Merse took charge and a few home games as well. I don't expect anything from Forest game despite us being a bogey team for them. They are very strong at home and we r very crap away. We all know the score. In 2 weeks we will be back to square one, Merse will be under pressure again and Hartlepool at home will be a big game and a game which we will win well

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Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:58 pm

Well, I was there, too last night - I'm starting to get the feeling that there should be some kind of memorial to the "gallant few" who braved the cold December night etc, etc, maybe a commemorative shirt with 177 names on it!

Anyway, let's get real, folks, it wasn't that bad - just 2 ordinary 3rd division teams & the result could have gone either way. It was certainly an improvement on the performance at Huddersfield, albeit against a poorer team.

I like the 451 formation and I think we should use it home and away, provided the players realise that it is a fluid formation which can turn quickly into 433 or even 424. The starting line up yesterday was a perfect illustration of this, with 2 attacking wide players (Leitao & Daryl Taylor) and an attacking midfielder (Skora) who was playing just off the main striker. The structure is underpinned by 2 defensively-minded central midfielders (Fox & Osborn). The reason it didn't succeed last night is not, in my view, the fault of the system itself but rather the fault of the 5 individuals concerned, none of whom had a good game.

Whatever system we use, I'd like to see us stick it with it for a while, at least for a whole 90 minutes!

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tinned
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:02 pm

Well said that man. Can't disagree with much there. How depressing things have got :cry:

I would love a happy to come on here and sensibly and logically argue these points. Probably be waiting a long time then. More likely get some smart arsed soundbite as a supposed argument.

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Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:09 pm

Great post London Saddler.

There is no argument. I think as time goes on more and more people defending Merson realise that. In fact many have said, like honestjohn that if things haven't turned around by the end of the decent run of winnable games we have up until the end of January then they will also change their position on things.

It becomes clear that the longer things go on the more the pattern will repeat itself. Win the games we should be winning at home but losing to practically everyone away.

I'm dreading Fryatt leaving because I can't see how we'll win games, even at home with him gone. We're already in a worse position than last year coupled with the fact that I can't see Bonser splashing out on several loans to save our skins like we did last year. There will be even less finances to do that when the crowds are nearer 4000 or below.

Come on Walsall prove me wrong and let stuff Forest. :roll:

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Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:42 pm

Dave Roe wrote:Well said that man. Can't disagree with much there. How depressing things have got :cry:

I would love a happy to come on here and sensibly and logically argue these points. Probably be waiting a long time then. More likely get some smart arsed soundbite as a supposed argument.


'broken record' :)

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Stu
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:05 pm

Exile,

Are you talking about Mr Roe or Zippy there? :roll:

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tinned
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Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:20 pm

Stu wrote:Exile,

Are you talking about Mr Roe or Zippy there? :roll:


I'm wondering.

As a note, my comment about "well said that man" was to London Saddler, not to Mister Pink. As if you hadn't guessed :wink:

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