Barnsley (H) 17/01/06 - F.A Cup 3rd Round Replay

[London Saddler]

Were we that good or were they that bad? A 2-0 massacre. Double figures wud not have have flattered us

Defensively we were superb with what little we had to do. Oakes didn't have a save to make and might as well have bought a deckchair. In fact i can rarely even remember Barnsley getting into the box. Ropes and Gerrard immense as usual. Pead and Fox steady. Even Westwood was made to look like Maldini by Barnsley's powder puff efforts

Midfield brilliant. We won 99% of the headers, 99% of the tackles and 99% of the 2nd balls. How many times can u say we have done that ever during Merse's reign? Osbourne was steady. Leary excellent and i wud sign him up now if we cud. Demon and Wright were terrific and scared the hell out of the Barnsley team. With James up front, i can rarely remember a Walsall team attacking with so much pace. It shows what happens when u actually put a left winger to play on the left wing. Demon is the find of the season and i sincerely hope one of our best youngsters is not going to have his development checked by unnecessary loan players like Smith. Even Standing impressed when he came on. Barnsley's midfield efforts consisted of chasing shadows and hoofing the ball into touch on the rare occasion they got to touch it

Up front we were lively. It was obvious from the start that Barnsley were petrified of James and they spent the match, especially the 1st half fouling him whenever he got near the ball. At least 5 times in the 1st half he was arm wrestled to the ground by the centre half marking him. He ran like a man possessed, even chasing lost causes and i can only hope he isn't just playing for a contract because i fail to see how he has not made it at his previous clubs if he plays like this. The only disappointment for me this evening was Timms. If he is a striker i am Gengis Khan! He spent the match trying fancy flicks, tried playing tip tap football, tried to beat several men and wasted numerous opportunities when a short simple pass wud have put us on a one on one and other times tried simple passes which failed when he had an easy chance to shoot. To me he is a big talent but perhaps a midfielder. He created the 1st goal and at times was a delight to watch. But against a quality side is he a luxury at this level? I remember his performance against colchester when he had an awful 1st half trying tip tap football but in the 2nd half when he either moved into midfield or played deeeper upfield as a striker he was awesome. I wud consider trying him in midfiled with Leary. One hard working engine and one gifted playmaker?

Roper has apparently done his hamstring which will b a huge blow if he isn't there to deal with Wayne Allison of Chesterfield on Saturday. Hard luck on Tamworth who have been magnificient in the cup this season. If we can sign a half decent striker, there is no reason why we cant beat Stoke in the next round and i fancy we will do so, probably after bring them back to Bescot

[Saddler Jim]

I thought we really played tonight,at last we are now showing some passion,mainly due to the new lads,we bossed the match for a good 75% of the match,if only we had a decent striker some team or other will get a tanking,Walsall had far to much pace for Barnsley and it showed,they strung 5 at the back every time we were going forward,but after we scored it was only a matter of time b4 we got a second,as they had to gamble,he took a defender of and put a forward on,and it back fired on him,as we started to really cut thro them,man for man we were far quicker and we were showing commitment that we have lacked all season,the defence never looked in danger,it was also to see us taking a lead without then falling back to defend t,we kept going forward looking for the killer goal wich duely came.The team have now set there standard after this and the Colchester game wich I still say we were unlucky for the rest of the season and I am now looking forward to it.Come on you Saddlers.As a last thought the crowd was very dissapointing tonight,but those who decided not to attend you missed a treat,and for those who attended don't forget to keep your tickets as we have first refusal for tickets for the Stoke game.

[Zippy]

Had we had lost this tonight, there would have been heaps of anti-Mersonism's.

We didn't, so well done Merson, your new boys are settling in nicely.

MICOUSS (for sure).

[Saddler Jim]

Not yet Zippy but thanks for the favour tonight mate.

[Bristol Fan]

Excellent performance tonight against an awful Barnsley team. Oakes had virtually nothing to do, thanks to excellent defending not just from the back four but the midfield as well.

Don't know about the substitutions. Roper did look a bit uncomfortable a couple of times, assume he had a slight knock. I have to say that Westwood was superb when he came on, and it was remarkable how much better Fox did in the second half, basically because Westwood was (and this is not an exaggeration) telling him what to do virtually constantly. Gerrard was immense yet again. I can't see him being with us that much longer if he keeps this up.

Leary was excellent in midfield, a clear man of the match. He needs to be careful with the fouls though, he must have committed more than everyone else put together (and indeed you could add in everyone from our previous five matches as well, at a guess) and I'm amazed he didn't get booked. Osborn was fine in the first half, surprised he was substituted, but Standing - after being typically anonymous for a while - was fine thereafter.

After shouting the praises of Timm after Saturday's game, he had a shocker in the first half, but made up for it in the second. James did all right up top, but he isn't a striker and shouldn't be playing there. Hope we have a proper striker by the weekend so James can return to the wing, though Wright played very well (and it was a real peach of a cross from him for our second). Demontagnac did OK, but I don't think I can see what others seem to see in him. Again, I'm amazed he wasn't booked, and the ref missed a couple of horrendous off-the-ball lunges from him.

Now - can we please, please translate this into a similar performance away from home on Saturday?

[Exile]

Had we had lost this tonight, there would have been heaps of anti-Mersonism's.

We didn't, so well done Merson, your new boys are settling in nicely.

MICOUSS (for sure).

Good result tonight, Zippy, but how about the last game, only three days prior?

I know what you're going to say, but please, I beg you, consider first that if a new player can settle that much better in three days, why (oh why) should it take a new manager nearly two years?*











* - two year timeline indicates that corner has been turned. Corner may not have been turned, or may not exist, but this subjectivity has been ignored for the purposes of the comment above

[warrington saddler]

listened to the radio sheffield commentary on the game and the commentators were saying things like,what a good football side we were,hard working,wondered why were in the bottom half of the table on tonights performance and had nothing but praise for mark wright and how well he played.

will somebody tell me what the bloody hell is going on!!!!!!!!

the amount of praise they dished out for us tonight i had to check at least 6 times i had the right commentary on!!!

[Neil Ravenscroft]

Match report on line. I did not read Mr Roe's comments before writing it, so his answer is there!

Crowd by the way, terrible.

[Who moved the goalposts?]

I thought James looked sharper up front than he looked on the wing? Can't see how we'll fit Devlin (and another striker) into the equation. We do need a big front-man though, even if it's just to give us something different. We DON'T want to start laying 4-3-1-2 though.

[Registered Saddler]

Can't disagree with the general comments on our performance although Barnsley's ineptitude had something to do with the ease with which we won the match. Just a word on the crowd - it wasn't just us that were down on numbers, Barnsley brought - what - 200 or so and there was only 15,000 at Leeds. I think it also wasn't helped by the fact we were at home on Saturday (when we had a fairly healthy 5,500) and the draw for the next round is a little disappointing.

[saddlerken]

Good performance, it was nice to see our midfield really battling for once, very comfortable in the end, I thought during the first half the absence of a striker may cost us, it will definitely cost us in future if it's not sorted quickly. How many times we were about 35 yards out with no striker to look for? It was alarming, still, Barnsley were absolutely pathetic. Woeful team and astonishing that our squad(s) this season have managed to stay in the bottom half.

Bring on the clayheads

[Neil Ravenscroft]

Barnsley are going through a terrible patch at the moment (now only 1 win in their last eight games). It's their early season form that's kept them in the play off picture. They did look like a team playing with no confidence at all last night.

[Exile]

Someone sit Zippy down - we won the game and there's 100 posts on the thread :mrgreen:











(had to post that comment to get the post count up :wink: )

[sid swifty]

MORE LIKE IT! I SHALL BE GOING TO THE NEXT HOME MATCH NOW,WHY? BECAUSE AT LAST WE SHOWED SOME PASSION AND EVEN GOT THE CROWD GOING.......SO WHO KNOWS.......MAYBE A TURNING POINT....ABOUT TIME IF IT IS :)

[Neil Ravenscroft]

The trouble is, Sid, just enjoying it is the only thing to do (if it continues), as, just as last year proved, a good run with loanees and short term contracts assists you nothing come the summer.

[sid swifty]

The trouble is, Sid, just enjoying it is the only thing to do (if it continues), as, just as last year proved, a good run with loanees and short term contracts assists you nothing come the summer.

yes neil i know all that and it could all come unstuck in the next home game let alone the much expected player merry-go-round that is bound to happen at the end of the season,and we all know what happens when merson has options, but i have genuinely got a nice warm feeling (about the standard of entertainment if nothing else) and its been such a longtime since i have felt like i might actually enjoy a match that i am just going with the flow neil :D :wink:

[Bernie]

The last two matches have been among the best we have seen for a long time. Well done to Merson for bringing in the loan players.

I have a lot of complaints about Merson, but it is only fair to say that I have enjoyed the last two games. We lost against Colchester, but as a Walsall fan I do not expect us to win every week. What I want is exciting football and that is what we have been denied for a very long time.

[Hednesfordred]

[quote="sid swifty"] but i have genuinely got a nice warm feeling (about the standard of entertainment if nothing else) and its been such a long time since i have felt like i might actually enjoy a match

Quite right sid. Just on that theme, some people have laughingly slagged off Mads Timm on various threads for being too intricate, trying to do too much. I think that in the last 3 games he has been like a breath of fresh air to our side. Someone who wants the ball, tries to do something different to break down the opposition. OK everything doesnt come off, but arent we a much better side for the fact that he tries these things in the first place.
I think Leary & James have brought a lot to the team also, but in Timm i feel we have a player, albeit for a short while probably, who has the potential to be a STAR.

Up the Saddlers

[sid swifty]

Its like i have said all along,you have got to feel like going and not go because zippy & co say that its your duty to support them and as i said for the same reason that i cant help not wanting to pay out my hard earned cash to watch them i now know that i have the opposite feeling and i want to watch them again,plus join in all the rituals that are connected with going to the match with my sons.

[Neil Ravenscroft]

Hednesfordred, it isnt a criticism of Timm to say, as I did in the match report, to say he was being too intricate. It's the role we were using him in. As a second striker, he's wasted, as he doesn't get the room. As an attacking midfielder, as he showed when he dropped deeper last night, he's not just good, he has the potential to be devastating at this level. You are confusing criticism of the way he was used with criticism of the player.

[LancsSaddler]

just a few quotes from my mate whos a barnsley fan who was at the game last night.
'never seen us play so badly'
'we have to be the worst team in this comp'(etition)
'ive never been so bored at a football game'

hes a die hard barnsley fan so doesnt say those things lightly, just a bit of perspective before we run away with the league! :wink:

although where have i heard it all before......

[Duke]

missed the game work comittments and all that much better by all
accounts all i can say is its about bloody time

[Neil Ravenscroft]

just a few quotes from my mate whos a barnsley fan who was at the game last night.
'never seen us play so badly'
'we have to be the worst team in this comp'(etition)
'ive never been so bored at a football game'

hes a die hard barnsley fan so doesnt say those things lightly, just a bit of perspective before we run away with the league! :wink:

although where have i heard it all before......

There's a few calling for the manager this morning - or saying that he needs an experienced assistant (now, where have I heard that before?)

[Andy W Taylor]

I thought we played pretty much like we did on Saturday - dominating huge chunks of the game. The 2 main differences were a) we managed to put away a couple of the excellent chances we created, b) Colchester aren't now 2nd in the table for nothing!

Even though they won, the Colchester manager said that it was worst they'd played for ages. Were they really so bad or did we just make them look bad because we played well and denied them meaningful possession? Ditto Barnlsey.

If we'd have played like we did against Bristol City or Bradford, don't think Col U or Barnsley would have seemed to be particularly bad!

Still need a couple of proper forwards to up the chance to goal ratio. Question is, who would you leave out of last night's team to accomodate them?

[Neil Ravenscroft]

I thought we played pretty much like we did on Saturday - dominating huge chunks of the game. The 2 main differences were a) we managed to put away a couple of the excellent chances we created, b) Colchester aren't now 2nd in the table for nothing!

Even though they won, the Colchester manager said that it was worst they'd played for ages. Were they really so bad or did we just make them look bad because we played well and denied them meaningful possession? Ditto Barnlsey.

If we'd have played like we did against Bristol City or Bradford, don't think Col U or Barnsley would have seemed to be particularly bad!

Still need a couple of proper forwards to up the chance to goal ratio. Question is, who would you leave out of last night's team to accomodate them?

Wright. Only choice, with James on the right wing. Begs the question, however, of where the hell do you play Devlin, who's come to us because he can "get first team football" here?

[WFC_Rob]

Pleased to see people recognise Westwood's good performance last night as I feel some people have 'jumped on the bandwagon' of having a go at him. Without wanting to say 'I told you so,' I said a while back that I felt we would see the best of Westwood when partnered with Gerrard at the back. Those people who booed him when he came on are a disgrace.

On the subject of our performance, we looked very solid and professional in all areas. Leary was immense and he is just what our midfield has been lacking so far ths season - some energy and determination. He gets around the pitch better than any midfielder I've seen for a while and is great at winning the ball whether it be in the air or on the deck. I can see why Merson likes Mads Timm - very attack-minded with a trick or two up his sleeve. His ball for the first goal was tremendous and always seems to have so much time on the ball (as all good players do).

With us looking so solid, our away form can only get better, however I'm concerned about Saturday with us missing Fox, Roper & Osborn.

[Zippy]

Someone sit Zippy down - we won the game and there's 100 posts on the thread :mrgreen:

Indeed, a much better performance by the users of this board. Keep up the good work.

MICOUSS

:wink:

[Jorge14]

It would be very, very harsh to drop Wright. I have never seen Wright play as well as he did last night - he beat his man 80% of the time, put in 3 or 4 really good, teasing crosses, and never stopped running.
I do wish that he wouldn't get the stick he does get, all he gets from certain people who sit in Block K of The Fellows Stand is abuse, all those certain people get when he plays well is abuse from people sick of Wright being made the fall-guy.

I wouldn't want to see Devlin in place of Wright, to be honest. We look so much better with 3 players of genuine PACE, plus Timm's ability, which Neil you rightly call 'devastating'. I just can't help but feel that to replace on of our front 4 from last night with Devlin would actually have a detrimental effect to the team. Devlin is a good player, no doubt, but there is no justification to drop anyone from the four of James, Timm, Ishmel and Wright.

Leary was magnificent again last night. He controls the midfield in a way we havn't seen since Samways left. It gives us impetece in the middle to push on, and assists the front 4 by being assured that there will be runs coming in to the box late. What we have lacked even more than a target man and pace this season has been the willingness of our midfield to "buy a ticket" and arrive late in the box. In Leary (and Smith) we have two of those players, and that can only be beneficial.

It is a blow to lose Roper, but Westwood performed superbly well last night. I was still in the bar, I must admit, when the booing took place so I can't really comment on that, but I think he showed last night the potential we all know he has. Hopefully if he gets a run now in the absence of Roper we can see what Westwood is really made of, and when Roper returns we can have 3 players more than capable of being first choice at the club.

We still lack a target man - but who can you drop from that team? It was the purest attacking display we have seen since the first half an hour at Hartlepool last April.
It is amazing what pace can do...

[Duke]

Had we had lost this tonight, there would have been heaps of anti-Mersonism's.

We didn't, so well done Merson, your new boys are settling in nicely.

MICOUSS (for sure).

One swallow doesn't make a spring

[Magic Man Fan]

Excellent performance tonight against an awful Barnsley team. Oakes had virtually nothing to do, thanks to excellent defending not just from the back four but the midfield as well.

Don't know about the substitutions. Roper did look a bit uncomfortable a couple of times, assume he had a slight knock. I have to say that Westwood was superb when he came on, and it was remarkable how much better Fox did in the second half, basically because Westwood was (and this is not an exaggeration) telling him what to do virtually constantly. Gerrard was immense yet again. I can't see him being with us that much longer if he keeps this up.

Leary was excellent in midfield, a clear man of the match. He needs to be careful with the fouls though, he must have committed more than everyone else put together (and indeed you could add in everyone from our previous five matches as well, at a guess) and I'm amazed he didn't get booked. Osborn was fine in the first half, surprised he was substituted, but Standing - after being typically anonymous for a while - was fine thereafter.

After shouting the praises of Timm after Saturday's game, he had a shocker in the first half, but made up for it in the second. James did all right up top, but he isn't a striker and shouldn't be playing there. Hope we have a proper striker by the weekend so James can return to the wing, though Wright played very well (and it was a real peach of a cross from him for our second). Demontagnac did OK, but I don't think I can see what others seem to see in him. Again, I'm amazed he wasn't booked, and the ref missed a couple of horrendous off-the-ball lunges from him.

Now - can we please, please translate this into a similar performance away from home on Saturday?

My opinion is similar to this except at Barnsley and again last night, I much prefer James up front (until we get a proper striker at least). He gives real pace through the middle which scares defenders at any leve let alone this.

I think we looked far more balanced with Ishmel last night, much more so than with James or Wright playing on the left instead. His cross which led to the second goal was excellent if we'd had a striker to get on the end of it!

I also though Wright had a great game and I was really starting to get pissed off with some slagging him off at every opportunity. He lost possession a couple of times and people were on their feet, waving their arms and shouting at him, yet when Timm lost the ball under less pressure they were saying unlucky, well done Timm. barclays.