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Swansea City (A) 24/1/06 LDV

Reports and reaction from the 2005-06 season as Walsall finished 24th (R) in League 1
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Magic Man Fan
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Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:43 pm

Surrey Saddler wrote:
Magic Man Fan wrote:
Surrey Saddler wrote:Where was Pead? Why subject Deakin to that ordeal?


Pead took one of the early ones didn't he?

They were all young Surrey, one of them had to take one.


Pead didn't take one Magic. I would have thought he would...he has much more experience than Deakin. It was Deakin's first game for goodness sake


I thought he had. I got lost in the excitement. As the others have said the players volunteer to take pens. If they're feeling confident then they take one. It's not normally the manager who forces them to take one as it puts pressure on them.

Deakin is a confident kid, I saw some of the shots he was taking on in pre season. Fair play to him but it wasn't to be.

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Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:45 pm

I wish Fox had taken penalty number 5. I am sure that everyone would have thought him a better bet than Oakes or Westwood.

But well done the lads. Our last five matches have seen good performances but only 1 win.

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Zippy
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Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:46 pm

It sounded like a cracking game.

As with any penalty shootout, it's more luck than judgment.

They may aswell toss a coin 5 times or play paper, scissors, stone.

MICOUSS

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Neuromantic
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Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:46 pm

My personal opinion is that this wasnt planned at all, and this is what im trying to say, performace by all accounts was brilliant.

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tinned
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Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:47 pm

Why all the running commentary on here ? It's much easier and quicker on the chat room (with the other 19 or 20 nervous wrecks that were on tonight).

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Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:50 pm

true bernie cant see how oakes was before fox to take a penalty,anyway history now,hope we get a result saturday,UTS!!!!

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Dave Gittins
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Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:51 pm

Dave Roe wrote:Why all the running commentary on here ? It's much easier and quicker on the chat room (with the other 19 or 20 nervous wrecks that were on tonight).


Just seemed like a good idea at the time.

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WarsawPact
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Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:53 pm

I think you'll find most managers leave it up to the players to volunteer for penalties.

No point fixing a set order then having to change it because someone got knocked on the ankle during the game.

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Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:26 pm

Great shame we lost out tonight, we maybe shaded it and deserved to go through, but penalty shoot outs are a lottery and no-one disgraced themselves. I would have liked one or two more-experienced players to have had the balls to take one, 'cos it was one hell of a pressure for young Deakin to put himself under.

Sounded like an excellent performance, and as a staunch Merson critic, I can't see any way we could criticise him tonight, but it's still early days in this "revival" and I won't be changing my mind for a while yet, not until or unless we get some consistently good performances AND results. It seems we've made a start, the effort and application certainly look a whole lot better, but let's not get carried away over a home defeat, a home win and 3 away draws.

In case I decide to change my Avatar, can anyone remind me how to get rid of the one I've got , 'cos I'm buggered if I can remember ? :D

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tinned
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Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:29 pm

geoffwhiting wrote:Sounded like an excellent performance, and as a staunch Merson critic, I can't see any way we could criticise him tonight


Have you thought hard enough, Geoff ? There's gotta be something we can pin on him :wink:

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geoffwhiting
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Tue Jan 24, 2006 11:51 pm

Dave Roe wrote:
geoffwhiting wrote:Sounded like an excellent performance, and as a staunch Merson critic, I can't see any way we could criticise him tonight


Have you thought hard enough, Geoff ? There's gotta be something we can pin on him :wink:


I can't think of much but self assessments at the moment Dave, just grabbing the odd moment to keep up to date on here, but no mate, tonight, given the circumstances, injuries, cup-tied players etc., I can't attach ANY blame to Paul Merson - in fact from what I've heard so far I wouldn't attach blame to anyone tonight, just praise them up for a great effort, far better than many of us expected.

Will be interesting later and tomorrow to get some first-hand accounts from those who were at Swansea tonight.

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Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:50 am

Dave Roe wrote:
geoffwhiting wrote:Sounded like an excellent performance, and as a staunch Merson critic, I can't see any way we could criticise him tonight


Have you thought hard enough, Geoff ? There's gotta be something we can pin on him :wink:

Well, yes we can :D . In fairness,, Merson's hands were tied with the injuries and two players being cup-tied but I would still fault his starting team selection. Why did McDermott start while Constable was on the bench? Diddy Dave looked out of his depth all night whereas Constable gave the Swans' defence something to worry about when he came on.

The first half was very poor but the second half of the main match and that of extra time saw us as clearly the better team. Oakes, I'm afraid, will not look back with any pleasure on this game. He was at fault with both Swansea goals and became the first of our team to miss a penalty (the crucial 5th one) although, to be fair, at least he took a penalty and he also saved one. He has this habit of blocking shots but then punching the ball weakly into dangerous (to us) areas instead of punching for safety. He got away with it tonight apart from their second goal which was right against the run of play. Pead tackled well but his passing was awful. He also bottled out of taking a penalty. Westwood, Gerrard and Fox were their usual steady selves. It was a shame that Westy blotted his copybook with such a wimpish penalty. Wright I could willingly strangle! He is just like his Dad :D Promises so much but achieves so little. Demontagnac did very little. Standing and Smith worked hard in the centre of midfield but Standing so often spoils it by having one touch too many and thus loses the ball. Up front, Nicholls worked his socks off as usual but McDermott was anonymous. Constable came on for Demontagnac and did well and then Deakin replaced McDermott, near the end.

What puzzled many of us in the trusty band of Saddlers' followers was the absence of the two recognised strikers from the rota of penalty takers. Nicholls and Constable had scored two cracking goals in open play and surely their confidence must have been higher than that of a raw teenager, making his debut. Shame on the two of them (and Pead) for leaving Deakin to face the music. I know that Constable and Nicholls are not first team regulars and are not very experienced themselves but they have played a darn sight more than Deakin.

This match was SO frustrating. We could, and SHOULD, have won it. That's our only chance of glory gone for this season. However, I am very optimistic that we can beat the Clayheads on Saturday and I'm looking forward to a good performance at the Shitannia Stadium.

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Wed Jan 25, 2006 7:08 am

Can't understand the whiff of criticism over the pens. You pick the players most up for it, always. I'm just disappointed that a striker didn't feel up to it and would always question one who ducked out, on a personal level, as goalscorers should always be hungry for goals, but that's nowt to do witht he manager.

As for Merson, the only thing I didn't like was pulling off a midfielder for a striker. 3 up top in those circumstances rarely works, as you need the midfield to make the cahnces. Minor point, though.

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Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:56 am

I'm with Neil there.

Merson can't be blamed for who took penalties, and you can't criticise a keeper for taking one.

A keeper should be just as capable of scoring a penalty as a right back should. He is still a professional footballer, he is still being required to put a ball in the net from 12 yards. Its not difficult. So what he missed, so did Leon Knight. Does that mean Leon Knight shouldn't have taken a penalty for Swansea?

If I'm disappointed, its that neither of our strikers on the pitch had the confidence to take a penalty and neither did Pead, a man who has captained us this season.

Very proud of that performance last night, just the over-riding concern that for the 5th match in succession we were the better team and have won just once.

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Bristol Fan
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Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:59 am

I switched from Radio Wales to WM for extra time and was amused to hear Mike Taylor say that Mark Wright's father had "played with such distinction" for Walsall (or something like that).

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Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:11 am

Stu wrote:I'm with Neil there.

Merson can't be blamed for who took penalties, and you can't criticise a keeper for taking one.

A keeper should be just as capable of scoring a penalty as a right back should. He is still a professional footballer, he is still being required to put a ball in the net from 12 yards. Its not difficult. So what he missed, so did Leon Knight. Does that mean Leon Knight shouldn't have taken a penalty for Swansea?

If I'm disappointed, its that neither of our strikers on the pitch had the confidence to take a penalty and neither did Pead, a man who has captained us this season.

Very proud of that performance last night, just the over-riding concern that for the 5th match in succession we were the better team and have won just once.

There's no criticism of Merson over the penalties in my report, only his initial team selection (and first substitution). As Stu also comments, the penalties criticism was aimed at Pead, Constable and Nicholls, who chickened out, leaving a teenage debutant to take the responsibility.

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YGA Saddler
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Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:35 am

Well after getting back at 2am I am quite tired and still plugging away at work!! :(

Im gutted that we didnt win that one. First half we had one shot on target and that was a weak effort, but I think to criticise the first half performance would be harsh on a team that gave their all second half. I was pleased with a few last night. With Smith,Mcdermott,Fox and Gerrard probably the pick. Id give Mcdermott man of the match, simply for troubling the Swansea backline until he got substituted, maybe we have found the next Matty???
Both goals were well finished, even Matty would have been proud. Swansea's 2nd goal was poor marking main culprit was Westie.
Onto extra time, we didnt really have many chances in the 30 minutes and I think both teams were waiting for the penalties rather than going for the deciding goal.
Many people have criticised above the penalty selections, well...only the people that have got the bottle will step up and take one and if both Pead & Constable just looked on when Deakin missed both of them should be ashamed they didnt put themselves forward!! :shock:
Well done Andy Oakes for saving two penalties, most of the time two saved peno's would win you the shoot-out, just wasnt meant to be.

Well done to the 100 odd saddlers that travelled to Swansea and never stopped singing from beginning to end!

All in all another very good performance but these performances arent exactly winning us matches!! :x

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Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:04 pm

Bristol Fan - Did Mark Wright's dad play for Walsall? When was this and what position did he play? This is a genuine question.

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:23 pm

Red Adair wrote:Bristol Fan - Did Mark Wright's dad play for Walsall? When was this and what position did he play? This is a genuine question.


Evran turned out a few times, but I don't know if I'd call it playing!

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:26 pm

WRIGHT Evran Forward Seasons 93-94 Signed From Halesowen Town Transferred To Barry Town Appearances 29 Goals 5

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