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Tranmere (a) 17/3/06 - league

Reports and reaction from the 2005-06 season as Walsall finished 24th (R) in League 1
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Neuromantic
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:57 am

AHHHHHH

What a performance by players and supporters of walsall fc alike. well done to the noisy (and farely inhibriated in mmf's sense) vocal walsall following, 400 or so?

Cant add much more than the fact something has seriously changed for the better. we are a team now, and should never have been in this silly situation. roll on tuesday

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 8:21 am

Fish wrote:
sid swifty wrote:priceless mike taylor quote; when roper went down injured holding his head in the first half taylor said "i hope it does'nt affect his looks"....love his commentary.... :D :D :D


I know WM gets some stick n this board, but I do think that Taylor is the pick of their reporters / commentators, by some distance.


A long, long way, indeed.

philthesaddler
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 10:01 am

What a result, what a performance!!!

Su-perb win, absolutely superb. I didn't expect anything from this game, but we went there, defended solidly, and took two chances brilliantly, and we're out the bottom four!!!

My only complaint would be that "kevin broadhurst's barmy army" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue after 8 or 9 pints!
Last edited by philthesaddler on Sat Mar 18, 2006 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

philthesaddler
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 10:09 am

wednesbury Saddler METFAN wrote:Cant add much more than the fact something has seriously changed for the better. we are a team now, and should never have been in this silly situation. roll on tuesday

UTS


Damn right, as every game goes by, the criticisms of Merson are being proved right. As every game goes by we're looking more organised, fitter and motivated than we ever were under Merson. This is what makes me so angry with Jeff effin Bonser for allowing Merson to stay in charge for so long, and if it wasnt for the efforts of realistic minded fans shouting for Merson to be sacked, where would we be?

All those effin happy clappers that used to come on the radio saying how Merson was the man to take us forward, bla bla bla, how he's such a nice bloke. Well he very nearly ruined our club, and Merson will always be synonymous with failure for me.

Under Merson this season we picked up 2 wins and four draws away from home, a total of 10 points, from 18 games. KB's 3 games [all away] have yielded 5 points. What a difference some decent training, organisation and motivation makes.

We're got our Walsall back, we've got our walsall back!

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Duke
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 10:20 am

Fan"bloody"tastic how far we have come in a short time
looks like i was wrong about Barrowman played really well and set up Smiths opener
Gerrard Roper outstanding as usual Mills Quality Oakes 2 top draw saves

WE ARE STAYING UP SAY WE ARE STAYING UP UTS

We-ARE-Walsall
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 10:31 am

Bristol Fan wrote:Broadhurst's got a lot to learn. Doesn't he know away games don't
matter?


"Judge me on my home form" Bloody usless he is :wink:

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sean511
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 11:03 am

I'm very pleased with last night. At last, we are out of the relegation zone!!! :D

I must say 5 points in 3 away games that we expected nothing in is brilliant.

Can't wait till the Yeovil match now

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Geordiesaddler
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 11:38 am

Add the point we got against Col U under Halsall and its 6 points from 4 very tough away games since the clown was sacked. Don't want to get too carried away but I honestly feel we will stay up by a country mile, because this manager has the ability to get the best out of his players and organise them into a team.

I am absolutely delighted we are pulling out of what seemed under Merson to be an irreversable nosedive, but I still can't help but feel a twinge of regret that we will never saw Fryatt under a proper manager. Just what could we have achieved this season in this god awful division had we had a proper manager from day one.

Still, onwards and upwards, this time next week we could be contemplating a place in the top half, with a nice trip wo Blackpool coming up! Thanks Kevan and the lads, you've made my weekend and got me looking forward to games again instead of regarding it as a chore.

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saddlerken
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:04 pm

Geordiesaddler wrote:Add the point we got against Col U under Halsall and its 6 points from 4 very tough away games since the clown was sacked. Don't want to get too carried away but I honestly feel we will stay up by a country mile, because this manager has the ability to get the best out of his players and organise them into a team.

I am absolutely delighted we are pulling out of what seemed under Merson to be an irreversable nosedive, but I still can't help but feel a twinge of regret that we will never saw Fryatt under a proper manager. Just what could we have achieved this season in this god awful division had we had a proper manager from day one.

Still, onwards and upwards, this time next week we could be contemplating a place in the top half, with a nice trip wo Blackpool coming up! Thanks Kevan and the lads, you've made my weekend and got me looking forward to games again instead of regarding it as a chore.


100% agree. I'm VERY confident we will finish just below mid table from what I have seen and heard from WFC and KB over the last month, fantastic stuff.

philthesaddler
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:39 pm

Nice to meet Red prince [Sorry for keeping you waiting, that was joly's fault!] and saddlerscott

Great game, onwards and upwards

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Magic Man Fan
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:57 pm

wednesbury Saddler METFAN wrote:well done to the noisy (and farely inhibriated in mmf's sense) vocal walsall following, 400 or so?


Don't use big words if you can't spell 'em! :lol:

I was high on football, not beer METFAN, although I had had one or two.

What another performance away from home against a very in form team. We get better each time. In the space of a few days we look organised against Southend, then with another couple of weeks preparation we looked organised and fitter against Swansea and created more chances.

The improvement continued last night where we looked orgainsed, even fitter and took more of the chances.

I expect the improvement to continue and as I've just said on NMFE, just think what could have been this season if MErson had gone just a month or two earlier. LDV final? Bordering play offs?

Great support last night, the fans and togetherness that I mentioned was missing under Merson so often has now returned as shown by all the players coming over at the end.

Mills was brilliant yet again, this time in midfield. We MUST sign him. Devlin was as good as Swansea, and what a ball by James for the winning goal after Mills had won the ball back. Smith as his goals suggest was brilliant. Before his winner he had another similar header saved which could have gone in. We MUST sign him also. I know people have doubts about James but he keeps proving to me why we must try to sign him. No signs of his injury problems reoccuring either. However it is unfair to single out individuals. Just as the problems of Merson's reign was lack of teamwork, this is the complete opposite, everyone working for each other.

I can't understand criticism of Oakes from someone who didn't go to the game, he was was awesome yet again and as I said last week is clearly enjoying playing in front of an organised defence and all that bad feeling with the fans at the end of Merson's reign has gone.

One minor complaint. Why the hell are people not singing Broadhurst's name? This dramatic turnaround in form is down to him and he deserves the praise. Even if you were a Merson fan you can't not appreciate what he is doing/has done already.

I still read many negative comments in the week about people fearing for our safety and I said to those that wait until you've seen a game under KB. Well philthesaddler and wfc-2uk were both there last night and I'm sure they've changed their minds and I expect many more hundreds of fans to do the same after Yeovil.

"We've got our Walsall back"
Last edited by Magic Man Fan on Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.

philthesaddler
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:08 pm

To be fair MMF I said I didnt expect anything from this game, and we deserved everything we got, so I was wrong about that, we deserved the win.

However, if you remember, i said that if we won this i'd be really confident of staying up. If we'd have lost last night, then I wouldn't have been so confident, afterall we'd have still been the relegation zone.

5 points from 3 away games is 5 more than we would have got under Merson, and we can now build on that at home. I'm just delighted that we've got our walsall back. The passion, the committment, the pride, it was all there, and this from a bunch of loanees, and people in their first season with the club.

MMF, i never thought we'd go down, afterall we have a favourable run in, but after the Swansea game I was so gutted, I hoped it wasn't a bad omen, it obviously wasnt, a win against Yeovil and we can push on to get mathematically safe.

PS... People aren't singing Kevin Broadhursts name because its effin difficult to sing! Especially whilst drunk! it'll come though, it was starting up a bit last night.

Anyway, We've got our walsall back, and I hope Bonser hears those chants because those chants were sung with feeling, and it's him and Merson that were keeping it from us.

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King Crimson
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:19 pm

Fantastic result. KB obviously deserves a huge amount of credit, and so do the players. It's clear that they are good enough, were prepared to work hard in training and commit to the cause. All power to them for responding to a rather more 'orthodox' style of management in such a positive way. Great to see some players who seemed frozen out in the cold back in the frame. I saw the picture of Westwood with Broadhurst on the back of one of the papers, looking very happy indeed. As club captian, with his clear pedigree at this level, and his criticism of 'matey' training under Merson, it must be like signing for a new club for him and like having a new player for us.

Brilliant result, lads. :D

philthesaddler
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:37 pm

Didn't Westwood praise Merson's 'techniques' a few times earlier this season?

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Magic Man Fan
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 3:06 pm

philthesaddler wrote:PS... People aren't singing Kevin Broadhursts name because its effin difficult to sing! Especially whilst drunk!


Is it shite!

We could have lost last night and performed like that and I'd still be confident. It's all about the change in work ethic and organisation that we expected would arrive when Merson finally went that has ade the difference.

Another win against Yeovi, the pressue is off and we can get to safety sooner rather than later and KB can experiment and decide which players he wants to keep and which to clear out and start planning for next season.

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Sat Mar 18, 2006 6:18 pm

philthesaddler wrote:Nice to meet Red prince [Sorry for keeping you waiting, that was joly's fault!] and saddlerscott

Great game, onwards and upwards


Locks blames you. :lol:

(They left me waiting at Rock Ferry station for an hour, cos they missed 2 trains!! :roll: :roll: )

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bangsection
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 8:23 pm

Just got back home after staying the night in Liverpool and even with all the people out celebrating St Patrick's Day there can't have been many happier folks than me on Merseyside last night!

Make no mistake, it was an absolute joy to witness such a committed performance and a privilege to be part of such a vocal away following. Nothing really to add to in terms of the performance or the players, I'm just proud that I was there to witness the curtain coming down once and for all on the horrendous two years we've had to endure under the 'guidance' of the fat drunk.

It's Year Zero comrades!*

*But in a good way obviously. I am not likening Kevan Broadhurst to Pol Pot. If KB was a Marxist potentate he would be Hugo Chavez - using Walsall's natural resources to overturn the divisive legacy of his predecessor thanks to an overwhelming mandate from the people. Not sure what this makes Bonser though. Stalin?

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Walsall_fan1992
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 9:20 pm

what a performance!!! i was right behind the goal when andy oakes made that world class save managing to tip onto the bar and make it balance on the bar before going on top of the net. roper and gerrard were immense. smith should of had a hat trick! the two goals he scored and the one where it went over the line a couple of feet. Devlin played great again. Thought we were too deep though when we were 1-0 up but when we went 2-1 up we tried to get it in there half. When all the walsall players came over and started clapping you can tell they appreciated our great support.

Met tim nash after the game in a travel inn. Shows the express & star dont put there reporters in 5 star hotels :wink:

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sid swifty
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Sun Mar 19, 2006 1:21 am

http://tranmererovers.rivals.net/defaul ... id=8405916

COULD'NT BELIEVE THIS...SO FUNNY...ON TRANMERE'S SITE THEY PUT A PHOTO OF GRANT SMITH AND SAID HE WAS THE MAN TO WATCH...SO WHY DID'NT THEY WATCH HIM THEN...?... :D

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Sun Mar 19, 2006 2:40 am

Agree with all previous posts. We now look and play like a proper team. The 5 points under KB have also been picked up against better teams ...... not relegation rivals - so that says it all.
One word of caution ....... nearly half the players in the team at Tranmere are on loan - where will they be next season ? It looks like we will avoid the dreaded drop but KB will still have his work cut out next season.

Still can't complain about what is a terrific turnaround - well done the lads !!!!!

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Duke
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Sun Mar 19, 2006 8:28 am

Exile wrote:We've got our Walsall back.



Music to my ears UTS

philthesaddler
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Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:21 am

The Red Prince wrote:
philthesaddler wrote:Nice to meet Red prince [Sorry for keeping you waiting, that was joly's fault!] and saddlerscott

Great game, onwards and upwards


Locks blames you. :lol:

(They left me waiting at Rock Ferry station for an hour, cos they missed 2 trains!! :roll: :roll: )


Does he? It was joly getting money out at the slowest cash machine in the world that made us 20 seconds late!

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YGA Saddler
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Sun Mar 19, 2006 2:40 pm

GET IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A bit of a delay but had a few problems over the weekend so heres my view.....

As you all are aware for the past week ive been trying to convince myself that relegation was not going to happen but I made my mind up at 9.35pm on Friday night....WE ARE STAYING UP!!!
It seems quite sometime ago that an organised Walsall team went away, soaked up pressure and scored just when it was needed. Who's this Paul Merson fella again???
I said it time and time again Paul Merson was the cancer at this club and someone said to me on Friday "congratulations on your protest and removing Merse as manager because I bet you are over the moon with the appointment of Broadhurst". He soon swallowed his words and aknowledge that maybe it was the right decision. OK I aint getting carried away but the performance was far better than any away game I can remember under the old regime.

Pablo Mills- Sign him up!! What a performance again last night, hes quick and my god can he push a man off the ball. Mills and Smith would be the only two loanees I would sign. As for Oakesy, I have criticised him tim2 and time again this season, but if it wasnt for him at Tranmere pulling off two (dare I say it) "worldy" saves :lol: we would not have won. He made a "worldy" at Swansea which got us a point so I think I will stop it with the criticism of Oakesy.

FAO Cheesebag and Daz yes my mood as changed. :lol:

I got 10 mile from Tranmere and realised I lost my car keys!! I phoned Tranmere FC and they said they would post my keys on Monday. Considering I havent got another set cut and with Bescot Sunday Market I told the woman on the phone that I didnt like the idea of their being a carpet stall on my car! :shock: So I got the woman to give the keys to the driver of the team coach. The players were calling me a dopey b@stard when they got back.
I did shake Broady's hand and told him how "professional" this club is once more!

What a night!
WE'VE GOT OUR WALSALL BACK

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