Yeovil (H) 21/3/06 League

[Walsall Supporter]

My friend texted me from the match saying how dire it was, and she called me when she got home.

She says the club has gone backwards 10 years, barrowman or embarrassman as she called him was never a footballer in a million years, and she says we looked exactly what we are, a team of loan players and misfits! I am so glad I didn't take her up on the offer to go with her.

I am sorry to say but we need a houdini style escape to save us from the drop, no JJ to save us this time.

[Neil Ravenscroft]

We lost because we had nothing in the centre of midfield, nothing wide, nothing up front, a dodgy defence at times and a keeper who can make brilliant saves to offset the countless howlers. Not much wrong then!

Seriously missed Ossie and Mills. I would seriously like to miss James, Leary, Barrowman and Demon for the rest of the season - or better still, permanently

Playing at home is so different to playing away. KB is going to have to make major changes for saturday, either in who he picks or how tonights shower play in future. I am sure he did not tell them to play the long ball, its what defenders do when the midfield is non existent.

Better to have the rubbish now than in the last 2 or 3 games.

Agree completely. Too easy to blame the strikers and the defence, but the main problem was the 4 in midfield who were uniformly dreadful. Match report now on the front page.

http://upthesaddlers.com/wp/

[YGA Saddler]

I had to jump on the works computer to say how hugely embarrasing last night was. I can honestly say that is by far the worst performance I have witnessed from a Walsall team ever!! Even worse than any performance shown under Merse. :shock:
If Ishmel wears the Walsall shirt again it will be a disgrace, I dont care how young or old he is, he should not behave like that on the field of play.
Barrowman must be the worst striker to have ever donned the red shirt, why does he continue to play??? Fitzgerald, Timm, Leary and James should all be sent back to their clubs and replaced by players that actually want to try and fight for the cause. I just dont see how they can play like they did at Tranmere then on home soil give a performance like that.

We are in deep do do now.
Big week for Kevan.

[Bristol Fan]

A lot of the criticism on the radio phone in last night centred around Timm and there are similar comments in this thread, but that's seriously missing the point. His position is playing just behind the striker(s), and he needs to receive ball to feet there. Number of times he received ball to feet last night: nil. So he had to resort to playing fifty yards deeper than he should do, and he's not going to be able to create much from there. The problem was with the rest of the midfield. Smith looked a shadow of his usual self, and Leary was embarrassing. At least James didn't hide, and went looking for the ball right until the end, but sadly the quality was never there with his crosses. All Ishmel did was (very harshly, I thought) get sent off.

I don't know what changes can be made for Saturday, though. Hopefully Wright can play on the right wing, James on the left and - if Broadhurst really doesn't rate Pead - Westwood could play at right back perfectly well. And hopefully Keates will be back in the centre so Leary can be dropped.

[YOZZA66]

Isn't it strange that all the anti Merson brigade of the last 3/4 months have suddenly gone quiet after last nights performance.You couldn't get them off here ranting and raving about his team selection,tactics,private life etc.after every abysmal performance.The silence is deafening....oh and while we are at it..instead of criticising people for booing and moaning at last nights game,spend some of YOUR money and actually get down to Bescot and support the team that you allege you do...even though you never seem to get any matches.Don't knock people who actually attend matches and put money into the club..they are entitled to voice their opinion...just as you did on here about Merson!!many many many times..(so many it got boring)

[Geordiesaddler]

Isn't it strange that all the anti Merson brigade of the last 3/4 months have suddenly gone quiet after last nights performance.You couldn't get them off here ranting and raving about his team selection,tactics,private life etc.after every abysmal performance.The silence is deafening....oh and while we are at it..instead of criticising people for booing and moaning at last nights game,spend some of YOUR money and actually get down to Bescot and support the team that you allege you do...even though you never seem to get any matches.Don't knock people who actually attend matches and put money into the club..they are entitled to voice their opinion...just as you did on here about Merson!!many many many times..(so many it got boring)

Oh look a pathetic attempt at a wind up. Your first post on this board since March 10th when you were surprise, surprise posting on a thread about Merson. Shame you couldn't have acknowledged the Swansea and Tranmere results. See you at Gillingham for the staying up party.

Nice to see WS3 back on the match threads as well, after no posts following Swansea and Tranmere.

[King Crimson]

Isn't it strange that all the anti Merson brigade of the last 3/4 months have suddenly gone quiet after last nights performance.You couldn't get them off here ranting and raving about his team selection,tactics,private life etc.after every abysmal performance.The silence is deafening....oh and while we are at it..instead of criticising people for booing and moaning at last nights game,spend some of YOUR money and actually get down to Bescot and support the team that you allege you do...even though you never seem to get any matches.Don't knock people who actually attend matches and put money into the club..they are entitled to voice their opinion...just as you did on here about Merson!!many many many times..(so many it got boring)

Who brought half these gimps in on loan to the club? Not Broadhurst
Who sold our only two strikers with any realistic chance of scoring the goals to keep us up? Not Broadhurst

You are truly deluded.

[philthesaddler]

Agree with neil, and further to my post last night, the main thing I noticed was the midfield. Leary was just terrible, Smith was trying to be as bad as him, James wasn't getting involved enough, and after his booking, Ish just looked scared.

At the end of the day the Midfield is there to do two jobs. Firstly, to protect the defence, and secondly to provide attacking play for the forwards. Now, thats a very black and white view of football, but it's true. Midfielders do the most mileage in a match, and see most of the ball - thats why a game can be won and lost in midfield - now we lost that game last night in midfield.

We started pretty comfortably, for the first ten minutes or so, we tried to get the ball down and play - but then it started to go wrong as Yeovil got the game by the scruff of the neck in midfield. They were rushing Leary, Smith and James who only booted the ball up, rather than attempting to find a man in red. Then we became everso scrappy. The two goals were gifts, Wright should have headed the first away, and the second came about as a result of 3, count them, 3 failed clearances that were booted up in the air, and failed to make it to within 20 yards of the half way line - then it dropped, roper bounced and missed it like zebberdee and bang 2-0. Shambles.

Timm came on, but im still not sure about the lad. He tries to get it down and play with it, but I just get the feeling he isn't suited to this league whatsoever, in a way he's too good for it. He doesn't want to get dirty and get stuck in.

I think playing Ish and Wright in their positions was a mistake, Ish wasnt free at all, and Mark Wright - well I wouldnt really want Mark Wright on the wing in an attacking role, let alone in a nearly completely defensive role.

I expect an improvement on saturday, but until we get Ozzy and Mills back we'll struggle. I only went to one of the famous 3 away games, but I heard reports from mates, and Ozzy and Mills especially shone - and that was true on Friday at Tranmere, we missed them big time last night, and I honestly feel it would have been a completely different story if they had been playing. We gifted them two easy easy goals, which gave them the swagger and confidence to play the game they had come to play, which, in fairness to Yeovil was a good game - they closed us down, forced us in to mistakes and tried to break us down. Unfortunately with our midfield being absent, we couldnt or wouldn't break them down at all, and our only hope was long balls in to Barrowman. Mark Wright is imho barely a footballer, he so poor at the basics, its suicide to play him at right back.

If we had got our Mills and Ozzy, we wouldnt have given two highly sloppy goals away, we would have come more and more in to the game, as would Ish and James, and it would have been a different story.

[Pedagogue]

Isn't it strange that all the anti Merson brigade of the last 3/4 months have suddenly gone quiet after last nights performance.You couldn't get them off here ranting and raving about his team selection,tactics,private life etc.after every abysmal performance.The silence is deafening....

Yozza - last night's debacle WAS the Merson legacy. Remember that Broadhurst has been unable to sign any players because Merson wasn't sacked until after the transfer window and he (Broadhurst) has to to work with an unbalanced squad containing a number of players who are clearly not good enough. Merson and, in the case of the sale of Fryatt and Bennett, Bonser are to blame for that.

I think credit must be given to Steve Thompson at Yeovil. He took over a declining team from a popular and successful manager and has got them organised and working hard - just as Broadhurst had with us, prior to last night's shambles. You can only play as well as the opposition let you and the Glovers were very good at pressurising us in all areas of the field. They have a lot of very tall players whereas we are stuck with a lightweight squad with Devlin (who had an excellent first half, last night) and Timm (vastly over-rated) looking as if they should be playing for Snow White against such Brobdingnagian opponents.

To play to our strengths, the ball needs to be played along the ground, to feet. To achieve this, the ball has to be passed quickly and accurately before the opposition has chance to close off the the ground routes for such passes. Failure to move the ball forward in such a manner means that you have to resort to booting the ball high in the air, over players, and playing the "percentage ball". That was what we were made to do, last night, playing to THEIR strengths instead of OURS. Yeovil's football sure ain't pretty to watch but it's very effective and entirely appropriate to survival in this crappy division.

However, this still means that you need the players who can switch tactics and adapt to the change in circumstances. Sadly, we do NOT have such players. Compare the respective "front two"s of each side, last night. They had Harrold and Davies, who led Roper and Gerrard a merry dance, all night, while we had a midget, out-of-position winger and the most useless donkey I have seen "playing" for Walsall for the last 20 years. This is the Merson legacy.

Thanks, Merson - thanks a lot! Prat!

[King Crimson]

I fear you are wasting your time, Leamore.

If we end up going down, cue a post from our friend here saying "Merson would have kept us up. Told you so." :roll:

[Cheesebag]

I fear you are wasting your time, Leamore.

If we end up going down, cue a post from our friend here saying "Merson would have kept us up. Told you so." :roll:

I think with the clown in charge it would have been 0 points from 12, not 5 :roll:

[geoffwhiting]

I fear you are wasting your time, Leamore.

If we end up going down, cue a post from our friend here saying "Merson would have kept us up. Told you so." :roll:

I think with the clown in charge it would have been 0 points from 12, not 5 :roll:

Spot on cheesebag, and that is really the only statistic that matters in our current position - points!

[sid swifty]

AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE...I AM JUST GLAD MERSON HAS GONE...ANYTHING BROADHURST CAN DO TO GET US OUT OF THIS MESS WILL REFLECT WELL ON HIM...BUT IF WE GO DOWN THERE'S ONLY 2 PEOPLE TO BLAME ...BONSOR..&..MERSON...COME ON KEV YOU CAN DO IT MATE... :wink:

[sean511]

I have been very ill lately so i have to miss this match :cry:

I actually went in the end because i didn't want to miss it. :cry:


Bad idea :lol:

[Neuromantic]

The critiscism of Timm is unbelievable imo. This chap has been out for several weeks and now people expect him to be a world beater.

There is one reason i think that Timm should not play for us, simply he is far too good, as i said to someone last night, he is on a completely different planet to the rest of them. I feel because i am the sort of player Timm (obv not in class) is i can see what hes doing, his movement, skill and more importantly speed of pass is so beyond the rest of them, i just cant see where he fits in.

still cant believe last night.

[Neuromantic]

AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE...I AM JUST GLAD MERSON HAS GONE...ANYTHING BROADHURST CAN DO TO GET US OUT OF THIS MESS WILL REFLECT WELL ON HIM...BUT IF WE GO DOWN THERE'S ONLY 2 PEOPLE TO BLAME ...BONSOR..&..MERSON...COME ON KEV YOU CAN DO IT MATE... :wink:

100% right

[Mal]

Leary - passenger
James - passenger
Timm - passenger
Smith - passenger/injured

Questions ? - would you risk injury without contract for a club you are getting fit at, have no desire or care to stay at or more importantly have no interest if you stay up or go down ?

That is how last night can be summed up for me, boy is this third division football at its worst !

[Neuromantic]

Leary - passenger
James - passenger
Timm - passenger
Smith - passenger/injured

Questions ? - would you risk injury without contract for a club you are getting fit at, have no desire or care to stay at or more importantly have no interest if you stay up or go down ?

That is how last night can be summed up for me, boy is this third division football at its worst !

I take it you went to swansea and tranmere then ?

[Mal]

No I'm afraid not wish i could but that misses the point for me here

[Neuromantic]

No I'm afraid not wish i could but that misses the point for me here

yes exactly

[Duke]

AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE...I AM JUST GLAD MERSON HAS GONE...ANYTHING BROADHURST CAN DO TO GET US OUT OF THIS MESS WILL REFLECT WELL ON HIM...BUT IF WE GO DOWN THERE'S ONLY 2 PEOPLE TO BLAME ...BONSOR..&..MERSON...COME ON KEV YOU CAN DO IT MATE... :wink:

100% right

spot on Sid

[geoffwhiting]

No I'm afraid not wish i could but that misses the point for me here

Mal, I think you should reflect on the answer you gave here to Metfan, and you should spot why he is right, and that it was not him that missed the point. :?

[WFC_Rob]

This chap has been out for several weeks and now people expect him to be a world beater.

I think that's a fair comment - he has been out of the side for some time now. The thing that disappoints people however, is that we all know what a skilful, gifted player he is - one of our few creative players we have, and he just drifts around the pitch without doing anything for long periods. It's all very well saying that he needs the ball to feet, but when the away side are closing you down so well, you need to do that bit extra and try to pick the ball up yourself. That's what he didn't do and that's why fans get on his back - he needs to be visibly making an effort.

[Jorge14]

No I wouldn't have been as vocal, I give managers the benefit of the doubt, as I did with Merson more than once. I didn't chant "what a load of rubbish" when we lost 5-3 at Oldham in his seventh game (plus a pre-season and after a relegation) in charge, having surrendered a 2-0 lead for the second game running. Likewise under Lee when we lost at Wolves, Cov, Sheff Wed at home etc.

Madds Timm, James and Leary have no place in a relegation scrap, and Borrowman's 18 month contract is on a par with Joe Broad's. All Merson's doing and KB is doing his best, 5 points from 4 games is ok IMO. And the point I'm making is it's a pity the suddenly voluble, discontented Bescoteers hadn't found their voices 4 months ago - then we wouldn't be in this mess to start with.

I give KB more than the benefit of the doubt, Geordie, because this performance wasn't his fault. I wasn't moaning about him, I was moaning about the players.
I didn't boo, but I moaned...I didn't chant "What a load of rubbish", but it wasn't factually wrong.

It was the worst home display since we lost 6-1 to Coventry. It was utter dross.

Broadhurst worked miracles to get that team from Brentford into an organised, solid bunch for great results and performances at Southend and Swansea, and for an incredible win at Tranmere.

The difference is that the level of frustration is that much higher at home. No one expected us to get a result in our last 3 away games - everyone expected one last night. The performance simply wasn't good enough. Used to be that there would be 11 players on the pitch who'd run through brick walls for our club - not anymore. Thats the thing that pisses me off - we've got 4000 people who'd chop off their right arms to play for Walsall FC, yet the 11 on the pitch won't risk breaking a nail.

[sore saddler]

Here we go again. Same problem only now in reverse.

Merson had a midfield full of creative players and no defensive midfield players. What happened ........ we leaked goals like it was going out of fashion.
KB has brought together a bunch of defensive midfield players without anyone who can pass or run with the ball. Now we have no creative players but we were (up to Yeovil) difficult to beat.

Is it just me or has no-one else thought of playing some of each - it seems to work very successfully for other clubs (try Chelsea for a start - try Cole, Duff, Wright-Phillips, Robben as creative and Makele, Lampard, Geremi, Essien as tacklers and runners). I haven't seen Mourinho start with the first 4 in my list or the last 4 ..... in any game this season (or last !).

I keep saying that this is not rocket science - just common sense.

P.S. What has happened to Standing - has he been banned or something ? It might have been useful to have him on the bench against Yeovil as we had no midfield cover when the 4 we started with were playing cr*p !!!

[tinned]

No I wouldn't have been as vocal, I give managers the benefit of the doubt, as I did with Merson more than once. I didn't chant "what a load of rubbish" when we lost 5-3 at Oldham in his seventh game (plus a pre-season and after a relegation) in charge, having surrendered a 2-0 lead for the second game running. Likewise under Lee when we lost at Wolves, Cov, Sheff Wed at home etc.

Madds Timm, James and Leary have no place in a relegation scrap, and Borrowman's 18 month contract is on a par with Joe Broad's. All Merson's doing and KB is doing his best, 5 points from 4 games is ok IMO. And the point I'm making is it's a pity the suddenly voluble, discontented Bescoteers hadn't found their voices 4 months ago - then we wouldn't be in this mess to start with.

I give KB more than the benefit of the doubt, Geordie, because this performance wasn't his fault. I wasn't moaning about him, I was moaning about the players.
I didn't boo, but I moaned...I didn't chant "What a load of rubbish", but it wasn't factually wrong.

It was the worst home display since we lost 6-1 to Coventry. It was utter dross.

Broadhurst worked miracles to get that team from Brentford into an organised, solid bunch for great results and performances at Southend and Swansea, and for an incredible win at Tranmere.

The difference is that the level of frustration is that much higher at home. No one expected us to get a result in our last 3 away games - everyone expected one last night. The performance simply wasn't good enough. Used to be that there would be 11 players on the pitch who'd run through brick walls for our club - not anymore. Thats the thing that pisses me off - we've got 4000 people who'd chop off their right arms to play for Walsall FC, yet the 11 on the pitch won't risk breaking a nail.

Jorge, that last line of your post is so spot on. That's what get's me so angry with performances like last night, that is why I will not be told by other fans that I should not let my feelings known. Fair enough, I accept some people may not wish to actually take part, but to slag me off for snapping at that kind if debacle is not on.

Most of those players just DON'T understand how privileged they are, and how frustrating it is for the fans to see them abuse that privilege without a second thought.

[Magic Man Fan]

Here we go again. Same problem only now in reverse.

Merson had a midfield full of creative players and no defensive midfield players. What happened ........ we leaked goals like it was going out of fashion.
KB has brought together a bunch of defensive midfield players without anyone who can pass or run with the ball. Now we have no creative players but we were (up to Yeovil) difficult to beat.

Is it just me or has no-one else thought of playing some of each - it seems to work very successfully for other clubs (try Chelsea for a start - try Cole, Duff, Wright-Phillips, Robben as creative and Makele, Lampard, Geremi, Essien as tacklers and runners). I haven't seen Mourinho start with the first 4 in my list or the last 4 ..... in any game this season (or last !).

I keep saying that this is not rocket science - just common sense.

P.S. What has happened to Standing - has he been banned or something ? It might have been useful to have him on the bench against Yeovil as we had no midfield cover when the 4 we started with were playing cr*p !!!

Sore saddler - We had the mix you talk about at Swansea and Tranmere when Mills and Osborn were in the team. Mills was getting forward a lot and we miss Osborn's creativity when he doesn't play. People seem to be forgetting this. I can't tell you how much we missed those two on Tuesday. They also allowed Smith to get forward and score the two goals he did and have other chances.

We would have been a different proposition with those two playing the other night.

There was no excuse for the performance from most players but we were very unlucky with suspensions and injuries before and during the game.