Colchester United (a) - League - 25th January 2005
Reports and reaction from the 2004-05 season as Walsall finished 14th in League 1
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hullsaddler - Glitterati
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Surrey Saddler - Glitterati
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- Location: Micky Mouse Belt
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Exile - Jobsworth
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Surrey Saddler wrote:Just got back. Nothing to say really
bet you wish you'd watched your documentary.
I'm flying in in a few weeks, and was contemplating hiring a car at the airport and doing a mad dash up the M42 to get to a game. Not now.
Sorry, Merse, love the player, love the attitude, don't love the manager in you. Please, resign, for the sake of our club, and I for one will respect you more.
- Codsall Saddler
- UTS Regular
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- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:00 pm
Staying near Colchester on business so thought I'd go, despite the shambles in the first half on Saturday Back at the hotel now wishing I'd watched CSI.
We were absolutely appalling. I have been watching since the late 60s and this was the worst ever. We've been poor before but not with players of the supposed calibre of this lot. We were outthought, outrun, outmanouevred by a team that had not won at home since October. nobody came out with any credit whatsoever.
We are unfit, disorganised, no plan, no movement, no morale, no grasp on reality.
I had hoped that Merse would make it - but it gets worse. I think he has to step down - many more like tonight and we will be looking over our shoulders.
Nobody wanted the ball. Nobody made runs when we had the ball. We were a shambles defensively, including the supposed holding midfielders.
God I'm depressed.
We were absolutely appalling. I have been watching since the late 60s and this was the worst ever. We've been poor before but not with players of the supposed calibre of this lot. We were outthought, outrun, outmanouevred by a team that had not won at home since October. nobody came out with any credit whatsoever.
We are unfit, disorganised, no plan, no movement, no morale, no grasp on reality.
I had hoped that Merse would make it - but it gets worse. I think he has to step down - many more like tonight and we will be looking over our shoulders.
Nobody wanted the ball. Nobody made runs when we had the ball. We were a shambles defensively, including the supposed holding midfielders.
God I'm depressed.
- London Saddler
To those who weren't there and think it must have been bad...well it was far worse than that. The scoreline flattered us as Colchester missed chances galore and should have at least got into double figures. Thank god they slackened up in the 2nd half. As i left the ground in the freezing cold, i heard some colchester fans talking amongst themselves and they said we were the worst team they had seen at Layer Road for years. Not surprising, as we hade made a team who had not won at home since October look like Real Madrid
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kevin - UTS Legend
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Of course Merse has gotta go,then Jorge will stop missing simple chances with the score at 0-0, Emblen will give a toss,get his arse into gear,and make up for the 60 or 70 percent of the last dozen goals he's bin responsible for,Kearns will find us a half decent keeper,JFB will shell out loads of cash,and someone else will create 90% of the goals instead of Merson.
Go now Paul,you deserve better.
Go now Paul,you deserve better.
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Walsall Supporter - Posts: 68
- Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 1:55 pm
- Location: Willenhall
Well, I certainly c ouldn't believe my eye's when I saw the half time score, we are becoming a laughing stock......I wonder how many faithful fans will turn up Saturday to watch us play Huddersfield, may be the lowest gate of the season.
My mate and I are both season ticket holders and my mate may be throwning her season ticket on the pitch saturday due to the dire result yesterday. We are both fed up, I think next season we will be watching exciting and entertaining football, at WILLENHALL TOWN!
My mate and I are both season ticket holders and my mate may be throwning her season ticket on the pitch saturday due to the dire result yesterday. We are both fed up, I think next season we will be watching exciting and entertaining football, at WILLENHALL TOWN!
- Walsall supporting
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Stu - UTS Legend
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- Location: Bexleyheath, Kent.
I've had a night to sleep on it. The only positive I can come up with is that I feel sorry for those who made a 3 hour trip from Walsall, as I only had a 1hr 15min journey from Herts.
We were useless. No passion, no endeavour, no creativity, nothing. It was truly embarrassing.
I left Torquay, Brentford, Slough and Orient angry at the lack of performance. I left last night in solemn reflection, as I think thats the nail in the coffin.
As soon as the full time whistle went, Merse just fell to the ground and crouched for a minute or two. And the bloke on WM told me that he later spent 20 minutes on the pitch afterwards talking to someone, so it seems to me, that he knows he can't go on.
However, I will say that not at any time did I see him give a two fingered salute to the fans. Not at all and I was there to the very end and watched him clap the fans at the end. So I'm taking that with a pinch of salt.
I rung WM on my way back last night, said I'd always been prepared to give him till next Xmas. But that last night changed my mind, as I said on WM, last night was Paul Merson's Coventry City. If we're not careful, last night could pave the rest of our season. We need about 18/20 points to stop up, if we suddenly lose a couple of home games then we're in a right pickle. Additionally, Merse comes across as a great bloke, very genuine and honest and does want to succeed, but he just doesn't have it.
However, the players are not exempt of blame. Nobody could leave that pitch with their heads held high.
1st goal - I thought it was a clear penalty, although others thought otherwise. Neither Kinsella or Emblen made any attempt to play the ball, they just blocked Fagans path. But, if Murphy had claimed the ball cleanly the Ref wouldn't have given anything, but as soon as Murphy spilt the ball, Fagan was past and certainly impeded.
2nd goal - First thing your taught as a kid is 'don't wait for the ball'. Julian Bennett, remember that. I was disappointed with Merson's reaction, he went over to Zigor and was pointing his finger at him for letting the bloke get the cross over. Zigor was outnumbered 2 to 1, because Merson's lovechild Wrack, was 30 yards up the pitch out of position.
3rd goal - Free header, unbelievable.
4th goal - Don't know what Emblen was doing.
5th goal - Free header again.
What's worse, is that 4-0 at half time flattered us. They'd hit the woodwork twice as well.
However, the biggest downside of last night was the obvious disdain between Wrack and Aranalde. There are quite clearly 'groups' in the camp and Wrack and Zigor aren't in the same clique. When Wrack was switched from left midfield to right midfield at half time, I sincerely believe that was as much to seperate him from Zigor as it was tactical. As Wrack is far more used to playing on the left than Broad is.
Utterly disenchanted with WFC. I'm sorry Paul, nice bloke you may be and till next Xmas I was prepared to give, but now, after last night, I think its time for a change. Otherwise I fear that we'll suffer a similar plight to Grimsby and go straight down again.
Chicken Balti Pie was nice mind you.
We were useless. No passion, no endeavour, no creativity, nothing. It was truly embarrassing.
I left Torquay, Brentford, Slough and Orient angry at the lack of performance. I left last night in solemn reflection, as I think thats the nail in the coffin.
As soon as the full time whistle went, Merse just fell to the ground and crouched for a minute or two. And the bloke on WM told me that he later spent 20 minutes on the pitch afterwards talking to someone, so it seems to me, that he knows he can't go on.
However, I will say that not at any time did I see him give a two fingered salute to the fans. Not at all and I was there to the very end and watched him clap the fans at the end. So I'm taking that with a pinch of salt.
I rung WM on my way back last night, said I'd always been prepared to give him till next Xmas. But that last night changed my mind, as I said on WM, last night was Paul Merson's Coventry City. If we're not careful, last night could pave the rest of our season. We need about 18/20 points to stop up, if we suddenly lose a couple of home games then we're in a right pickle. Additionally, Merse comes across as a great bloke, very genuine and honest and does want to succeed, but he just doesn't have it.
However, the players are not exempt of blame. Nobody could leave that pitch with their heads held high.
1st goal - I thought it was a clear penalty, although others thought otherwise. Neither Kinsella or Emblen made any attempt to play the ball, they just blocked Fagans path. But, if Murphy had claimed the ball cleanly the Ref wouldn't have given anything, but as soon as Murphy spilt the ball, Fagan was past and certainly impeded.
2nd goal - First thing your taught as a kid is 'don't wait for the ball'. Julian Bennett, remember that. I was disappointed with Merson's reaction, he went over to Zigor and was pointing his finger at him for letting the bloke get the cross over. Zigor was outnumbered 2 to 1, because Merson's lovechild Wrack, was 30 yards up the pitch out of position.
3rd goal - Free header, unbelievable.
4th goal - Don't know what Emblen was doing.
5th goal - Free header again.
What's worse, is that 4-0 at half time flattered us. They'd hit the woodwork twice as well.
However, the biggest downside of last night was the obvious disdain between Wrack and Aranalde. There are quite clearly 'groups' in the camp and Wrack and Zigor aren't in the same clique. When Wrack was switched from left midfield to right midfield at half time, I sincerely believe that was as much to seperate him from Zigor as it was tactical. As Wrack is far more used to playing on the left than Broad is.
Utterly disenchanted with WFC. I'm sorry Paul, nice bloke you may be and till next Xmas I was prepared to give, but now, after last night, I think its time for a change. Otherwise I fear that we'll suffer a similar plight to Grimsby and go straight down again.
Chicken Balti Pie was nice mind you.
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geoffwhiting - Site Addict
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- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:02 pm
- Location: on the Walsall/Chasetown border
Two positives then Stu, the first paragraph and the last.
I'm just positive I'm glad I didn't go - thank God for self-assessment tying me down for the whole of January.
Well it's confirmed on Sky that he's staying - and I for one am amazed after last night. The guy he stood on the pitch with after the match was Frank Barlow, and whatever was said between them there couldn't have been any positive ideas forthcoming of a way forward, not judging by the fact that all PM could say in the later TV interview was that he hasn't a clue where we go from here.
Well if he and Barlow between them don't have a clue, what chance is there of any improvement? It seems to me that it speaks for itself really. We don't have the right people in charge, coaching, training, motivating, working out tactics, improving fitness etc.
What the hell is around the corner for us now, I just dread to think. Relegation to League 2 - I'd have laughed at that idea last September, October, even November and December. Today? I can no longer rule out the possibility, not by a long way.
I'm just positive I'm glad I didn't go - thank God for self-assessment tying me down for the whole of January.
Well it's confirmed on Sky that he's staying - and I for one am amazed after last night. The guy he stood on the pitch with after the match was Frank Barlow, and whatever was said between them there couldn't have been any positive ideas forthcoming of a way forward, not judging by the fact that all PM could say in the later TV interview was that he hasn't a clue where we go from here.
Well if he and Barlow between them don't have a clue, what chance is there of any improvement? It seems to me that it speaks for itself really. We don't have the right people in charge, coaching, training, motivating, working out tactics, improving fitness etc.
What the hell is around the corner for us now, I just dread to think. Relegation to League 2 - I'd have laughed at that idea last September, October, even November and December. Today? I can no longer rule out the possibility, not by a long way.
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tinned - Site Addict
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You didn't put him right, Stu, when he kept commiserating with you for making the 200 odd mile round trip from Walsall. I was thinking "tell him the truth, you've only come from up the road". It was hardly any hassle for you, not when you've seen such good football :lol:
Did you find any answers in the bottom of your beer glass, Geoff ? I felt like drowning myself in the stuff last night. I siad to people at work that it's the only time I can remember listening to the commentary through my fingers :cry:
Did you find any answers in the bottom of your beer glass, Geoff ? I felt like drowning myself in the stuff last night. I siad to people at work that it's the only time I can remember listening to the commentary through my fingers :cry:
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Stu - UTS Legend
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geoffwhiting - Site Addict
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No answers, and no solace in the bottom of the glass Dave, just a sort of lost and empty feeling of "where the hell do we go from here" !
The thought of Saturday terrifies me, but maybe that's as much to do with the fast-approaching 31st January Self-Assessment deadline as it is to do with football.
Oh well, at least the fortnightly Balti-Pie is something to look forward to. Anyone got a football match to go to instead ?
:lol:
The thought of Saturday terrifies me, but maybe that's as much to do with the fast-approaching 31st January Self-Assessment deadline as it is to do with football.
Oh well, at least the fortnightly Balti-Pie is something to look forward to. Anyone got a football match to go to instead ?
:lol:
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