Walsall v leyton Orient 6/9/08 (H) League 1

[Mirek]

Listening to the game on WM , we are doing a lot of pressing but the O's look dangerous on the break.

Is it available on the net on WM

I think i know you, do you work @ BT?

[cyclothymic]

half time here at the Bankss
Played some lovely passing football but not many balls into the box and no shots on goal
They look a bit dangerous on the break
Great reception for jabo from their fans
No changes at half time

[cyclothymic]

ricketts warning up

[Mirek]

Who will cum off?? ishy??

[cyclothymic]

bradley on for injured hughs

[cyclothymic]

ricketts on for deeney, who has played a very good game today

[cyclothymic]

jabo has picked up a knock but plays on

[cyclothymic]

smith on for injured roberts

One goal will settle this match

[cyclothymic]

complete disarray at the back - gifted them the goal

[cyclothymic]

complete disarray at the back - gifted them the goal

[cyclothymic]

pen to them

[cyclothymic]

we have gone to pieces now - blow the whistle ref

[Registered Saddler]

From the sounds of it, that's eight goals conceded in five league games and every single one of them has been set up by a defensive error. Statistically, we've been worse defensively when Manny Smith has been on the pitch. That doesn't surprise me, but whether he was at fault today I'll let others decide

[cyclothymic]

first half we played lovely passing football but did not get the ball into the box

Second half, especially after Deeney was taken off, we looked pretty poor

Highlight of the afternoon was seeing mrs cheese and two of the minichedders

[Neuromantic]

More awful defneding for 25 minutes that lost us the game.

As well as the fact that an orange has more of an edge about us.

I can think of one or two shots on target; and one of them was from a free kick.

When Ricketts came on...why did we immediately resort to long ball hoof it rubbish ? I hope Roberts was taken off because of injury. Very inept midfield after Hughes went off, we just lacked ideas. Brilliant away performance by them.

[bleed_red_n_white]

Manny smith just isnt good enough we need 2 centre backs and now.

[Purple Toucan Saddler]

First half we just did not release the ball early enough and nearly got caught out when they finally broke down our attack (or should I say massive series of passes not getting anywhere near the goal) and then almost caught us on the break

Deeney although not the best did far more than Rickets did when he was on the field

Roberst is the new sick note and we can not carry him all season as he was 1) a waste of a substitute 2) replaced by a below standard / under confidence Smith who was completely at fault for their first goal.

Taundry still aint cutting it, he battles but often fails to find his man

Jabo is a legend - why the ref continually ignored the fact that their defence pulled him back on almost every attack, and then rewarded them more than one shirt pull against Jabo I just dont know

Officials were crap today, totally favouring the O's on every single offside, and the ref booking our players easily, but failing to book theirs for similar if not worse challenges

[King Crimson]

More awful defneding for 25 minutes that lost us the game.

As well as the fact that an orange has more of an edge about us.

I can think of one or two shots on target; and one of them was from a free kick.

When Ricketts came on...why did we immediately resort to long ball hoof it rubbish ? I hope Roberts was taken off because of injury. Very inept midfield after Hughes went off, we just lacked ideas. Brilliant away performance by them.

Agree with all that.

When Hughes went off, we lost any midfield presence. When Roberts went off, we lost any composure at the back. The upshot? Our much-lauded youth set-up hasn't delivered today. Taundry was hopeless, Bradley wasn't much better, Smith isn't good enough, Deeney did OK but lacks a cutting edge. The 'class acts' for me were Gerrard, Hughes, Ibehre, Reich and Roberts in no particular order. The kids are 'makeweights' - we have a paper-thin squad. Suddenly Gary Breen looks a decent option if Roberts continues to be unfit. By the time Roberts IS fit, Gerrard may well be on the move in January anyway. We desperately need a centre half.

Very, very disappointing.

[Whitti Steve]

Agreed MR Crimson. First half good, second half pants. I thought Jabo was head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch. Well done to the ground staff for getting the game on - now wish you hadn't though!

[Louise]

I am concerned after that performance with two away games imminent.
The defence was not up to the job today and the other end of the pitch was woeful, no cutting edge.
Orient defended well and did a good 'away' job on us.
We never looked like scoreing, but once Roberts/Hughes went off the game changed.
Bradley and Taundry were dire.
Ricketts didnt add anything and Ishys confidence went after missing chances.
The officials were poor,and in the first half some of the offsides given against us were dire.
However we lost the game and Mullen needs to look at getting the ball into the box,the midfield needs to create and the strikers get on the end of it,its not rocket science.

[Four Oaks Saddler]

Very disappointing, but the team that scored was always going to be the team that won it. We huffed and puffed, but never really looked like creating anything.

I thought Gerrard and Roberts looked assured, and i'm assuming Roberts went off with an injury. Otherwise, it was a mistifying decision to take him off. Boertien paid the price for one error of judgement and i'd rather gloss over Smith's performance, apart from complimenting him on his 'Bambi on ice' impression for the first goal.

Reich has class, that's obvious. But once he's been sussed out (ie. the defender's worked out he has no left foot), his impact is limited. Whilst not a fan of Deeney, I thought he was OK today. I wouldn't be unhappy to see him in the team every week if he can put in steady performances like that. Hughes' composure was missed - he does the simple things so well. Taundry doesn't do it for me. As i'm sure someone else put it a few weeks back, he seems to have a knack of making the easy things look really difficult. He may come good, but Mattis can't get quick fit enough for me.

The front two (three, if you include Ricketts) toiled in the face of limited service and little protection from the officials. Jabo was Jabo, and Ishmel actually surprised me with a fairly disciplined and (dare I say it) mature performance. Sure, he had his moments but if he can play like that regularly, he will be more than justifying a place for me.

A word for Orient. I was impressed by the way they set out and it was certainly no smash and grab. I have a sneaky feeling they may possibly scrape a play-off place.

[tape66]

Lost the ball far too easily today and no real impetus in front of goal. Yet again don't understands Mullen's tactics or substitutions.

[Bernie]

While this was another very disappointing result the performance was not as bad as the scoreline suggests. I thought that Orient defended very well and that we did not have the imagination to find a way past them. I was pleased that we did try to play football again today.

Roberts, whom I had criticised before, was excellent today. He clearly was suffering from an injury when he went off - and if he is not going to be able to play 90 minutes regularly then we definitely need another centre half. Apart from that then I do not think that Jimmy Mullen should panic.

[Neil Ravenscroft]

http://upthesaddlers.com/wp/archives/20 ... vs-orient/

[Cannock]

That was actually an entertaining game, if we overlook Manny Smiths offerings.

Both Jabo and Ishmel performed well together and as someone else scribed, he put in a mature performance.

Obviously the turning point was the loss of Hughes who totally dominated the midfield. Sadly both Taundry and Bradley lost it headless chicken style.

At the back Roberts and Gerrard were solid with the defence looking the best it has all season until Roberts went off.

The first half was a pleasure to watch with excellent passing and movement. I believe that had Hughes stayed on the pitch (and Roberts) we would have been looking at a different scoreline completely.

Needless to say, another centre half needed urgently as well as the return of Mattis

[Bernie]

I agree with Cannock. I think that many posters allow themselves to be totally influenced by the result when they discuss our performance. We lost today, which was sickening, but I thought that we played better football and had more promise then when we beat Scunthorpe a few weeks ago.

There is no doubt that Roberts was taken off because of his injury problems. It may have been that Roberts started having trouble with his calf, but I suspect that Mullen thought that it would be safe to take him off for the last 20 minutes, and better to do that than to risk asking too much from Roberts as he gets back to full fitness. After all Manny Smith did OK in the second half last week, better in fact that Roberts had in the first half against Southend. If it was a gamble (rather than a forced substitution) then it did not work out, but nobody gets every decision right.

[Atomic Rooster]

What upset me todey was the of passion on the pitch we played pretty football i'm not knocking it but we needed to get the wide quicker ,deeney done ok but he is not a wide man the only danger was coming on the left with reich, nothing was coming down the right we need a striker to feed off jabo, he can't do it on his own. We had no midfield after hughes went off. but when weston is fit i would like to see palmer tried right right of midfield and mattis ang hughes in midfield.

[stourbridgeandy]

I felt that today's performance made it clear that Ishy is no central striker - he needs to play wide to do any damage. Jabo and Ricketts need to be played up front together as a pair - Jabo can hold the ball up pretty well and Ricketts will always score goals at this level.

Taundry is not cutting it in central midfield - I reckon Hughes and Bradley would be a better combination there.

Mullen needs to work out who his best eleven are and play people in their best positions - and we might, with another centre half to cover for Roberts in case he gets crocked again/when Gerrard gets his move, have a half decent team that could get somewhere this season

[Fish]

Mullen needs to work out who his best eleven are and play people in their best positions

The fact that he doesn't know and doesn't (play people in their best positions) is evidence to me that Mullen is out of his depth. In my book, those are the two key judgements that differentiate a good and organised manager from a poor one or one that is faking it. We have had the misfortune to see the same failings in managers at FP and the Banks many times before and the end result has always been the same.

How long before Boner does the decent thing and wakes up to this ? I can probably answer that myself actually - January.

[Neil Ravenscroft]

Mullen needs to work out who his best eleven are and play people in their best positions

The fact that he doesn't know and doesn't (play people in their best positions) is evidence to me that Mullen is out of his depth. In my book, those are the two key judgements that differentiate a good and organised manager from a poor one or one that is faking it. We have had the misfortune to see the same failings in managers at FP and the Banks many times before and the end result has always been the same.

How long before Boner does the decent thing and wakes up to this ? I can probably answer that myself actually - January.

Actually, Mullen will have to be here post January, as any half decent manager would kick up a stink when Gerrard is sold with no replacement.