Luton Town (H) J P Trophy 3rd Round Tuesday 4/11/08.

[Geordiesaddler]

Good news from JB for the stay aways though, there's still the possibility of a Luton versus Rotherham final.

[tinned]

Its no good saying it on here...
Was anything said at full time about Jimmy Mullen?
Or did people just clap and walk off..Or argue with Gerrard.

No! I was saying my piece (very loudly) and some bint, who was clapping like a demented seal at the time, told me to "eff off and don't come again".

Errr, I've been coming for over 20 years now, luv, and if I want to make my disgust known to the "manager" then I bloody well will okay? And if you don't like it tough but I ain't gonna clap and cheer absolute garbage, exactly what does that achieve in the face of the most passionless and clueless performance seen for years?" You people make me sick :evil:

[DanWalsallFC]

Its no good saying it on here...
Was anything said at full time about Jimmy Mullen?
Or did people just clap and walk off..Or argue with Gerrard.

No! I was saying my piece (very loudly) and some bint, who was clapping like a demented seal at the time, told me to "eff off and don't come gain".

Errr, I;ve been coming for over 20 years now, luv, and if I want to make my disgust known to the "manager" then I bloody well will okay? And if you don't like it tough but I ain't gonna clap and cheer absolute garbage, exactly what does that achieve in the face of the must passionless and clueless performance seen for years?" You make me sick :evil:

Good, glad you voiced your opinion there!

[Willy Nilly]

Its no good saying it on here...
Was anything said at full time about Jimmy Mullen?
Or did people just clap and walk off..Or argue with Gerrard.

No! I was saying my piece (very loudly) and some bint, who was clapping like a demented seal at the time, told me to "eff off and don't come gain".

Errr, I;ve been coming for over 20 years now, luv, and if I want to make my disgust known to the "manager" then I bloody well will okay? And if you don't like it tough but I ain't gonna clap and cheer absolute garbage, exactly what does that achieve in the face of the must passionless and clueless performance seen for years?" You make me sick :evil:

Hope she's reading this, Dave :wink:

[tinned]

Its no good saying it on here...
Was anything said at full time about Jimmy Mullen?
Or did people just clap and walk off..Or argue with Gerrard.

No! I was saying my piece (very loudly) and some bint, who was clapping like a demented seal at the time, told me to "eff off and don't come gain".

Errr, I;ve been coming for over 20 years now, luv, and if I want to make my disgust known to the "manager" then I bloody well will okay? And if you don't like it tough but I ain't gonna clap and cheer absolute garbage, exactly what does that achieve in the face of the must passionless and clueless performance seen for years?" You make me sick :evil:

Hope she's reading this, Dave :wink:

I'd imagine she's the type to only read the official site and hang on every word of Bonser & Whalley as if they were holy scriptures :roll:

[Neuromantic]

Mullen Out.

Schofield Out.

Bonser Out.

Whalley Out.


This was actually a chance to get some fire in our fans' bellies with the possibility of Wembley..instead we manage to lose to an appalling side. Time to go Jimmy.

[Saddler-JJ]

Excellent. Now we're free from the distractions of this mickey mouse cup contest we can concentrate on the league.








It'll take all our efforts to avoid relegation.

totally agree

[Mal]

First time I have ever bothered to post after a game and tonight is the night

I like others have witnessed some rubbish over the years but that performance sums up the shambolic state the football side of Walsall FC is currently in.

Firstly I must apologise for my language at the end of the game, sit with my Dad in the OAP and just flipped at the end.

Mullen must be sacked NOW or do the decent thing and resign with immediate effect
Highlight of the game was the Kevin v Frankenstein dance during the second half plus the chanting of Ian Roper

Lowlight apart from Jimmy Muppet was Antnee 'Untouchable' Gerrard having a go at the crowd AGAIN, get rid !

We will be relegated if this man stays in charge, this has been the tip of a three month debacle of completely baffling team selection, substitutions and tactics. No use of the loan system and an infatuation with players who are just not good enough or need replacing to recharge.

Another 20 quid for Scunny Saturday and I think there will be a riot based on tonights end to the game, how we come back from this without major change is beyond me.

THIS IS AS BAD AS BARNWELL/MERSON and feels like the later days of Wheldon....I am gutted

[DanWalsallFC]

Mullen Out.

Schofield Out.

Bonser Out.

Whalley Out.


This was actually a chance to get some fire in our fans' bellies with the possibility of Wembley..instead we manage to lose to an appalling side. Time to go Jimmy.

Well put, thats all that needs to be said really.
Id also add Ricketts to that list :)

[Neuromantic]

Mullen Out.

Schofield Out.

Bonser Out.

Whalley Out.


This was actually a chance to get some fire in our fans' bellies with the possibility of Wembley..instead we manage to lose to an appalling side. Time to go Jimmy.

Well put, thats all that needs to be said really.
Id also add Ricketts to that list :)

And Gerrard. He can sod off too..

[DanWalsallFC]

Mullen Out.

Schofield Out.

Bonser Out.

Whalley Out.


This was actually a chance to get some fire in our fans' bellies with the possibility of Wembley..instead we manage to lose to an appalling side. Time to go Jimmy.

Well put, thats all that needs to be said really.
Id also add Ricketts to that list :)

And Gerrard. He can sod off too..

Agreed, and the ones we need in are..
Weston, Ishy, Bradley and Reich! :lol:

[4143]

Dan, I'm sorry I doubted you on the Northampton thread. After tonight, I despair too.

[DanWalsallFC]

Dan, I'm sorry I doubted you on the Northampton thread. After tonight, I despair too.

Ha, its ok, I judged very quickly, luckily I judged correctly, if we had won tonight and gone on an unbeaten run and ended up 10 points clear at the top I would of looked incredibly stupid :P

[bangsection]

I'm interested in the calls for John Ward. I think you should listen to what the Carlisle fans think of him! It ain't nice! Rather like our fans' views on Mullen, in fact. :twisted:

Exactly Ped. One man's decent manager is another's failure, I've said it before. There was NOTHING wrong with the appointment of Mr Mullen as manager, he had(has?) the potential to be a success.

Not sure I buy that. Of course everyone has the "potential" to be a success but when appointing a manager a Chairman should still be able to identify why some candidates have more potential than others. Otherwise the entire process would simply be a matter of luck rather than judgement. I think there were enough clues available to justify the skepticism amongst fans when Mullen was appointed - principally the fact that, until we gave him a second chance, he hadn't been involved in professional football outside scouting for well over a decade (even 'surprise' candidates like Money and Graydon had relevant recent managerial and coaching experience). Then, of course, there were the concerns about his personal life - an open secret in football circles and surely something that should have set alarm bells ringing following our disastrous dalliance with Merson.

For someone with a pretty good track record of identifying and appointing managers with genuine potential, Mullen remains a strange choice by Jeffrey - which is exactly why people began to speculate on his motives at the time and why they will continue to do so following performances like tonight.

[4143]

Dan, I'm sorry I doubted you on the Northampton thread. After tonight, I despair too.

Ha, its ok, I judged very quickly, luckily I judged correctly, if we had won tonight and gone on an unbeaten run and ended up 10 points clear at the top I would of looked incredibly stupid :P

You saying I look incredibly stupid? :wink:

It isn't often I say 'sorry'; enjoy it!

[WFC_Rob]

Make no mistake, Mullen has lost the dressing room (or whatever he had of it in the first place).
The only players out there tonight who didn't look like shadows of their former selves were Palmer, Taundry and Deeney. That's because they're not good enough and haven't got enough experience behind them to see that what is going on around them is an absolute joke.

I've given Mullen a chance to get things right. Until now.
There are no longer any excuses. He has no injuries and suspensions to contend with, only the fallings-out with players in the squad which have been all his own doing. Tonight was the benchmark for me. We were playing against the side placed 92nd out of 92 in the football league and we were second best all over the pitch. On paper, we should have beaten them convincingly but management is what bridges the gap between what should happen on paper and what actually happens on the pitch.

There's no point going into any detail about the game itself. Our best player on the night was bizarrely taken off, whilst the players completely out of their depth (against the bottom side in the football league, I'll repeat) played the majority of the game.
Just like under Merson, there are some players out there who I genuinely have sympathy for. The bloke in charge of them is completely clueless and they have to work for him. It just isn't happening.

[DanWalsallFC]

Dan, I'm sorry I doubted you on the Northampton thread. After tonight, I despair too.

Ha, its ok, I judged very quickly, luckily I judged correctly, if we had won tonight and gone on an unbeaten run and ended up 10 points clear at the top I would of looked incredibly stupid :P

You saying I look incredibly stupid? :wink:

It isn't often I say 'sorry'; enjoy it!

:lol: No, because you now agree with me :wink: :lol:

[Asps]

Make no mistake, Mullen has lost the dressing room (or whatever he had of it in the first place).
The only players out there tonight who didn't look like shadows of their former selves were Palmer, Taundry and Deeney. That's because they're not good enough and haven't got enough experience behind them to see that what is going on around them is an absolute joke.

I've given Mullen a chance to get things right. Until now.
There are no longer any excuses. He has no injuries and suspensions to contend with, only the fallings-out with players in the squad which has been all his own doing. Tonight was the benchmark for me. We were playing against the side placed 92nd out of 92 in the football league and we were second best all over the pitch. On paper, we should have beaten them convincingly but management is what bridges the gap between what should happen on paper and what actually happens on the pitch.

There's no point going into any detail about the game itself. Our best player on the night was bizarrely taken off, whilst the players completely out of the depth (against the bottom side in the football league, I'll repeat) played the majority of the game.
Just like under Merson, there are some players out there who I genuinely have sympathy for. The bloke in charge of them is completely clueless and they have to work for him. It just isn't happening.

Totally agree.

Mullen has lost the dressing room and lost the plot.

Get rid now

[Pedro]

Have to say in the 20 plus years I've been watching Walsall I've never seen such a shocking team display in my life, that includes those Barnwell,Hibbitt and Merson days. From a team who put a good run together in September to a team that some of the players look like Sunday league players.

Mullen team line ups are shocking, No Weston,Ismel or Reich, while the likes of Palmer, Deeney still get selected week in week out no matter how poor they are. Mullen has lost the dressing room, the players I bet have no respect for him, if they have a poor game they are slagged of in the press, named and shamed. Thats no how you handle a football team in 2008 Mullen, you do things behind closed doors and work with the players

As for todays game , we got out played by a team who where hungry and worked for each other, our management team had no idea and it looked to me if they where happy with pens. Subs where far to late again, and there was no players who could win the game or save the game there.

So time to go Mullen

[Graydon48]

If, and thats a big if. If Mullen does get sacked don't waste time on here saying what about John Ward ect.
It will just another cheap appointment by Bonser someone we have never heard of.
Be warned the Credit Crunch is biting hard and there will be plenty of ex Car Salesmen out there who will jump at the chance of managing Walsall Football Club.

[Pedro]

John Ward is very good mates with Bonser

[latviancheese]

Its clear too see he's lost the dressing room, i think he had a few weeks ago. At least in the earlier games we had a bit of bite, now we dont seem to have any.

Now is the time for him to go. if he aint sacked soon, we am in technical terms : F*****

[Plastic Hawk]

If, and thats a big if. If Mullen does get sacked don't waste time on here saying what about John Ward ect.
It will just another cheap appointment by Bonser someone we have never heard of.
Be warned the Credit Crunch is biting hard and there will be plenty of ex Car Salesmen out there who will jump at the chance of managing Walsall Football Club.

John Ward will be cheap as chips - since he's a decent League 2 manager and no more. As someone said higher up this thread, ask a Carlisle fan about Ward's managerial abilities at our level. If Mullen is the new Merson then Ward would tick all the boxes to be the new Broadhurst.

[Exile]

John Ward will be cheap as chips - since he's a decent League 2 manager and no more.

That's about our level these days. :(

[Plastic Hawk]

John Ward will be cheap as chips - since he's a decent League 2 manager and no more.

That's about our level these days. :(

Nah - we've still got enough to stay up this season. Probably even with Mullen in charge. Sad thing is that after Saturday, a relegation battle will probably be all that we've got to look forward to this season.

:( :(

[caldy]

My brother-in-law went to last night's game. He is a dingle (I know, we all have our crosses to bear). He couldn't believe that was our first team. He thought we had played a mixture of our youth team and reserves. I have just heard Mullen's post match interview on WM. It went something like this. "Not good enough, we just weren't good enough. Not good enough". I have one thing to say to that Mr Mullen. No Sh** Sherlock.

[philthesaddler]

Im writing this without having read anyone elses comments, so forgive me if I go over stuff thats already been gone over.

What an absolutely disgraceful, gutless, woeful, atrocious performance that was.

If I was the manager and I'd just seen my team put that kind of performance in, I would be handing in my resignation without a doubt.

Firstly, the team selection.

Taundry - in my view he's been found out at right back. He's too small to play there if we aren't going to play possession football. If we're not going to keep the ball, then the opposition are going to target this, which both Luton and Northampton have done, with lots of success. Im not even sure Taundry is in the best XI players at the club. So why did he start ahead of Weston?

Deeney - the lad is a trier, nothing more. He's got a very poor first touch, no pace, no vision, he certainly not a right winger. Why didn't Zaboob start?

Palmer - Oh dear Oh dear Oh dear, that was one of the worst performances from a player in a Walsall shirt I've ever seen. Hand on heart. Theres stuff I would have done better than him, and im not making a career out of football. Why we're playing a right back on the left wing I do not know, but even still, that is no excuse for either Palmer to have such a woeful game, or for Mullen not to change things earlier, or for Mullen to scream his lungs out at Palmer to do the right things. Any one who knows anything about football knows how a winger should play - it's got a lot to do with positioning, running off the ball, pace (not just physical speed, but the pace at which you play the game) and getting the ball in the box.

Palmer - Positioning/off the ball: unbelievably poor. Ive never seen a professional football look so lost off the ball, I've seen better on a wednesday night with Asps & co. There were times when he just hid from possession, not making himself available and just standing there. At one point, he ran inside with the ball, Boertien overlapped him down the wing behind him, Palmer passed the ball to Hughes, and instead of continuing his run and making himself available for a 1-2, he just stood there and pointed at Boertien. When we were defending, he'd try and track back, but he never ever got tight to his man, this made his 2nd to everything. Then when we broke at one point, Ricketts laid the ball off the where a winger should be, and he was dordling ten yards behind!

Palmer - running with the ball/possession - atrocious - Palmer, you were playing on the wing FFS, if you knock the ball past the right back, run round him, dont run in to him and expect a free kick, because you running in to your marker doesn't constitute a foul. Whatsmore, dont stop and complain at the ref. Oh, and by the way, you can head the ball. You're a professional footballer, can you not trick an opposition player in to thinking your doing something else, you ever heard of a shimmy? A step over? A dink? If you try one, it might just buy you and extra yard, with which you can use as you please, you could get a cross in for example, or maybe get an extra yard between you and him.

Ricketts - I though he had a terrible game. But hey, thats what happens when you get a notoriously lazy striker and dont have any other strikers in the squad. Ricketts was slow, ponderous, poor on the ball, and just didn't look bothered.

But on the whole I thought the performance was probably the poorest I've ever seen from a Walsall side. I never thought I'd say this, but I think we've managed to appoint a manager worse than Paul Merson. Seriously. Under Merson we couldnt keep clean sheets, but at least we showed some endeavour to score at times. We don't, and at the other end we've kept 2 clean sheets in god knows how long.

We simply cant keep the ball, possession is obviously an alien and nasty thing to Mullen. We play a young striker with no pace on the right wing, a right back on the left wing and a player thats been used in midfield mostly at right back. And to top it off we leave Ish and Weston out of the squad all together and bring Zaboob on with 7 minutes left!!!

Zaboob touched the ball twice and both times he got in the right position to receive the ball, he took on his man with pace and got a good ball in. How the f*ck did he not get in the starting line up?

I sat in the Fellows stand and all I could head was Harford shouting at his players. Did I hear Mullen once? Not a peep.

I'm seething after last night. Poor attendance, diabolical performance, stupid tactics and team selection that defies belief. If we're paying Zaboob, Reich, Ish and Weston good money - then why the hell arent we using them FFS !?!

That performance was wholly unacceptable. Mullen should be sacked.

[Exile]

Don't sit on the fence, Phil, tell us what you really think. :wink:

[King Crimson]

Absolutely disgraceful performance.

Those Walsall players who can take a crumb of comfort in their own performance you could count on one hand: Ince, Boertien, Hughes and Mattis tried, Gerrard (who was agreeing with the crowd at the end, I'm sure of it). I haven't been critical of Mullen too much, and didn't give much credence to the 'lost the dressing room' stuff, but the body language of the senior players was all wrong. These guys have been managed by decent enough managers, and know what is the standard required for them to achieve. We're falling far short at the moment.

The team selection was incredible. No defender on the bench for an important league tie on Saturday, but Smith is on the bench for a cup game against lower league opposition. I had hoped that JM would use the match as an opportunity for some of the left-out players to put in a shift and make a claim for a game on Saturday - Ishmel, Reich, Weston, Zaboob, Bradley in particular. Instead, he went for the team that won ugly on Saturday. There was nothing to be learned about our players last night that wasn't evident just a few days before.

The players. Right, I don't give a damn if I need a tin hat or not (I'm putting on a Rambo bandana instead), these players are not good enough and should not be in our first team. But they seem to be 'untouchable'.
1) Chris Palmer - atrocious last night. No pace, no guile, no quality, no tenacity. He drifted inside so as not to offer an outlet, then in the second half stayed out wide and wasn't involved in the game at all. Taking a half decent corner isn't enough. Note to JM: Ishmel can take a decent corner, as can Reich. They offer other things too. Palmer doesn't. He's a league two right-sided midfielder. We still haven't played him there. For me, a run in the team in that position should be 'last chance saloon' for him. Unless he really does the business in this preferred position, I'd have Mark Wright back, or Edrissa Sonko, like a shot over him - and it's on that basis he should be judged.
2) Troy Deeney - contributed nothing, but apart from a brave header on Saturday he contributed nothing then either.
3) Richard Taundry - our own Rory Delap (nearly). A long throw is only really effective if you can hit the six yard box. Otherwise, you gain ten yards from it, but create a 50-50 ball when a simple throw would give greater chance of retaining possession. He is too short, too easy to turn and plays 'kick and rush' like a rugby fullback. He is not good enough.

The quality of these players - their first touch on the ball, their vision, their ability to keep possession - quite frankly is dreadful. We've had some decent footballers, even at this level, over the years who could actually play a bit - Pedro, Dann, Zigor,...We still have players who can control a football. Weston (out in the cold), Reich (5 minute cameos out of position), Zaboob (looked OK in a 5 minute cameo last night, and looked more of an attacking threat than Palmer had all evening). Then there's Bradley who, at his best, offers an attacking option through the middle, and Ishmel who's ball control isn't great at times, but he has pace, tricks and gives defences something different to think about.

It's been a long time since we've changed team selection or formation - either at the start of the game or via substitutions. We are ordinary and predictable - an opposition manager's dream.

We need to get back to playing football. That requires footballers - Hughes, Mattis, Boertien, Weston, Reich, Ricketts, Ibehre...

Best player on the pitch last night? Number 24 for them. Tom Craddock, kid on loan from Middlesbrough. Says it all. Best Walsall player? Either Ince or Boertien (subbed off). Says even more.

[Stu]

Its funny how players who we've seen play very well before, both last season and early this season, are now suddenly putting in poor performances. Meanwhile, the 'rumour mill' is rife that Mullen has fallen out with several first team players. Co-incidence?

I don't blame the players, as if you're being managed by someone who have no respect for or someone who doesn't know what he is doing, you'll struggle to perform to your best whether you work in an office or a football pitch.