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Reserves v. Sheffield United 30/3/10

Reports and reaction from the 2009-10 season as Walsall finished 10th in League 1
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Pedagogue
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Reserves v. Sheffield United 30/3/10

Tue Mar 30, 2010 9:32 pm

Saddlers 0 2 Blades
Played at Bescot Stadium

Attendance:- 111

Walsall (4-4-2)
Clayton Ince

Darryl Westlake
Alex Hickman
Dan Partridge
Louis Keenan (Jamie Paterson, 68 mins.)

Sean Geddes
Mark Bradley (Captain)
Richard Davies
Sam Adkins

Sam Parkin
Will Grigg (Jordan McCourt, 78 mins.)

Unused Substitutes:-
Rory Wood
George Bowerman
Tim Cooney (gk)

Manager:- Martin O'Connor

Goal log:-
24 mins. - 0-1 - a low, hard left-wing cross is turned into his own net by Alex Hickman.
89 mins. - 0-2 - Corey Gregory seizes on a poor pass by Mark Bradley before driving the ball past Clayton Ince.

Comments:-
Another match lost and which we should have won - but, yet again, we were bedevilled by lack of finishing power. I was quite impressed with some of the football that we played but it was when we reached the Sheffield penalty-area that things went wrong.
Defence:- rarely troubled; Ince had little to do, fumbled a couple but could not be faulted with either goal; Westlake was steady as was Keenan until he went off, injured; centre-backs Hickman and Partridge are getting better as the season progresses, Hickman was unlucky with the first goal.
Midfield:- Davies was the pick of the midfield and surely "Digger" must be near a first team recall soon; Bradley always looked the likeliest to score having our first two on-target shots but who is restricting him to a largely defensive rôle, which is the weakest part of his game? He should be making late runs into the opponents penalty-are, supporting ahead of the ball. Instead, he has clearly been told to perform the holding job, rarely breaking forward - bad coaching/management, imo.
On the flanks, Geddes showed flashes of class but always seemed to need one touch too many and was consequently caught in possession. Adkins did little on the flank and looked better when he switched to left-back, after Keenan's departure.
Attack:- powder-puff. Parkin managed one on-target shot, a half-hearted effort, early in the second half while Grigg was a major disappointment without a single on-target attempt in the 78 minutes he was on the field. Paterson was busy when he came on but he still seems a little physically lightweight. McCourt was only on for 12 minutes.

A final thought:- what happened to our American triallist?

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thickkearns
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Re: Reserves v. Sheffield United 30/3/10

Tue Mar 30, 2010 10:05 pm

yet another defeat for the reserves , is it the worse squad we have had in years ???

Rich Evans
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Re: Reserves v. Sheffield United 30/3/10

Tue Mar 30, 2010 10:46 pm

As o.conner said on the main site its not about the results its about the development.

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chestersaddler
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Re: Reserves v. Sheffield United 30/3/10

Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:35 am

stonesaddler wrote:As o.conner said on the main site its not about the results its about the development.


Utter, Utter, pish.

More than half that team are either part of, or on the fringe of the first team squad. It was a RESERVES game, not an under 12's. Jesus H. Corbett, why not just say "It's not the winning, but the taking part that counts".

How about trying to develop a WINNERS mentality :roll:

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Re: Reserves v. Sheffield United 30/3/10

Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:51 am

chestersaddler wrote:
stonesaddler wrote:As o.conner said on the main site its not about the results its about the development.


Utter, Utter, pish.

More than half that team are either part of, or on the fringe of the first team squad. It was a RESERVES game, not an under 12's. Jesus H. Corbett, why not just say "It's not the winning, but the taking part that counts".

How about trying to develop a WINNERS mentality :roll:

Utter tosh. Look beyond your prejudice.

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Mike T.
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Re: Reserves v. Sheffield United 30/3/10

Wed Mar 31, 2010 2:18 pm

I think Chester what Martin is trying to say is the reserve games are an opportunity to see if Hickman, Partridge, Keenan are "worthy" of a professional contract next season. Or should we give Richard Davies another 12 months to see if he can graduate into the first team - without the pressure of having to win games to secure your league status.

I take your point about a "winning mentality" but I saw the reserve game against Port Vale earlier in the season when Tim Cooney was in goal and Alex Hickman played in defence. We lost 5-1 and I thought based on those 90 minutes alone neither would win a contract. However I note Pedagogue describes Hickman - and Partridge - as much improved as the reserve season has progressed. I guess they have "developed" into better players :wink:

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Re: Reserves v. Sheffield United 30/3/10

Wed Mar 31, 2010 2:28 pm

Mike T. wrote:I think Chester what Martin is trying to say is the reserve games are an opportunity to see if Hickman, Partridge, Keenan are "worthy" of a professional contract next season. Or should we give Richard Davies another 12 months to see if he can graduate into the first team - without the pressure of having to win games to secure your league status.

I take your point about a "winning mentality" but I saw the reserve game against Port Vale earlier in the season when Tim Cooney was in goal and Alex Hickman played in defence. We lost 5-1 and I thought based on those 90 minutes alone neither would win a contract. However I note Pedagogue describes Hickman - and Partridge - as much improved as the reserve season has progressed. I guess they have "developed" into better players :wink:


Exactly so. I, too, was not over-impressed by Hickman and Partridge, earlier in the season but, without doubt, they have improved and developed over this season. Full marks to Dean Smith and Martin O'Connor and, of course, the lads themselves for that.

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chestersaddler
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Re: Reserves v. Sheffield United 30/3/10

Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:37 pm

Exile wrote:
chestersaddler wrote:
stonesaddler wrote:As o.conner said on the main site its not about the results its about the development.


Utter, Utter, pish.

More than half that team are either part of, or on the fringe of the first team squad. It was a RESERVES game, not an under 12's. Jesus H. Corbett, why not just say "It's not the winning, but the taking part that counts".

How about trying to develop a WINNERS mentality :roll:

Utter tosh. Look beyond your prejudice.


Sorry? What prejudice might that be then?

Is my statement incorrect regarding the number of players with first team experience?

Do you hear successful manager's saying that results are not important?

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Exile
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Re: Reserves v. Sheffield United 30/3/10

Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:45 pm

chestersaddler wrote:
Exile wrote:
chestersaddler wrote:
stonesaddler wrote:As o.conner said on the main site its not about the results its about the development.


Utter, Utter, pish.

More than half that team are either part of, or on the fringe of the first team squad. It was a RESERVES game, not an under 12's. Jesus H. Corbett, why not just say "It's not the winning, but the taking part that counts".

How about trying to develop a WINNERS mentality :roll:

Utter tosh. Look beyond your prejudice.


Sorry? What prejudice might that be then?

Is my statement incorrect regarding the number of players with first team experience?

Do you hear successful manager's saying that results are not important?


Yes, Chester, your statement is incorrect. Of the squad:

Only 4 players have made first team starts this season (Ince 26+1, Westlake 16+3, Bradley 21+6 and Parkin 8+15)
Three other players have started from the bench (Davies (3), Adkins (1) and Grigg (1)
Only one player (Ince) was over 30.
Only 2 other players are over 20 (Bradley, captaining the reserves aged 22, and super Sammy Parkin, who costs Bangor 50p every time he plays.
Ten players are listed as Youth, and Cooney only got a first team squad number (26) for warming the bench at Accie Stanley.

So, 4 first teamers (and Westlake was apprentice of the season only last year!) of which only two are over twenty, 3 very borderline fringers all 18 or 19, and the rest greener than new shoot green sticks in the greenest part of a green tree a very green Spring.

I'd think managers consider development very important to most of that squad. A win's a bonus. I'll stand by the tosh but drop the prejudice - that was a bit harsh, sorry. :wink:

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Re: Reserves v. Sheffield United 30/3/10

Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:38 pm

If the squad's so poor, how come the majority of posters on the "Who should we keep" thread for next season (refer AAW) say that we should keep the majority of the players?

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