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Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Reports and reaction from the 2010-11 season as Walsall finished 20th in League 1
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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:07 am

Talking of Byfield who I dare'nt critisize what was all that about in the second half. Having to be restrained by his team mates and spoken to by the ref.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:30 am

Rich Evans wrote:Talking of Byfield, whom I daren't criticise, what was all that about, in the second half? Having to be restrained by his team mates and spoken to by the ref.


It was after Wood had pretended to be seriously injured to break up play (Tranmere were one of the worst sets of con artists that I have ever seen). This clearly incensed Byfield, who got into an argument with Labedie and the two of them had to be restrained by the other players - not a good example from a captain.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:31 am

priestley_saddler wrote:A word on Hutchings. I actually think he got the substitutions correct tonight. With half an hour to go he brought off our worse two players on the night (quite why the substitution of Taundry was booed I have no idea, unless I misread and Taundry was being booed himself for being pap).


Because the crowd has a significant number of one-eyed ignoramuses who refuse to accept that being local and 'battling' isn't the mark of a world class midfielder. As others have commented, although by no means excellent, Richards was far and away the better of our central midfielders last night. But it was him that the boo boys were baying to be subbed off.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:04 am

King Crimson wrote:
priestley_saddler wrote:A word on Hutchings. I actually think he got the substitutions correct tonight. With half an hour to go he brought off our worse two players on the night (quite why the substitution of Taundry was booed I have no idea, unless I misread and Taundry was being booed himself for being pap).


Because the crowd has a significant number of one-eyed ignoramuses who refuse to accept that being local and 'battling' isn't the mark of a world class midfielder. As others have commented, although by no means excellent, Richards was far and away the better of our central midfielders last night. But it was him that the boo boys were baying to be subbed off.


It's getting boring now. I know Richards isn't Kaka or Pirlo but at least he puts himself in the firing line. Taundry runs around like a loon, losing possession through lack of basic control and gets an odd groan. When Richards did it trying to play people in, you'd have thought he revealed himself as Harold Shipman.

I don't mind people saying Richards isn't very good, he isn't. But looking at people ratings there aren't many that tell you Taundry did much worse than Richards last night and we all know that's because he's our "local hero."

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:56 am

Richards had a better game last night, certainly better than Taundry, but he's still cack. He's got no pace, he cant pass that well, he cant tackle, and I lost count the amount of times he just nodded the ball back to the opposition.

So he's played Left back for us and been awful, left midfield and been awful, and now central midfield and has looked mediocre and slow at best! When will people realise he is a genuinely poor footballer. At least Taundry is sometimes effective, and does sometimes have very good games.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:01 am

Fray Bentos is God! wrote:It's getting boring now. I know Richards isn't Kaka or Pirlo but at least he puts himself in the firing line. Taundry runs around like a loon, losing possession through lack of basic control and gets an odd groan. When Richards did it trying to play people in, you'd have thought he revealed himself as Harold Shipman.

I don't mind people saying Richards isn't very good, he isn't. But looking at people ratings there aren't many that tell you Taundry did much worse than Richards last night and we all know that's because he's our "local hero."


I totally agree. Taundry was terrible last night. He made several very poor passes and then completely lost his confidence with the ball, so that he was panicking whenever he had it. He should have been taken off earlier. Compared to Taundry last night (who can do better and was just having a terrible night of it) Richards was brilliant.

Looking at the goal on Sky I wonder how it is that Tranmere had two players totally unmarked in our penalty area. We need someone on the park who can put in a bit of discipline to our marking at set pieces, because since we have nobody who can score goals giving away soft goals from free kicks and corners is not a good idea.

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Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:04 am

philthesaddler wrote:Richards had a better game last night, certainly better than Taundry, but he's still guano. He's got no pace, he cant pass that well, he cant tackle, and I lost count the amount of times he just nodded the ball back to the opposition.

So he's played Left back for us and been awful, left midfield and been awful, and now central midfield and has looked mediocre and slow at best! When will people realise he is a genuinely poor footballer. At least Taundry is sometimes effective, and does sometimes have very good games.

Yet more rubbish, Phil. And not worth engaging with. Like the club, Richards can do nothing right. Richards has well over 100 games experience in the Championship, where presumably a succession of Ipswich managers (aka "people") presumably couldn't see what you can. World beater? Nope. Better than Taundry? Yes. Simple.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:16 am

King Crimson wrote:
philthesaddler wrote:Richards had a better game last night, certainly better than Taundry, but he's still guano. He's got no pace, he cant pass that well, he cant tackle, and I lost count the amount of times he just nodded the ball back to the opposition.

So he's played Left back for us and been awful, left midfield and been awful, and now central midfield and has looked mediocre and slow at best! When will people realise he is a genuinely poor footballer. At least Taundry is sometimes effective, and does sometimes have very good games.

Yet more rubbish, Phil. And not worth engaging with. Like the club, Richards can do nothing right. Richards has well over 100 games experience in the Championship, where presumably a succession of Ipswich managers (aka "people") presumably couldn't see what you can. World beater? Nope. Better than Taundry? Yes. Simple.

Agreed, and was just about to post something similar.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:31 am

perhaps taundry needs time out?

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:38 am

Exile wrote:
DanWalsallFC wrote:
Pedagogue wrote:If the Saddlers and Tranmere continue in this vein, put your money on both of them for relegation!


I do remember this being said when we drew 0-0 with Gillingham at home.. :roll:


...and we shouldn't be able to say the same things each time


I ment we had the same problems last year.. so pipe down.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:52 am

King Crimson wrote:
philthesaddler wrote:Richards had a better game last night, certainly better than Taundry, but he's still guano. He's got no pace, he cant pass that well, he cant tackle, and I lost count the amount of times he just nodded the ball back to the opposition.

So he's played Left back for us and been awful, left midfield and been awful, and now central midfield and has looked mediocre and slow at best! When will people realise he is a genuinely poor footballer. At least Taundry is sometimes effective, and does sometimes have very good games.

Yet more rubbish, Phil. And not worth engaging with. Like the club, Richards can do nothing right. Richards has well over 100 games experience in the Championship, where presumably a succession of Ipswich managers (aka "people") presumably couldn't see what you can. World beater? Nope. Better than Taundry? Yes. Simple.


Rubbish? Whatever. Just count the amount of people on this thread, and the MK Dons thread who have said Richards has been poor.

He's just crap. Taundry isn't a world beater, and he had a poor game last night, but at least he gets stuck in which is more than can be said for Matt "I dont want to mess up my hair" Richards.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:01 am

philthesaddler wrote:
King Crimson wrote:
philthesaddler wrote:Richards had a better game last night, certainly better than Taundry, but he's still guano. He's got no pace, he cant pass that well, he cant tackle, and I lost count the amount of times he just nodded the ball back to the opposition.

So he's played Left back for us and been awful, left midfield and been awful, and now central midfield and has looked mediocre and slow at best! When will people realise he is a genuinely poor footballer. At least Taundry is sometimes effective, and does sometimes have very good games.

Yet more rubbish, Phil. And not worth engaging with. Like the club, Richards can do nothing right. Richards has well over 100 games experience in the Championship, where presumably a succession of Ipswich managers (aka "people") presumably couldn't see what you can. World beater? Nope. Better than Taundry? Yes. Simple.


Rubbish? Whatever. Just count the amount of people on this thread, and the MK Dons thread who have said Richards has been poor.

He's just crap. Taundry isn't a world beater, and he had a poor game last night, but at least he gets stuck in which is more than can be said for Matt "I dont want to mess up my hair" Richards.


Stuck into what? Oh, the player he's just given possession to. He doesn't actually get stuck in though, because he usually misses the tackle too.

Roll-up, roll-up. Walsall fans have picked their target.

Take a bow, Matt.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:06 am

philthesaddler wrote:Rubbish? Whatever. Just count the amount of people on this thread, and the MK Dons thread who have said Richards has been poor.

He's just crud. Taundry isn't a world beater, and he had a poor game last night, but at least he gets stuck in which is more than can be said for Matt "I dont want to mess up my hair" Richards.


Just goes to show how many unintelligent people, with no idea about football, watch Walsall then doesn't it!!

Of course we want "battlers" and I'd love to see Taundry come good, but right now he's a liability in the middle of the park. I wonder if he played right-back during his youth years because coaches could see he hasn't got the quickness of thought or the vision to play in centre-midfield?

Now, alternatively, a team of 11 Matt Richards may not get "stuck in", but they would all track their man properly, they'd make themselves available for the pass (despite being booed by their own "fans") and they'd try and play a bit of football.

People are only half right when they say the "midfield" is our problem. Richards, played with 3 other midfielders who want the ball, and 2 strikers who can hold it up and pass and go, it easily good enough for the role we need him to play.

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Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:11 am

Fray Bentos is God! wrote:
philthesaddler wrote:
King Crimson wrote:
philthesaddler wrote:Richards had a better game last night, certainly better than Taundry, but he's still guano. He's got no pace, he cant pass that well, he cant tackle, and I lost count the amount of times he just nodded the ball back to the opposition.

So he's played Left back for us and been awful, left midfield and been awful, and now central midfield and has looked mediocre and slow at best! When will people realise he is a genuinely poor footballer. At least Taundry is sometimes effective, and does sometimes have very good games.

Yet more rubbish, Phil. And not worth engaging with. Like the club, Richards can do nothing right. Richards has well over 100 games experience in the Championship, where presumably a succession of Ipswich managers (aka "people") presumably couldn't see what you can. World beater? Nope. Better than Taundry? Yes. Simple.


Rubbish? Whatever. Just count the amount of people on this thread, and the MK Dons thread who have said Richards has been poor.

He's just crud. Taundry isn't a world beater, and he had a poor game last night, but at least he gets stuck in which is more than can be said for Matt "I dont want to mess up my hair" Richards.


Stuck into what? Oh, the player he's just given possession to. He doesn't actually get stuck in though, because he usually misses the tackle too.

Roll-up, roll-up. Walsall fans have picked their target.

Take a bow, Matt.

Spot on.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:42 am

philthesaddler wrote:Richards had a better game last night, certainly better than Taundry, but he's still guano. He's got no pace, he cant pass that well, he cant tackle, and I lost count the amount of times he just nodded the ball back to the opposition.

So he's played Left back for us and been awful, left midfield and been awful, and now central midfield and has looked mediocre and slow at best! When will people realise he is a genuinely poor footballer. At least Taundry is sometimes effective, and does sometimes have very good games.


Hes still cack because his name is Richards, not Taundry and he doesnt come from Walsall :roll:
Bore off.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:44 am

Of corse this is only my opinion and others have their own. But Lancashire just isn't as good defensively as McDonald for me. Lancashire looks like he's clumsy and is likely to fall over and cost mistakes at anypoint. 2 or 3 times in a match you see something he does and think wow on another day that's going to lead to a mistake etc. His defensive positioning is awful, fair enough he's decent in the air but otherwise i think he'l lead to us conceding a few more goals than we should in defence. The way him and Smith (yes, smith as well) parted from a corner last night when the tranmere lad missed a sitter of a header and the marking for the goal in general was terrible! Both goals against the Dons were terrible marking. I'd have McDonald in personally but like last season with Peter Till it's going to take Hutchings a while to rectify his mistakes.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:59 am

Sadders wrote:Of corse this is only my opinion and others have their own. But Lancashire just isn't as good defensively as McDonald for me. Lancashire looks like he's clumsy and is likely to fall over and cost mistakes at anypoint. 2 or 3 times in a match you see something he does and think wow on another day that's going to lead to a mistake etc. His defensive positioning is awful, fair enough he's decent in the air but otherwise i think he'l lead to us conceding a few more goals than we should in defence. The way him and Smith (yes, smith as well) parted from a corner last night when the tranmere lad missed a sitter of a header and the marking for the goal in general was terrible! Both goals against the Dons were terrible marking. I'd have McDonald in personally but like last season with Peter Till it's going to take Hutchings a while to rectify his mistakes.


I'd actually have had Lancashire as my man of the match last night. Did all he needed to do against (supposedly) a tricky opponent in Showunmi, looked very comfortable on the ball, was involved in a lot of play and made himself available for a pass.

You make a fair point about him and Smith though. As with Saturday, both put in good individual performances, but they're not playing as a pair. There's no understanding and no communication. However, McDonald is the same, rarely leads the defensive line and seems to communicate very little. It's the price you pay for having youngsters perhaps? People were quick to criticise Hughes last season but, if you watched his role in matches, he very much ran the show defensively, making sure a good line was kept and markers picked up their men.

As for your comment about the goals, neither of the goals against MK was directly Lancashire's fault and, last night, he was the only defender who DID follow a Tranmere man to the back post...unfortunately he was left 2 against 1.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:24 am

First game in 2 years last night, and having just made it into the ground before kick off due to traffic on the way from leicester, am greeted with Stafflers announcing us as the 'Pride of the Midlands' - some things never change!

On to the game and well, we just looked devoid of imagination and soul. We literally seemed to have nothing upfront, high balls up to Nicholls, Byfield coming so deep to get the ball by the time he's near the opposition box he's knackered (but thats not a criticism of him) and a midfield that was just absent. Richards tried last night, he was constantly offering himself for the pass and atleast seemed to want to come forward and do something, albeit that something was 8 times out of 10 give the ball away but he was still there. Taundry on the other hand was just annoymous, within the first 2 minutes he set the tone by giving the ball away under no pressure at all and then just seemed to camp himself just infront of the back 4 all night, occassionally receive the ball and then remind us why he's not very good by giving it away whilst trying to do nothing with it. I couldn't even say he was protecting the back 4, as i saw Richards break up attacks at the back more times than I did Taundry. Like someone else said, I was confused as to whether the boo's when he was subbed were at his performance or ,surely not, at the fact people thought he should stay on.

As for the goal, well, it seemed to sum up a weakness we all knew about. It just seems as if any know-how the players might have had has been taken out of them, just simple tasks like following your man not allowing free headers from 8 yeards out that a better team would laugh their heads off at. These players clearly know this so why aren't they doing it? And do we work on set piece delivery in training? Oh yes we do, the quick five minutes at the end of the session, which probably goes something like this:

Hutch: Right lads, now for my set piece masterclass
O'Connor: Come on lads, stop laughing
Hutch: Matt, you take any free kick and just aim for Manny each time, the opposition will expect variety but they won't be expecting similarity, fools!

Needless to say, it took Tranmere 1 attempt to find out this was our plan and duly stuck 3 men on Manny each time, to which Hutchings was so amazed his masterclass had been thwarted he simply did nothing in awe that Tranmere had stumped him.

Alas, it was not a good night and I just have a feeling that, even with 2 or 3 signings, we will still just be as poor. We just seem to lack ideas and any form of penetration. Speaking of which, i got more excited last night watching the trouble one pigeon was going to in order to have some lovin' with another than I did at any point during the match.

Something is missing at the minute and it is something that cannot be bought and thats a tactical know-how and awareness and that ultimately lies with the manager. We are just not exciting coming forward, there was no surge, players running forward in support, desperate to attack the opposition, just a lame stroll and ultimate pass back to the keeper.

Grigg seemed lively when he came on, although a fellow supported behind me made me chuckle/cringe/cry [delete as appropriate] after screaming for him to come on, after giving the ball away whilst still getting into the game, then declared Grigg a 'bushy haired idiot' and 'no better than Parkin' :roll:

I just wanted last night to re-ignite a fire within me that went out a while ago but instead, a whole steaming pile of dry ice was poured over the site of that said fire and I just don't know wheter i'll ever get it back. Here's hoping :?

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 3:33 pm

ShropsSaddler wrote:I'd actually have had Lancashire as my man of the match last night. Did all he needed to do against (supposedly) a tricky opponent in Showunmi, looked very comfortable on the ball, was involved in a lot of play and made himself available for a pass.

You make a fair point about him and Smith though. As with Saturday, both put in good individual performances, but they're not playing as a pair. There's no understanding and no communication. However, McDonald is the same, rarely leads the defensive line and seems to communicate very little. It's the price you pay for having youngsters perhaps? People were quick to criticise Hughes last season but, if you watched his role in matches, he very much ran the show defensively, making sure a good line was kept and markers picked up their men.

As for your comment about the goals, neither of the goals against MK was directly Lancashire's fault and, last night, he was the only defender who DID follow a Tranmere man to the back post...unfortunately he was left 2 against 1.


I agree with all of that.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 3:45 pm

I think one of our problems is that we don't have a leader on the pitch. Mattis would at least try and grab a game by its scruff, Jones isn't showing much of it either so far.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:29 pm

Correct me if I am wrong but Walsall still haven't won a game this season including all the friendlies. The best result was a draw with Port Vale. This is getting worrying. We are certainly looking like relegation fodder at the moment!

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:38 pm

Fray Bentos is God! wrote:Roll-up, roll-up. Walsall fans have picked their target.

Take a bow, Matt.


He's in good company. Don't forget, these are the fans who criticised Junior for only having a left foot, Fryatt for being selfish and Mark Wright for offering something which we still haven't replaced in the squad three seasons later.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:38 pm

I'd love to know how many people defending Richards have actually been and seen him play.. Not many is my guess. Probably more keyboard fans! (Sorry I'm aware the "technical term" is stayaway)

The guy is a complete liability in every sense. Going forwards he gives the ball away time and time again. On the flipside his defensive/set marking abilities don't exist.If any of you watched our "highlights" against Tranmere Richards simply stood there like Bambi caught in the headlights while everyone else around him flapped about and practically gave the goal away.

Richards, Lescott, Nicholls, Gray - It may only be two games in (Plus the friendlies I had the misery of watching) but they aren't up to the job. If anything they make Chris Palmer look like a good player.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:00 am

Griff wrote:I'd love to know how many people defending Richards have actually been and seen him play.. Not many is my guess. Probably more keyboard fans! (Sorry I'm aware the "technical term" is stayaway)

The guy is a complete liability in every sense. Going forwards he gives the ball away time and time again. On the flipside his defensive/set marking abilities don't exist.If any of you watched our "highlights" against Tranmere Richards simply stood there like Bambi caught in the headlights while everyone else around him flapped about and practically gave the goal away.

Richards, Lescott, Nicholls, Gray - It may only be two games in (Plus the friendlies I had the misery of watching) but they aren't up to the job. If anything they make Chris Palmer look like a good player.


Been to the league game, the cup game and a couple of friendlies. I've seen a whole host of midfielders in many years of supporting Walsall, many of them much-maligned by know-nothings: Tom Bennett, Simon Osborn, Matt Richards...

I know too that FBIG and a whole host of the others 'defending' Richards attend regularly. He gives the ball away "time and time again". The inference there is that he at least has the ball to give away on a frequent basis. His central midfield counterpart also gave the ball away, but not "time and time again" because he rarely had it in the first place. As others rightly point out, Nicholls' movement is shocking, Gray and Jones were not involved. That gave Richards the option of Byfield (who I know he passed to numerous times successfully), Taundry or backwards (hence the negative and 'can only pass backwards' label). Whenever there was a sequence of passes made - intricate, skillful, triangles played by players in close proximity - one of them would be Richards (in all liklihood, the others would be Byfield and Gray or Lescott).

If you honestly think that either Taundry or Marshall played better on Tuesday (and after all, comparing Richards to anyone else is largely irrelevant) then I would politely suggest that you haven't got much of an idea at all.

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Thu Aug 12, 2010 7:25 am

Jorge14 wrote:
Fray Bentos is God! wrote:Roll-up, roll-up. Walsall fans have picked their target.

Take a bow, Matt.


He's in good company. Don't forget, these are the fans who criticised Junior for only having a left foot, Fryatt for being selfish and Mark Wright for offering something which we still haven't replaced in the squad three seasons later.


I'd shave my sack with garden shears to see either of those back offering what they offered.

Only Hagi's left foot can be compared to Junior's

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Thu Aug 12, 2010 7:47 am

I never critised Mark Wright, I actually thought he was good here :? And i'd still have him back! But at the moment we need our main focus on a centre midfield and a goalscoring striker.

DawleyDick wrote:Correct me if I am wrong but Walsall still haven't won a game this season including all the friendlies. The best result was a draw with Port Vale. This is getting worrying. We are certainly looking like relegation fodder at the moment!

I agree Dicky. Tranmere are going to struggle too, the little bit of good to come from it is that it wasnt a league game!

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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:16 pm

What was the goalie doin!? :?

That was the most piece of piss free kick ive seen in a long time.

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WFC_Rob
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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:15 pm

Unfortunately, KC's description of what I would now describe as a considerable majority of our fans is 100% true. All they want to see is a player who runs fast and 'gets stuck in'. The blatant failings in their game can be completely ignored as long as those two reqirements are met.

Michael Dobson was a key figure in our title winning season & he took an unreasonable amount of stick. Tom Bennett captained us to our playoff final win at this level a few years previously and suffered from the same treatment. And now Richards is next in line.

Too many people need to take off their rose-tinted glasses. Alex Nicholls has just offered two of the worst performances I've ever seen from a Walsall player (Kofi Dakinah, Joe Broad & Andrew Barrowman included) yet barely gets a mention. Taundry has only been marginally better because he doesn't have to go as far to get involved.

I would say it's becoming boring now, but it was actually boring four or five years ago.

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King Crimson
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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:20 pm

WFC_Rob wrote:Michael Dobson was a key figure in our title winning season & he took an unreasonable amount of stick. Tom Bennett captained us to our playoff final win at this level a few years previously and suffered from the same treatment. And now Richards is next in line.


Agree with all that, Rob.

And you've neglected to mention 'Dingle reject' Simon Osborn as the fall guy between Bennett and Dobson. The player regularly booed and berated by our own "fans" for our poor team performances, but also the player who captained our team whilst nursing a broken toe for a dozen or so games.


But he ay Lionel Messi, so he must be crap. :roll:

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Jorge14
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Re: Tranmere Rovers (H) Carling Cup Ist Round Tuesday 10/8/10.

Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:01 pm

Some Walsall fans are idiots who couldn't spot a footballer if they had to choose out of a police line-up of George Best, Lionel Messi and Paolo Maldini.

We clearly lack quality throughout the spine of the team. I've never rated Taundry as a central midfielder (I've always thought him a more-than-decent full-back), Richards has spent his career as a full-back but I think he could do a job as the Osborn/Bennett/Dobson kind of midfielder which every team needs at this level if they are to do anything decent and to link defence and attack. The thing we lack is that Osborn, Bennett and Dobson had Samways, Bukran and Keates as an outlet, always there for the pass and always looking to work the ball on for the wingers or for the strikers. I've not seen the games this season, but I'd wager that Richards loses the ball and passes back so often because Taundry doesn't work himself into the positions he should be for the plain reason that he isn't a natural central midfielder. Perhaps Marshall might be a better fit? Taundry and Richards naturally play quite a similar game; it is no surprise then that we have little creativity.

You don't need pace to play in the position I'm talking about, which is why I'm pleased that Hutch is talking about getting some experience into there.

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