Huddersfield Town (H) League 1 Saturday 15/1/11.

[philthesaddler]

minor faults whilst ignoring any undoubted positive contributions.

Minor faults?

You mean like gifting the opposition a goal? Or like passing the ball out of play? Or giving the ball away from the kick off after their 3rd goal?

Thats no minor faults, that's called being a liability.

A minor fault is having the odd pass go astray, or mistiming a tackle, or slipping - Richards consistently loses the ball and backs out of challenges - and then people come on here wondering why we have such a poor defence?

Try telling your central midfielder he can tackle.

Positive contributions?

You mean being able to hit the target from 20 yards from a dead ball with no one within 10 yards? Fantastic, just a shame football isn't a constant string of endless freekicks, cos Richards would be amazing.

[Fray Bentos is God!]

You aren't thick. You're just not at Phil's level. Don't be blue and don't wait for a reply from the man himself.

I hear he's next in line for the England job when he finishes rewriting the Origin of Species.

Now I know why it is called Doctor of Philosophy.

Well how the hell can you say he had a "neat and tidy game" when he was responsible for the first and critical goal that we conceded? It simply doesnt make sense, so yes, it is a sign of being thick.

And Gary, if you can't see how much of a liability he is to the team - you're also thick!

The last 3 games he's had two assists (for the opposition) and one own goal. We'd be far, far better off without such a defensive liability in midfield.

This team needs to sort out it's defending first and foremost, so it's absolutely worthless having a player like Matt Richards who may well score 6 or 7 free kicks a season but is absolutely useless at doing the basic midfield stuff like not giving the ball away in his own sodding half.

I hear Richards' replacements are in great nick.

Yes, he has done well for the opposition lately. But hey ho. Everyone else has done ever so brilliantly.

If I could find a better player in the squad, I'd want him in now. But we haven't, have we?

Signed off, Gary Ellison, Aero Lucas -Wolverhampton U15s league winner. I know that pales in comparison of your World Cup and Copa America double. Give me time, I want to be as much of a twerp as you.

Oddly, you're never so gobby in person.

[philthesaddler]

I hear Richards' replacements are in great nick.

Yes, he has done well for the opposition lately. But hey ho. Everyone else has done ever so brilliantly.

If I could find a better player in the squad, I'd want him in now. But we haven't, have we?

Signed off, Gary Ellison, Aero Lucas -Wolverhampton U15s league winner. I know that pales in comparison of your World Cup and Copa America double. Give me time, I want to be as much of a fool as you.

Oddly, you're never so gobby in person.

I'm not so Gobby? So you werent there when I tore in to Whalley and Mole about their lacklustre management of the club? At least I have a proper considered opinion, rather than being another sheep who defends the indefensible.

It took years for the majority to realise the truth about Bonser, so your realisation about Richards will come one day, it'll just be a few years after I worked it out.

[Fray Bentos is God!]

I hear Richards' replacements are in great nick.

Yes, he has done well for the opposition lately. But hey ho. Everyone else has done ever so brilliantly.

If I could find a better player in the squad, I'd want him in now. But we haven't, have we?

Signed off, Gary Ellison, Aero Lucas -Wolverhampton U15s league winner. I know that pales in comparison of your World Cup and Copa America double. Give me time, I want to be as much of a fool as you.

Oddly, you're never so gobby in person.

I'm not so Gobby? So you werent there when I tore in to Whalley and Mole about their lacklustre management of the club? At least I have a proper considered opinion, rather than being another sheep who defends the indefensible.

It took years for the majority to realise the truth about Bonser, so your realisation about Richards will come one day, it'll just be a few years after I worked it out.

Like Mark Wright being in league football?

[WFC_Rob]

minor faults whilst ignoring any undoubted positive contributions.

Minor faults?

You mean like gifting the opposition a goal? Or like passing the ball out of play? Or giving the ball away from the kick off after their 3rd goal?

Thats no f*cking minor faults, that's called being a liability.

A minor fault is having the odd pass go astray, or mistiming a tackle, or slipping - Richards consistently loses the ball and backs out of challenges - and then people come on here wondering why we have such a poor defence?

Try telling your central midfielder he can tackle.

Positive contributions?

You mean being able to hit the target from 20 yards from a dead ball with no one within 10 yards? Fantastic, just a shame football isn't a constant string of endless freekicks, cos Richards would be amazing.

Take away his goals and take away his ability to pass a ball & we'll be screwed. As Phil says, who's going to step up to the mark and make a difference? Taundry? Marshall? Lescott? Not a chance in hell.

You're forgetting the run he went on at Bristol Rovers which led to Grigg's goal. OK, he won't claim any fantasy league points for the assist because the final ball wasn't his, but without that run, we wouldn't have made it into their half!

As I've said time and time again, nobody is claiming that Richards is a world-beater or even that he's an adequate league one footballer. They're just saying that he's the best we have in that position.
Time and time again, you're given opportunities to propose suggestions as to how we improve things without Richards in the team, and time and time again you fail to deliver anything other than a childish, moronic slating of him.

Yous in sport, Rob Jones, Shrewsbury Leisure Leagues 6-a side winner, 2006.

[swiftyboy]

me. Let's all try and score points off each other

[Fray Bentos is God!]

minor faults whilst ignoring any undoubted positive contributions.

Minor faults?

You mean like gifting the opposition a goal? Or like passing the ball out of play? Or giving the ball away from the kick off after their 3rd goal?

Thats no minor faults, that's called being a liability.

A minor fault is having the odd pass go astray, or mistiming a tackle, or slipping - Richards consistently loses the ball and backs out of challenges - and then people come on here wondering why we have such a poor defence?

Try telling your central midfielder he can tackle.

Positive contributions?

You mean being able to hit the target from 20 yards from a dead ball with no one within 10 yards? Fantastic, just a shame football isn't a constant string of endless freekicks, cos Richards would be amazing.

Take away his goals and take away his ability to pass a ball & we'll be screwed. As Phil says, who's going to step up to the mark and make a difference? Taundry? Marshall? Lescott? Not a chance in hell.

You're forgetting the run he went on at Bristol Rovers which led to Grigg's goal. OK, he won't claim any fantasy league points for the assist because the final ball wasn't his, but without that run, we wouldn't have made it into their half!

As I've said time and time again, nobody is claiming that Richards is a world-beater or even that he's an adequate league one footballer. They're just saying that he's the best we have in that position.
Time and time again, you're given opportunities to propose suggestions as to how we improve things without Richards in the team, and time and time again you fail to deliver anything other than a childish, moronic slating of him.

Yous in sport, Rob Jones, Shrewsbury Leisure Leagues 6-a side winner, 2006.

You do realise, you will be written on Phil's wall on his thicko list.

Rob's put it far more eloquently than myself. It's not a case of not wanting better, we all do. But we don't actually have the resources in the club at hand. Taundry? Marshall? Who else?

We just know that Richards is the best of a bad bunch. This is what you fail to realise. Quite bitterly.

[Fray Bentos is God!]

me. Let's all try and score points off each other

Who's scoring points? Unless it's Phil in the bitter weirdo stakes.

If you don't agree with him, you're thick. FACT.

But how many points does an Aldersley 7-a-side cup win get you?

[chestersaddler]

minor faults whilst ignoring any undoubted positive contributions.

Minor faults?

You mean like gifting the opposition a goal? Or like passing the ball out of play? Or giving the ball away from the kick off after their 3rd goal?

Thats no minor faults, that's called being a liability.

A minor fault is having the odd pass go astray, or mistiming a tackle, or slipping - Richards consistently loses the ball and backs out of challenges - and then people come on here wondering why we have such a poor defence?

Try telling your central midfielder he can tackle.

Positive contributions?

You mean being able to hit the target from 20 yards from a dead ball with no one within 10 yards? Fantastic, just a shame football isn't a constant string of endless freekicks, cos Richards would be amazing.

Take away his goals and take away his ability to pass a ball & we'll be screwed. As Phil says, who's going to step up to the mark and make a difference? Taundry? Marshall? Lescott? Not a chance in hell.

You're forgetting the run he went on at Bristol Rovers which led to Grigg's goal. OK, he won't claim any fantasy league points for the assist because the final ball wasn't his, but without that run, we wouldn't have made it into their half!

As I've said time and time again, nobody is claiming that Richards is a world-beater or even that he's an adequate league one footballer. They're just saying that he's the best we have in that position.
Time and time again, you're given opportunities to propose suggestions as to how we improve things without Richards in the team, and time and time again you fail to deliver anything other than a childish, moronic slating of him.

Yous in sport, Rob Jones, Shrewsbury Leisure Leagues 6-a side winner, 2006.

I am ( an adequate L1 defender, not world beater :D ). He would get a game for many a league one team. He would probably thrive in a better midfield. OK he makes some mistakes, but that explains why he plays at this level. At Bristol the other night he probably touched the ball more times than the rest of the midfield combined.

[Fray Bentos is God!]

Then Chester, you're thick.

Sorry mate.

[chestersaddler]

Then Chester, you're thick.

Sorry mate.

I can live with that :D

[Jorge14]

You aren't thick. You're just not at Phil's level. Don't be blue and don't wait for a reply from the man himself.

I hear he's next in line for the England job when he finishes rewriting the Origin of Species.

Now I know why it is called Doctor of Philosophy.

Well how the hell can you say he had a "neat and tidy game" when he was responsible for the first and critical goal that we conceded? It simply doesnt make sense, so yes, it is a sign of being thick.

And Gary, if you can't see how much of a liability he is to the team - you're also thick!

The last 3 games he's had two assists (for the opposition) and one own goal. We'd be far, far better off without such a defensive liability in midfield.

This team needs to sort out it's defending first and foremost, so it's absolutely worthless having a player like Matt Richards who may well score 6 or 7 free kicks a season but is absolutely useless at doing the basic midfield stuff like not giving the ball away in his own sodding half.

But you said that Butler and Westlake were in with a shout of Man of the Match - we conceded two goals from corners from centre backs (surely the job of our centre backs to deal with that?), and Westlake was directly involved in the fourth and their first was scored by Huddersfield's left-winger who had acres to run into. Mistakes happen at this level, and you are right to say that Butler and Westlake had good games. In my opinion, despite Richards being partly at fault for the first (it only becomes a clear-cut chance when the 'keeper doesn't get there and Westlake should have been tighter) he otherwise had a solid, neat and tidy game. He used the ball, on the whole, sensibly and looked to bring the rest of the team in to play. He linked up well with Lescott and Gray, and although I think he lacked effective support from Marshall, Richards was never afraid to work the ball forwards for Macken to hold the ball up. I didn't even mention his goal, which was superb. His contribution yesterday, particularly in the second half, was worthy of note.

You are right to criticise him for his involvement in the first, but I think his performance was generally one of the better on show from either side.

Yours whilst checking his IQ score,

Jorge
xx

[Neuromantic]

As the board psychologist ( :mrgreen: )

I can without doubt say, that Phil has developed an obsessive, borderline-psychotic personality disorder for Matt Richards.

I also think he fancies him.

[Cully]

Mark Wrights statistics for non league Shrewsbury are as follows:-

Top scorer with 10 goals
Most assists - 6
Most shots - 58

Matt Richards statistics for league 1 Walsall:-

Top scorer with 7 goals
Most shots with 43

PhilHutchin's statistics:-
Predictions correct so far - nil
Playing football 'at a high level' - not quantified
Embarrassing posts :- (N -1) where N = PhilHutchin's total posts with the words 'Richards is useless' in it.
Points:- err none!
Total debt:- £50 plus interest* over 3 years

* Geoff 'I'm very busy' Whiting to advise for a small fee.

[Jorge14]

As the board psychologist ( :mrgreen: )

I can without doubt say, that Phil has developed an obsessive, borderline-psychotic personality disorder for Matt Richards.

I also think he fancies him.

I think both can be explained by Richards' baldness.

[Cully]

As the board psychologist ( :mrgreen: )

I can without doubt say, that Phil has developed an obsessive, borderline-psychotic personality disorder for Matt Richards.

I also think he fancies him.

Dear Metfanwy,

I'm very worried about Phil. Are there any treatments other than a frontal labotomy or low-dose clozapine that you could recommend?

Yours hopefully,

Cully

[Magic Man Fan]

Mark Wrights statistics for non league Shrewsbury are as follows:-

Top scorer with 10 goals
Most assists - 6
Most shots - 58

Matt Richards statistics for league 1 Walsall:-

Top scorer with 7 goals
Most shots with 43

PhilHutchin's statistics:-
Predictions correct so far - nil
Playing football 'at a high level' - not quantified
Embarrassing posts :- (N -1) where N = PhilHutchin's total posts with the words 'Richards is useless' in it.
Points:- err none!
Total debt:- £50 plus interest* over 3 years

* Geoff 'I'm very busy' Whiting to advise for a small fee.

:D

Matt Richards was rightly considered MOTM again yesterday, and my opinion counts more than anyone's, due to my playing experience and success.

MMF

Walsall Cub Scouts 5-a-side League winner 1986 (& top scorer)
West Midlands Cub scouts 5-a-side League winner 1986
Walsall Cub Scouts 5-a-side League winner 1987
Walsall District Schools losing league cup finalist 1988 (longdogs may correct me, or add more detail on this :D)

[Jorge14]

Can I have your autograph?

[Pedro]

People slagged Mark Wright off but look how many goals he sets up.

Matt Richards is not the best, but you say he costs us the first goal yesterday, but he then got the vital goal to make it 2-2.

Defence errors cost us yesterday not just Matt Richards error.

I have took Mansfield Town into the prem league and lost in the cup final to Man Untd, I also signed Mark Wright ......... This all on Championship manager of course

[Magic Man Fan]

Can I have your autograph?

Only available framed with photographs of Alumwell School (scene of cub scout triumphs). Yours for £150 and a woggle.

[latviancheese]

I have took Mansfield Town into the prem league and lost in the cup final to Man Untd, I also signed Mark Wright ......... This all on Championship manager of course

He scored past me in the FA cup from about 45 yards :lol:

[Neil Ravenscroft]

People slagged Mark Wright off but look how many goals he sets up.

Matt Richards is not the best, but you say he costs us the first goal yesterday, but he then got the vital goal to make it 2-2.

Defence errors cost us yesterday not just Matt Richards error.

I have took Mansfield Town into the prem league and lost in the cup final to Man Untd, I also signed Mark Wright ......... This all on Championship manager of course

Actually, I had this argument with Phil after the game. Butler was even more at fault for the first goal. He tried to pass the ball to a man in no position to receive it and then messed the pass up so it wasn't even to feet (clearly shown on the tv - and despite Phil saying it was). Richards' main problem is that he should have gone in harder when he lost it (although a foul would have been an automatic yellow). Butler had a complete aberration because he had got away with sidestepping the forward five minutes previously and got cocky. Butler actually apologised to Richards afterwards.

Phil wouldn't know about Richards' goal, as he hadn't got back from the bar.

[chestersaddler]

As the board psychologist ( :mrgreen: )

I can without doubt say, that Phil has developed an obsessive, borderline-psychotic personality disorder for Matt Richards.

I also think he fancies him.

As you have not left "school" yet, does that make you a child psychologist :mrgreen:

[philthesaddler]

Neil, you are wrong.

Butler messed up the pass so that it wasn't even to feet

Err, no he didn't. Which video are you watching?

As you can see from the sequence of images below, Butler plays a very neat pass straight to Richards feet. Richards then contrives to give the ball away in his own half - a carnal sin for a midfielder - and in doing so, fails to make a challenge. You are wrong. Butler didnt apologise for the pass, if you scroll the video on further you see him turn to Richards and ask what the heck he was doing.

You can bum Richards all you like but he is a liability - I've been saying it for ages, and only idiots like yourself are fooled by his freekicks. Want to know why our goals against column is so bad? Look below, our star midfielder has the ball at his feet and loses it. Enough said.








[moderated for swear filter avoidance. Further editing of moderator's comments will result in a ban - user was banned for 24hrs for further editing of moderator comments.]

[morethanuknow]

richards should not of even tried to control the ball marshall made a perfect run in front of him and richards should of slipped him with his first touch but i feel that this lets richards down because if you are playing centre mid you would of seen marshalls run before receiving the ball
but great freekick
mind you some on here will blame marshall for not showing for the ball but yet marshall as made a nice run but the lad gets slaughtered for richards inability to see the run
iam not knocking richards i blame our keeper and defence
butler as said the 1st goal was hes fault

[cal's a saddler]

I don't believe you can actually go and find the footage to show the error Phil!!!!!!!
For goodness sake get a life!
There are other members of the squad who make errors, don't play well, make the wrong decisions and don't play well but do you constantly groan and moan at them and pinpoint every error they make? No you don't.
I don't usually get so wound up but your obsession with blaming Richards for everything is even beginning to annoy me now. For goodness sake shut up.

[swiftyboy]

I don't believe you can actually go and find the footage to show the error Phil!!!!!!!
For goodness sake get a life!
There are other members of the squad who make errors, don't play well, make the wrong decisions and don't play well but do you constantly groan and moan at them and pinpoint every error they make? No you don't.
I don't usually get so wound up but your obsession with blaming Richards for everything is even beginning to annoy me now. For goodness sake shut up.

What about the obsession from people on here who constantly try to prove Phil wrong?

[DanWalsallFC]

I don't believe you can actually go and find the footage to show the error Phil!!!!!!!
For goodness sake get a life!
There are other members of the squad who make errors, don't play well, make the wrong decisions and don't play well but do you constantly groan and moan at them and pinpoint every error they make? No you don't.
I don't usually get so wound up but your obsession with blaming Richards for everything is even beginning to annoy me now. For goodness sake shut up.

What about the obsession from people on here who constantly try to prove Phil wrong?

Which is caused by the obsession of Phil being an absolute plank.
It's actually become quite stupid that he blames every last thing on Richards, and Richards alone.

[philthesaddler]

Dan, I dont blame everything on Richards, far from it.

What I have a problem with is people who get fooled by his free kick taking, like Neil, and like Jorge, and then come on here and say Richards had a "neat and tidy" game - who then go and publish this absolute rubbish, and create a mini fan club of sheep who don't really understand the game.

Neil said that the TV replay clearly showed Andy Butler messing up the pass to Richards, thus blaming Butler - but when you actually look at the replay, it clearly shows Butler played a very neat and tidy pass to Richards who contrived to lose it. So you decide who to believe - me, who said it was Richards fault, and was proved right, or Neil, who said it was Butlers fault, who I've proved was just talking out of his anus.

People on here are so blinded by the fact Richards scores a few goals that they simply refuse to see the blatent inadequacies in his game. The big problem in the WFC team at the moment is the shocking defence, we concede far too many, so the last thing you want is a central midfielder who consistently gives the ball away cheaply and does sod all to get it back.

If Taundry had given the ball away like in the pictures earlier in the thread, he'd have been like a terrier at the players feet, trying to get the ball back. What did Richards do? He didnt put a challenge in and just jogged back.

[Magic Man Fan]

I don't believe you can actually go and find the footage to show the error Phil!!!!!!!
For goodness sake get a life!
There are other members of the squad who make errors, don't play well, make the wrong decisions and don't play well but do you constantly groan and moan at them and pinpoint every error they make? No you don't.
I don't usually get so wound up but your obsession with blaming Richards for everything is even beginning to annoy me now. For goodness sake shut up.

What about the obsession from people on here who constantly try to prove Phil wrong?

Which is caused by the obsession of Phil being an absolute plank.
It's actually become quite stupid that he blames every last thing on Richards, and Richards alone.

Correct. Before Richards, it was Wright. After Richards it will be someone else.

The fact is when Phil doesn't like someone because they wear the wrong colour boots or they're a Gemini star sign, every loose pass, every missed chance, every goalkeeping error, global warming and rising fuel prices will be blamed on that current hate figure for 90 minutes. No one else will be blamed for everything and 7 days of personal and work frustration is vented at one person. Anyone of us could sit next to Phil at a match and point out everything good that Richards does and someone else would get credit, and at the same time we could point out all the bad things other players do and there would be an excuse for that. No wonder opinions are not taken seriously.

The reason swifty sticks up for Phil, is because they both have the same obsessive, tunnel visioned thoughts about Bonser. Peas in a pod. You can't see the wider picture in a pod.