Yeovil Town (A) League 1 Saturday 12/3/11,

[latviancheese]

Get stuck in lads, thats what i like to hear.

[SaigonSaddler]

Butler and Ledesma have lost the plot.

[SaigonSaddler]

OMG!!!

[StudentSaddler]

game over, 1-1

[SaigonSaddler]

A very, very, very lucky point.

Having said that Ledesma could have won it. :?

Still alive!

[latviancheese]

Doesnt do us much good, but a defeat would have been a killer.

[Duke]

finished 1-1 could have been a lot worse ,on a positive note we are showing plenty of fight and spirit .

We live to fight another day .

[King Crimson]

finished 1-1 could have been a lot worse ,on a positive note we are showing plenty of fight and spirit .

We live to fight another day .

Yep. When you're near the foot of the table, you take what you can, when you can. Other results by no means disastrous. I just fear that we're running out of games.

Up The Saddlers!

[Magic Man Fan]

Quality choice of song from Yeovil played on the tannoy at the end.....Noah & The Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. :lol:

[boringteacher]

probably not enough, but at least we didn't chuck it in like we would have done under our best management team ever.

[ShropsSaddler]

Putting aside our performance and the fact that we could really have done with a win, results have gone pretty well today really. Plymouth, Bristol R and Tranmere all lost and the best result we could have asked for was a draw at Swindon in my opinion.
Oh, and Oldham lost and failed to score again....still thinking they're going to go into admin before the end of the season, in which case they'd be on the same points as us right now and playing abysmally.

[ShropsSaddler]

Nope, MOG, I've heard nothing locally either. Just based my hunch on the language used by the club when they failed to pay the wages...not the usual standard "just a temporary cash flow shortage" but in fact one club official said "who knows what's going to happen"!!

Hmmm, having just done the BBC predictor, I don't think it will matter. 10 pts would see Oldham finish bottom, but we'd still be in the relegation positions. Ah well, live in hope.

[Registered Saddler]

Performance that looked like relegation. Dean Smith called it 'unacceptable' which is fair - and I'm glad he sees it that way - but he was partly to blame for a baffling formation that left the midfield chasing shadows. You expect that from Taundry (who was truly hopeless) but they were all at it today. Macken battled to little effect, Gray started brightly then faded and Westlake & Butler turned in good displays in the circumstances. Ref was the worst i've seen in some time and totally lost the plot at the end. Ledesma should have scored his chance after excellent work from Byfield - and it definitely didn't cross the line. So I'll take a point; having seen most of our relegation rivals we can rest in the knowledge that they're every bit as bad as we are. We can't all go down! Oh, and the fans were in good voice which made it fun.

[chestersaddler]

Awful performance today against a very poor side whose finishing, fortunately, was lamentable.

It goes to show how important Richards is to us. For the first half an hour he was dire and so were Walsall. Taundry was his usual self, contributing virtually nothing, and with Nicholls in the starting line up and Gbarssin still not sure of where he is supposed to be playing, it's not surprising that we were overrun in early stages. I lost count of the times we needlessly conceded possesion or were second best to the 50:50's

When we did get forward we looked OK with Gray and Williams on the left hand side and Macken working hard in the middle.

The second half was a little better, especially once Smith made the changes (2 of which were enforced). It was still pretty hopeless though.

Ledesma should have scored his golden opportunity after great work from Byfield (and it was not even a debate on whether it was over the line, it bounced nearer to the 6 yard line), but again was a complete tart -just bloody get on with it :evil:

We lost our discipline towards the end and how Butler stayed on is beyond me.

The right side is very weak with Taundry and Westlake. Taundry seems incapable of taking the ball on the outside of his man, somethingg that his marker works out very quickly (or maybe already knows). Therefore, there are no crosses coming in from that side of the field.

I may feel more optimistic after a decent night's sleep, but at the moment I am fearful unless Smith changes things round, for example, start with Byfield and leave Taundry out.

I imagine that the Yeovil fans leaving the ground would have been cursing their players for not beating us today.

Good support as RS wrote. Pleasantly surprised at the turnout.

UTS

[Lone Striker]

Poor game and not difficult to see why both teams are struggling. To be level at half time was a bonus as they had missed at least 5 really good goalscoring opportunities, against out two shots, the one from Gray that the keeper saved resulting in the corner that we scored from. The system first half was strange, not sure what Taundry's role was, Gbarrsin looked lost and Richards had another poor game. Nicholls spent most time wide left and was completely anonymous and Gray wide right never really creating anything, we did look really poor. Second half despite a few changes of player and system we just did not look like scoring and the game just got worse culminating in Butler getting involved with one of their players to receive a yellow card, then went straight through their player in an aeriel challenge that was reckless, should have seen red and if he had I suggest relegation would have been guaranteed as again he was our best performer on the day and is becoming key to our team, having him suspended would be a massive loss. Having said how poor we were we then get the chance to win the game when Byfield creates a chance for Ledesmma who should have scored but hits the bar when it did look easier to score.

Games now running out and we keep playing the same players in every game who keep producing the same below par performances,a recipe that will get us relegated. We still have hope but when you witness 90 minutes like today getting 50 points does appear a long way off.

[Magic Man Fan]

It goes to show how important Richards is to us. For the first half an hour he was dire and so were Walsall.

Problem is, he's been like that for the last few games since Gill left.

[acfmt]

The right hand side of the team really is a problem that i don't think can be put right from within the squad that we have. i didn't go today but it just seems that Nicholls and Taundry have a few games there and it is just alternated between the two of them. Neither of them gives us much there, taundry is just a trier whose positional sense just isn't there, as for Nicholls he is just a woeful player who also doesn't know how to play the position. If only we could get Devaney back for the rest of the season, if we could then at least we would have a threat from both sides of the pitch and be a little less predictable.

[DanWalsallFC]

It goes to show how important Richards is to us. For the first half an hour he was dire and so were Walsall.

Problem is, he's been like that for the last few games since Gill left.

I'd say the last 2 games he has been dire, not since Gill left, and he was doing well before Gill came.

[chestersaddler]

It goes to show how important Richards is to us. For the first half an hour he was dire and so were Walsall.

Problem is, he's been like that for the last few games since Gill left.

I'd say the last 2 games he has been dire, not since Gill left, and he was doing well before Gill came.

I agree. Sometimes, being the only option can be counter-productive. After 40 games, it could be argued that Richards could do with a rest, yet he, along with Butler and Walker will be the first names on the sheet every week.

With respect to Gill, although he didn't set the world alight, he was quietly effective and seemed to give the midfield the balance it needs. Something not seen this season, either before he arrived, or since he has left.

[Duke]

Fair play to Smith he made the change at half time , and by all accounts we defended a lot better throughout the second period .,

Do share everyone concerns about the midfield .

[morethanuknow]

to me it felt that when we beat southampton we had turned the corner and at last found how to win 1 nil but since froggy as come in we have been shocking or is that harsh on froggy.
he came in after the southampton game or is it deans fault.

[morethanuknow]

richards set them up twice yesterday he put em clean through if they had a finisher richards probably would for the first time been brought off.thank god they coudnt finish and i dont beleive he should be bomb proof

[JackoSaddler]

Lucky not to lose that, but Ledesma could have won it at the end. I suppose our luck last week with Swindon hitting the crossbar in the dying minutes turn against us.
Midfield was useless. Richards has not played well since Gill has left, and that Gbrassin cannot pass for his life.
Westlake played better than he did on Tuesday, still week though.

Oh, and if Alex Nicholls is playing in a Walsall shirt next season (whatever division we are in) i will be fuming.
With Ledesma coming in, he should be working hard for his place. Leave him on the bench, he is utterly useless, At least Taudz works hard and runs around a bit.

[King Crimson]

richards set them up twice yesterday he put em clean through if they had a finisher richards probably would for the first time been brought off.thank god they coudnt finish and i dont beleive he should be bomb proof

You did believe that Gill was "easy to replace" though.

[morethanuknow]

gills last game for us we was cack ,we beat southhampton without gill so i dont buy into that richards is cack without gill.richards as been dire in the last 4 or 5 games and i do think
gill was replacable but dean went and got a player that you and other fans said we needed but his record suggested he was a poor player and i feel we have gone backwards since dean
brought in froggy and played him in 3 crucial games in walsalls recent history.personaly i blame the manager richards should be dropped because hes not getting any better and froggy
is poor so if we can lets look at the loan market but until then we have to try something else quick.

[morethanuknow]

anyway queen crimson seeing as you are as usual being confrontational what do you think about richards setting them up twice yesterday do you feel he should be dropped.i feel deans got a tough shout because when the match sponsers are giving im motm for being poo it doesnt help dean

[morethanuknow]

can i ask you this every fan knows we have had a poor midfield all season.richarsds as played every minute of every game in midfield so why as he avoided the chop.we blame every body else who plays there other than him.fans say richards as gone poo since the frog as come ,so they blame richards being dire on the frog or they say because such aplayer played alongside richards he had a bad game through the other player.anyway i feel its too late to sought it out now weve had all season to sought it out and we are no further on.

[King Crimson]

anyway queen crimson seeing as you are as usual being confrontational what do you think about richards setting them up twice yesterday do you feel he should be dropped.i feel deans got a tough shout because when the match sponsers are giving im motm for being poo it doesnt help dean

Oo! 'Ark at 'er! "Queen Crimson"? How very dare you! What's "confrontational" about reminding you what you posted a couple of weeks ago? Namely, that Gill's departure was no great loss and that we could replace him easily. Others on this thread, not me until now, have merely had the audacity to point out that Gill did the simple things well (and he chipped in with a couple of goals too) while he was here. I'd agree with them, and add that our midfield looks a pale imitation of what it was only a few weeks ago. Yes, we beat Southampton without him, but the world and his wife know that we were battered that game and snuck it through a defensive error on their part. Hardly a vindication of our ability to manage without him, is it?

Do I think we should drop Richards? No. Several reasons, and I'll take this verrrrryyyyy, verrrrrrrryyyyyyyy, slowwwwwwwwly for you:
a) Form is temporary, class is permanent: He is not playing as well as he has, but over the course of the season he has been one of our consistently strongest performers. He has a footballing brain, and a decent enough touch, which makes up for his inadequacies (pace being the biggest absence in his game). His touch has eluded him of late, but it won't return with him bench-warming.
b) We have scored three goals in our last half dozen games. Proposing to drop the player who is both our leading goalscorer and leading provider of goals may not be decision-making of Mourinho-esque standards!
c) We are in a relegation dog-fight. Here, we're beginning to see some younger players beginning to buckle under the pressure: most notably Westlake, but Nicholls too is floundering and even Lancashire is starting to wobble (Taundry and Marshall as our other younger players, I'll come on to later). Almost everyone in football will claim that a few "experienced heads" in the dressing room are invaluable. Richards, even at 25, falls into this category given the number of first team appearances he's made in his career.
d) We drop Richards and replace him with....? When you claimed Gill was "easily replaceable", I asked you to source me a player from the multitude on Soccerbase who would be suitable. You didn't. If the replacement is one of our own players, these are the choices:
Taundry - almost universally regarded as little better than hopeless, he's scored no goals this season, contributed next to nothing, and left Westlake totally exposed game after game recently when he's been played in front of him on the right. Both goals from Orient came from this area of the pitch. Given that being 'solid' is about the only claim to being a footballer he has (except perhaps for nearly being able to take a long throw), he's hardly suggested that he's the answer to our midfield problems.
Marshall - whom you described as a player destined for the Championship, but is mostly described by others on here and at games in a way that, were I to repeat it, would see my post moderated. Inexperienced, lacking in confidence, and no genuine signs that he has the footballing ability or mental strength to enter a relegation battle in the most combative part of the pitch with gusto.
Geddes - out on loan.
Erm, that's it. Unless your plan is to stick "Big Mac", Manny Smith, or Darren Byfield in the middle?
So, I'm assuming you're after another loanee. This would be to stick alongside our current loanee (played two games) in the middle, to add to our new striker/winger in Ladesma, and our new full-back in Williams. And presumably they're all supposed to gel and produce ticcy-taccy football for the end-of-season run-in?
e) I wasn't going to mention the numerous 'Man of the Match's Richards has won - but seeing as you did, and the fact that he is, as you say, one of the first names on the team sheet. Both of these facts may suggest that others (most importantly the manager) don't see things quite as you do, despite your username.

Now, if you can secure us Xabi Alonso on loan for a few weeks, or perhaps even someone as average as Frank Lampard, you may have a case for dropping Richards. If you're thinking of an 'in-house' solution - forget it. If it's a loanee, do what you didn't do when asked about Gill, and tell us all who.

Best wishes
Queen Crimson
xx

[belgiansaddler]

He'll never manage to read all that Queen :mrgreen:

[Registered Saddler]

Now, if you can secure us ... even someone as average as Frank Lampard, you may have a case for dropping Richards.

Oh don't be so ridiculous. I'm not a huge Richards fan but even he's better than that waste of space. By the way, there is no point in arguing with a fan that can't even be bothered to learn one of our own players names, instead using a xenophobic sobriquet. Perhaps we can start referring to Darren Byfield as 'blackie' too? Depressingly, almost every criticism of Gbarssin that I heard yesterday took the form 'you French XXXX'.