Lincoln City (H) F A Cup First Round Reply Tuesday 13/11/12

[4143]

Can someone tell me a foolproof way to evade the swear filter so that I can vent my spleen on all the onanists who are currently masquerading as Walsall Football Club (that has clearly been abducted by aliens and sent to Pluto or somewhere further away, like Bilston)? :evil:

Contrary to popular belief, you can swear all you like on UTS, and you can also switch off the filter. You just can't try to avoid the filter.

To turn off the filter:
User Control Panel > Board Preferences > Edit Display Options > Enable Word Censoring "off" > Submit

[Dave Gittins]

I am so glad I chose not to go tonight. I had updates from a very fed up friend in the ground and had WM on (live commentary no less). How much lower can this club go?

The annoying thing is that about 8 weeks ago we were playing some of the best football we had for years, now the confidence has gone and we sinking fast

[mossa]

The last 4-5 games we have been shocking and i'm not surprised by this result at all. The key to finding out a good long term manager isn't just instant results it's also when his team go through a shocking spell and seeing how the manager reacts. Smith hasn't got a clue, he doesn't seem to know who to play and is making blindinly obvious mistakes. People on here who are calling for his head are wasting there time. I see no way how he will be sacked in the next year minimum. So at best we are stuck with him for at least a year. The decision to give him a 2 year extension will go done as 1 of the biggest mistakes the club has made. Questions I like to ask Smith at the moment are
1- Why has Ashley Hemmings gone from looking like a dangerous player at the start of the season to an ineffective player recently?
2- What on earth possesed you to start the season with only 3 young inexperienced stikers, 2 young strikers both of which hadn't shown they were both capable at this level and 1 other striker who didn't make much of an impact in league 2 and hasn't scored for a few years.
3- When plan A was working did you not consider that we might need a plan B at some point like we do now. Why wasn't a target man signed for when we needed this (nearly all lower league teams have at least 1)
4-Why are you still picking Grof when his confidence is shot and we have a club legend on the bench who knows how to organise a defence.

[TWM1962]

Very very upset. I cannot say anything without going in to great depth and going mental. I will not spend any of my hard worked cash on this dross as long as this club is managed by ----- !! Cheers to all WFC players who I felt honoured to watch and the supporters sawhorses also got value for money. I will not be back for along time.

[Darth Vader]

As the bloke next to us said, "these lot couldn't piss a nappy."

Smith out. Had enough.

[oldimpsfan]

That's a famous victory for us and we really have not had that many in our very long history. Our Trophy cupboard has contained only cobwebs for many years. I understand the emotions of the home supporters very well because, in recent seasons, they have been broadly shared by our own supporters. Our disappearance from the Football League was particularly painful because all we had to do was to win ONE of our remaining 12 matches to stay up. We failed to do that and, broadly, that was thanks to a set of players who clearly did not give a wotsit for the badge on the shirt they were playing in. Their failure did not matter to them.

Not only that but, more importantly to me, they also didn't care from a professional point of view given that most of them then were earning far more than the daft souls buying the season tickets and hoping against hope on behalf of the club. No doubt most of you also share some of those emotions - BUT, you are still in the Football League and I am sure that is where you will remain.

So it is a bad night for you and a great night for us. It can be argued - and probably will be - that the success of the Imps tonight was down to poor play on your part as much as wonderful play on our part. But there was something much more important on show tonight from a Lincoln perspective - our heads did not drop when you equalised in the 81st minute. We kept going.

Where we do meet, I think, is worrying that the players are "not that concerned". That has been the story of our recent history. I doubt there is anyone in our team (and only one or two) on more than £800 a week and MANY are on considerably less than that because the vast majority are rejects - rejects from some in our Division and occasionally rejects from clubs in lower divisions than us. Rejects who couldn't get a game anywhere else in many cases or were confined to the subs bench.

Tonight they are temporarily heroes and what our Manager (who is also on very little money has achieved is to weld this bunch of "misfits and unwanteds" into a TEAM who, compared with League One clubs are short on skill (otherwise they wouldn't be playing in our Division) but are big on HEART.

I think I would have posted the same had you won 3-2 because we would have given you a game which, after 60 years of supporting the Imps, is all I ask. I can take losses on the chin very easily provided the team give everything and never give up.

We did that tonight and won. We will do that again and lose. That's okay by me.

I do understand your pain but you are still in League One and hopefully it will be a wake up call for the Manager/Players/Chairman. I am of course delighted but my ambition remains to see my club out of the God Awful Conference Premier. In your misery remember you aren't in that.

Every good wish to you Saddlers for the rest of the season. Usual daft words: it's your club so Keep The Faith, hard though that is on many, many occasions.

The players, the Manager, the Chairman/Owners come and go. Only we fans are the constant.

[Bernie]

Congratulations to Lincoln, but they won by default. They are a poor Blue Square Premier team, and played like that throughout - but we never looked as if we had the beating of them.

Is there anyone left who denies that Smith is a useless manager who should be sacked?

[m&m]

After saying I was not going tonight I actually did attend.What a mistake.Taundry's equaliser mean't another 30 mins of hell.

My next match will be Coventry away as it will be a new ground --no other reason.Throughly embarrassed and ashamed to be a Walsall fan tonight.

As we are heading for oblivion it's better it happens sooner rather than later.This well run club is the next Lincoln/Stockport.

Smith out --IDIOT!

[Exile]

So much for footballing DNA. Playing like we've got an extra chromosome.

[saddlertd]

We'm cack, that's all there is to it. 11 games without a win, including 2 vs a mid-table BSP club - pathetic. I would give Smith 3 more games to turn it around, 3 year contract or not. It's glaringly obvious that half the team should be dropped. We need a new keeper, a dominant centre-half, a decent winger and a big striker at the very minimum and quick. Tippy-tappy football aint getting us anywhere. We need some pace and strength in the team, oh and some bottle, and that includes the management team. This run reminds me of that 16-game losing streak in the old 2nd Division when we never looked like winning - I just can't see where the next win is coming from now.

[Salop Saddler]

Congratulations to Lincoln, but they won by default. They are a poor Blue Square Premier team, and played like that throughout - but we never looked as if we had the beating of them.

Is there anyone left who denies that Smith is a useless manager who should be sacked?

I'm told, on a regular basis by some on here, it isn't Smiths fault, but in fact the fault of those known as 'stayaways'. And it is the same 'stayaways' who are responsible for the various ill's from which Jeff Bonsers Walsall are currently suffering.

[oldimpsfan]

Congratulations to Lincoln, but they won by default. They are a poor Blue Square Premier team, and played like that throughout - but we never looked as if we had the beating of them.

Is there anyone left who denies that Smith is a useless manager who should be sacked?

I think that a tad harsh. I don't think we are currently a poor BSP side but we are certainly only at that level. If our players could be at a higher level than us they wouldn't be playing for Lincoln City and, without being disrespectful, the same applies to Walsall and any other League One clubs surely? You are a much higher level than us. I always regard League One (a marketing ploy) as the Third Division although League One sounds better I agree.

I certainly know that we are only a Conference side and that our level of skill is far below clubs in League One. But we are not that bad although only by Conference standards.

[WelshWalsallBen]

Yea well done to Lincoln good luk in next round and hope u get 2 3rd round and get a Prem Team.

As 4 us to think I drove from Wales. Utter shambles not gonna single out 1 player from the GK to the striker we were shocking.
If we don't get players in were down before April. And thats me being kind.

As for Smith out campaign which is gathering pace. I can't see him being sacked just yet. Think the board have got to back him with some sort of signings. Then maybe look at it again January. Personally would let him bring people in

Gamble did say this

A Managers future will allways be dictated by results on the pitch. But Dean can now begin to plan for the remainder of the season and beyond in the knowledge that he has the clubs full backing and resources to be able to do this.

Time to back Smith in the market Stefan. Back him or sack him don't do neither think thats my worst fear tonight.

[4143]

So much for footballing DNA. Playing like we've got an extra chromosome.

When's potato coming back?

[Sadders]

Close to giving in. Never seen a team so capable of taking inept to another level. Never been in Smith out camp like I was Hutchings, Mullen or Merson - but do the right thing now please Dean, and resign. We have a woeful budget and squad, how can we rectify that? A cup run. Home to non league Lincoln, with a 2nd round tie vs 2 other non-league sides - professional teams (like MK Dons & Tranmere tonight) get the job done and get a 3rd round draw.

Now we're even more stuck in the turd with this pile of garbage. If we take more than a coach full to Crawley it'l be a miracle.

[WelshWalsallBen]

After saying I was not going tonight I actually did attend.What a mistake.Taundry's equaliser mean't another 30 mins of hell.

My next match will be Coventry away as it will be a new ground --no other reason.Throughly embarrassed and ashamed to be a Walsall fan tonight.

As we are heading for oblivion it's better it happens sooner rather than later.This well run club is the next Lincoln/Stockport.

Smith out --IDIOT!

Next games for me

Away Cov
Home Hartlepool

If we loose to Hartlepool we will really be stuffed

[pumajaguar]

Thankfully I play football on Tuesday nights so I was spared the temptation of wasting my money on our bunch of no-hopers.

I really cant see us getting out of this rut. Last season we could rely on a very solid defence, this year our defence is utter tripe and much of that is down to persisting with a clearly rubbish goalkeeper in my opinion.

Without Cuvellier we pose no threat going forwards what so ever. Bowerman is our top scorer but Smith doesn't seem to rate him for some bizzare reason.

Hopefully they will man enough to admit they are utter crap at the moment and need to improve, but I wouldn't be suprised to hear more, we were unluckly, the sun was in our eyes, we should have had a penalty, teams score good goals against us bullshit!! :evil:

[Whitters]

Congratulations to Lincoln, but they won by default. They are a poor Blue Square Premier team, and played like that throughout - but we never looked as if we had the beating of them.

Is there anyone left who denies that Smith is a useless manager who should be sacked?

I think that a tad harsh. I don't think we are currently a poor BSP side but we are certainly only at that level. If our players could be at a higher level than us they wouldn't be playing for Lincoln City and, without being disrespectful, the same applies to Walsall and any other League One clubs surely? You are a much higher level than us. I always regard League One (a marketing ploy) as the Third Division although League One sounds better I agree.

I certainly know that we are only a Conference side and that our level of skill is far below clubs in League One. But we are not that bad although only by Conference standards.

We're all a bit down and saying stuff we shouldn't.
We're not big time charlies at all and I congratulate your team for not being beaten by a team 2 divisions above you.
Well done, hope you beat Mansfield and get someone really big in Round 3.

[oldimpsfan]

I fully understand the feelings of Saddlers on here. Losing to Carshalton (or giving up v Carshalton) a while ago provoked remarkably similar messages on the Imps forum.

[IHTC.]

Congratulations to Lincoln, but they won by default. They are a poor Blue Square Premier team, and played like that throughout - but we never looked as if we had the beating of them.

Is there anyone left who denies that Smith is a useless manager who should be sacked?

I think that a tad harsh. I don't think we are currently a poor BSP side but we are certainly only at that level. If our players could be at a higher level than us they wouldn't be playing for Lincoln City and, without being disrespectful, the same applies to Walsall and any other League One clubs surely? You are a much higher level than us. I always regard League One (a marketing ploy) as the Third Division although League One sounds better I agree.

I certainly know that we are only a Conference side and that our level of skill is far below clubs in League One. But we are not that bad although only by Conference standards.

Ignore Bernie, won by default? What a load of bollocks the best team won and to be fair it should never have gone to a replay. All the best and I hope you get to the 3rd round and are rewarded with a lucrative draw.

[mel58]

Well done to Lincoln who, whatever the standard of their play, were better than us over two matches. They showed enthusiasm, cohesion and team spirit - three attributes which Dean Smith doesn't appear to be able to develop in our squad.

No matter how low we have sunk we still seem to be able to deepen the hole.

Bizarre decisions to take off Brandy and Taundry - both had decent games in the context of what was going on around them. Taundry was awarded MOTM by the sponsors but no presentation took place as, according to Roy Whalley, the players were still in the Dressing Room and voices were being raised. Benning had another good game too.
The idea that we don't need a big man up front to lead the line is increasingly given the lie by the now regular tactic of throwing Butler up there in the second half.

Poor display by Grof again - his decision-making is non-existant. He's like a shot-stopping Jonny Brain at the moment. All three goals against were poor but the second, where their player, unmarked, glanced a header in from a corner and the third, where it seems Chambers under-hit a back-pass to Grof who, as is his way, came out half-heartedly for it and got nowhere near, were truly awful.

Our second goal came on the stroke of the end of extra-time when the ball was deemed to have gone over the line following on from a free-kick, despite their keeper protesting it hadn't.

This particular footballing Titanic appears to be rapidly running out of deck-chairs to shuffle!

[derbysaddler]

I hope you beat Mansfield anyway, they're really fudge weird up there

[Pedagogue]

There was an air of inevitability about tonight. A gutless board of directors who won't stand up to the club's owner and demand that he does something about the free-fall that the club finds itself in - or else offer their own resignations and go public on the reasons. Relegation looms large and I fear that we will be joining Lincoln within a couple of years.

I admire what DS and RO are trying to achieve. However, the absence of a Plan B, now that opposing teams have rumbled us, will prove our downfall. We do not have a single attacking player who can head a ball (the defenders aren't much better!). What would we give for another Tony Richards, George Kirby, George Andrews or a Randy Camel? Any of those would have destroyed the Lincoln central defence tonight. We are so small and lightweight that Snow White would be a more appropriate choice as manager!

Much has been made of the goalkeeping position. It is easy to see why Grof was released on a free transfer by both Hibs and Notts County but he was probably the only 'keeper that we could afford.. His self-confidence is shot through and his performances are beyond a joke. Time to get a decent 'keeper in on loan, such as Luke Daniels from the Tesco Bagladies. In the meantime, another ex-free transfer from Notts County will have to don the 'keeper's jersey (if he can still fit in it! :D ) - desperate times indeed.

The only plus from recent games has been the emergence of Benning/Denning/Banning/Benign. He should have won MotM tonight, rather than Taundry.

[IHTC.]

There was an air of inevitability about tonight. A gutless board of directors who won't stand up to the club's owner and demand that he does something about the free-fall that the club finds itself in - or else offer their own resignations and go public on the reasons. Relegation looms large and I fear that we will be joining Lincoln within a couple of years.

I admire what DS and RO are trying to achieve. However, the absence of a Plan B, now that opposing teams have rumbled us, will prove our downfall. We do not have a single attacking player who can head a ball (the defenders aren't much better!). What would we give for another Tony Richards, George Kirby, George Andrews or a Randy Camel? Any of those would have destroyed the Lincoln central defence tonight. We are so small and lightweight that Snow White would be a more appropriate choice as manager!

Much has been made of the goalkeeping position. It is easy to see why Grof was released on a free transfer by both Hibs and Notts County but he was probably the only 'keeper that we could afford.. His self-confidence is shot through and his performances are beyond a joke. Time to get a decent 'keeper in on loan, such as Luke Daniels from the Tesco Bagladies. In the meantime, another ex-free transfer from Notts County will have to don the 'keeper's jersey (if he can still fit in it! :D ) - desperate times indeed.

The only plus from recent games has been the emergence of Benning/Denning/Banning/Benign. He should have won MotM tonight, rather than Taundry.

Looks like he could be a useful winger as he seems to have pace and abit of trickery

[oldimpsfan]

I do know that Lincoln studied your use of the back pass to your keeper. Whether that made any difference to the goal concerned I have no idea.

[belgiansaddler]

I do know that Lincoln studied your use of the back pass to your keeper. Whether that made any difference to the goal concerned I have no idea.

well done fella, good luck in next round.

[Chapin]

We deservedly lost to a Lincoln team who made the most of their limited ability. Very direct but the front two made life difficult for Butler and particularly Holden. They had good support from midfield and defended in depth.

We were woeful, devoid of ideas and effort. Grof's performance in the first 20 minutes showed why the defence have no confidence in him. And for a keeper of his height he fails to command his 6 yard box. Can anyone remember the last time he caught a corner?
James Chambers did ok but going forward offers less than Purkiss. Benning had a steady game, pity he seems reluctant to kick a ball with his right foot.
Taundry proved again he is not a wide midfielder. Not really sure how he gets a game. Featherstone struggles when there is no movement off the ball. Countless times he was looking for a pass and no one was moving into space or off their man. Adam Chambers at least made some forward runs but no real end result. Patterson looked as if he didn't care when wide left but suddenly got interested when playing just behind the front two. Brandy put in a good shift and certainly tried. Pity the same can't be said of Bowerman who seems a shadow of the player of two months ago.

I would have taken Bowerman off earlier and it would have been interesting to see how Brandy could react to the flick ons Williams managed. Hemmings has shown a bit more interest in his last two substitute appearances. Surprised Jones was used rather than Baxendale.

We really have messed things up. We had a great chance to make the 3rd round which would have put a few pound in the kitty and given the fans and the players a bit of a lift.

Like others have said if Smith has any integrity he should do the honourable thing and walk with a token settlement. The last few performances are proving he is somewhat out of his depth.

[Graydon48]

I do know that Lincoln studied your use of the back pass to your keeper. Whether that made any difference to the goal concerned I have no idea.

[kevin]

I do know that Lincoln studied your use of the back pass to your keeper. Whether that made any difference to the goal concerned I have no idea.

Well edited to whichever mod cleaned up the response from Graydon 48 , and apologies from UTS to OldImpsfan.


However, I can't agree with OldImsfan's earlier quote ie..........


."..thanks to a set of players who clearly did not give a wotsit for the badge on the shirt they were playing in. Their failure did not matter to them.

Not only that but, more importantly to me, they also didn't care from a professional point of view given that most of them then were earning far more than the daft souls buying the season tickets and hoping against hope on behalf of the club."


The likes of Walsall and Lincoln players ain't minted like some of the prem players, who can just jack it in and not have a financial care in the world.

Most of them must know,that outside football ,they are unlikely to be rewarded better.

I honestly believe , 99% of players in the third division and below, are giving their best, but
for whatever reason ( ability, coaching, tactics, management, whatever )............. this is their lot.

[PeruSaddler]

No point calling for Deano to go, he's just been handed a two and a half year contract by a board that had watched us fail to win in (was it) eight games - now eleven. What other club would have done that at such a time? The contract should have gone in the desk drawer for a few weeks to see how things progressed, but too late now. The only way now is to back Deano with cash, but we all know that JB won't do that, so IMHO we're in for a rough and embarrassing ride in the coming weeks and months.

Mayday, Mayday, SOS, come in someone, we are sinking fast! :oops:

Bournemouth?