Leyton Orient (A) F.A.Cup 2nd round Sat 7th Dec, 3pm

[latviancheese]

In truth the only difference in the game today is the post, bad luck, and the fact an Orient player decided to have a shot.

Subs killed us off, Baxendale, Sawyers and Hewitt all useless. He took the best midfielder off for Sawyers, left Chambers on, who looked useless today.

Cant moan about strikers, don't think we created one chance after the first ten minutes. Our wide players are very poor in some games. Hit and miss.

We stopped them from doing much, they stopped us from doing anything. Crap game, im glad i wasnt one of the few who spent a fair few quid going down there. Fair play to them.

Mooney should get a five game ban for his flying foot. Scunthorpe.

[BrightonSaddler]

We need a striker you grey haired scrooge. :evil:

[hullsaddler]

Sounds like Downing missed a sitter in the last few seconds. Disappointing

[Coventry_Saddler]

WE NEED A STRIKER

[DavidWFC2010]

We need a striker you grey haired scrooge. :evil:

We need a midfielder who can supply a strikers rather than have long range efforts. Mantom failed to supply Westcarr and Lalkovic a few times today and if he'd have put them through once then it could have been a different story.

[tinned]

Sounds like Downing missed a sitter in the last few seconds. Disappointing

I'd have backed myself to put it away. The zip to our game seems to have almost entirely disappeared.

[Sadders]

Rinse and repeat everything from the last few weeks. Downing should have buried that at the end and Westcarr should have had a shot instead of falling over. Meh.

Season will drift into midtable nothing-ness unless we work something out going forward. Be it wingers or someone who can retain/run in behind upfront.

[Registered Saddler]

Well, I'm looking for positives. I think I've found one. Hopefully we'll look back on this game as the absolute nadir of our season. It was a phenomenally poor performance, reminiscent of the days of Merson. Or the England cricket team. Hard to critique because the only thing I can think of that we need improve is absolutely everything. But perhaps, most of all, we need to rediscover the ability to pass the ball 10 yards to an unmarked team-mate when under no pressure whatsoever. What's happened to the team that demolished Swindon? These must be impostors.

No enthusiasm, no shape, no imagination. You may say that Orient only had one shot on goal. Well, that's all it takes (and we gave them that chance as well). They were laid low with illness but it was us who were utterly anaemic. They could have put 11 plastic cones on the pitch and still would have beaten us. I don't take this nonsense about it 'only' being the FA Cup. If Orient draw Arsenal or Manchester United tomorrow then they'll soon realise the continued importance of the FA Cup.

[aaaae]

Beaten by an under strength Orient team that didn't even need to get out of second gear.

Some of our play was good but some of it was utterly pathetic. Our attacking needs to be much faster and more direct (I mean to feet) and we have to cut out the hoof ball, with our forward line it is stupid, we are just giving the ball away.

We are falling into a pattern of play that goes like this - play the ball around the back line and defensive midfield for a few minutes to give the opposition defence a rest, then play the feet of one of our front man, who has come back 20 yards to receive it, he plays the ball straight back to defence, who then hoof it up front to no-one. Aimless.

By the way, their goal should have been disallowed for a foul on Andy Taylor who was blocked - this ain't American football.

Oh and just watch them draw someone like Everton away.. :evil:

[BathSaddler]

We looked stale against a below strength O's side who were there for the taking - we need freshening up badly now. It's a cliché, but we really do need something different up front. We have done pretty well so far this season without a recognised striker [Westcarr is an attacking player but is not an out-and-out striker] but it is beginning to show now. Oh, and a winger that takes on players would not go amiss either. We are not creating enough and are consequently scoring even less than we were before.

One goal in four games is not good enough, and 28 goals in all competitions [out of 24 played] is not good enough either, especially as defensive mistakes are creeping in to our game.

DS and RO'K have done a remarkable job and the style of play is often a joy to watch, but without a proper end product this season will be the missed opportunity that many on here having been saying it would be if we don't utilise the loan market quickly.

[tinned]

Wait for the "but we're better placed than this time last season" posts.

[Guest]

Well, I'm looking for positives. I think I've found one. Hopefully we'll look back on this game as the absolute nadir of our season. It was a phenomenally poor performance, reminiscent of the days of Merson. Or the England cricket team. Hard to critique because the only thing I can think of that we need improve is absolutely everything. But perhaps, most of all, we need to rediscover the ability to pass the ball 10 yards to an unmarked team-mate when under no pressure whatsoever. What's happened to the team that demolished Swindon? These must be impostors.

No enthusiasm, no shape, no imagination. You may say that Orient only had one shot on goal. Well, that's all it takes (and we gave them that chance as well). They were laid low with illness but it was us who were utterly anaemic. They could have put 11 plastic cones on the pitch and still would have beaten us. I don't take this nonsense about it 'only' being the FA Cup. If Orient draw Arsenal or Manchester United tomorrow then they'll soon realise the continued importance of the FA Cup.

Surely we'd have got a 0-0 v the cones!?

[aaaae]

Wait for the "but we're better placed than this time last season" posts.

61% possession - apparently it's sexy... :roll:

I prefer goals myself :mrgreen:

[philthesaddler]

1 goal scored in 4...and yet some deny we need to strengthen our attacking options.

Clueless.

Too late now, got to wait until January.

[philthesaddler]

DS and RO'K have done a remarkable job and the style of play is often a joy to watch, but without a proper end product this season will be the missed opportunity that many on here having been saying it would be if we don't utilise the loan market quickly.

Exactly. I've been banging on about the need for a striker for months now, and the players are out there, we just have to pay for them, and it's not as though we didnt receive a hefty chunk of money in the summer!

For heaven's sake Bonser, reinvest some money in a proven striker and show that you want more than simply survival in this league.

[funk_hits_the_fan]

There is no doubt we need a striker - but don't you all think the qualified network of coaches & the Manager know this??

Is the money being made available for a poacher? Are there any options....

Personally, I think we should be looking at someone proven at this level who desperately needs a chance - the like of Ebanks-Blake at Wolves, out of contact and kicking his heals just using the fitness facilities at the Dingles....surely worth a punt for the sake of turning our decent season into possibly amazing one? Question is, is the money there?

[philthesaddler]

There is no doubt we need a striker - but don't you all think the qualified network of coaches & the Manager know this??

Is the money being made available for a poacher? Are there any options....

Personally, I think we should be looking at someone proven at this level who desperately needs a chance - the like of Ebanks-Blake at Wolves, out of contact and kicking his heals just using the fitness facilities at the Dingles....surely worth a punt for the sake of turning our decent season into possibly amazing one? Question is, is the money there?

Is midtable "decent"?

'Cos thats where we're heading.

Dont let our attractive football distract you from the mediocre results we get.

[funk_hits_the_fan]

There is no doubt we need a striker - but don't you all think the qualified network of coaches & the Manager know this??

Is the money being made available for a poacher? Are there any options....

Personally, I think we should be looking at someone proven at this level who desperately needs a chance - the like of Ebanks-Blake at Wolves, out of contact and kicking his heals just using the fitness facilities at the Dingles....surely worth a punt for the sake of turning our decent season into possibly amazing one? Question is, is the money there?

Is midtable "decent"?

'Cos thats where we're heading.

Dont let our attractive football distract you from the mediocre results we get.

Mid-table is more than decent in this division for Walsall FC. Yes.

Get real.....

[Sadders]

There is no doubt we need a striker - but don't you all think the qualified network of coaches & the Manager know this??

Is the money being made available for a poacher? Are there any options....

Personally, I think we should be looking at someone proven at this level who desperately needs a chance - the like of Ebanks-Blake at Wolves, out of contact and kicking his heals just using the fitness facilities at the Dingles....surely worth a punt for the sake of turning our decent season into possibly amazing one? Question is, is the money there?

Is midtable "decent"?

'Cos thats where we're heading.

Dont let our attractive football distract you from the mediocre results we get.

Mid-table is more than decent in this division for Walsall FC. Yes.

Get real.....

There lies the sad reality. Today won't have gone anywhere to help anybody either.

[BathSaddler]

There is no doubt we need a striker - but don't you all think the qualified network of coaches & the Manager know this??

Is the money being made available for a poacher? Are there any options....

Personally, I think we should be looking at someone proven at this level who desperately needs a chance - the like of Ebanks-Blake at Wolves, out of contact and kicking his heals just using the fitness facilities at the Dingles....surely worth a punt for the sake of turning our decent season into possibly amazing one? Question is, is the money there?

That's the big question, Mr Funkster. The fact is, we have utilised the loan market over the last few years, but the pattern is to not usually do so until January. I think it is very unlikely that we will sign someone otherwise, so I presume DS will have a serious look at the loan market in the new year. If anything, it will be an untried youngster from a local Premier/Championship side - we are not likely to be competing for tried-and-tested players at this level because I presume that most of the money for Grigg/Paterson has gone back to pay the owner's loans and the extension of contracts. Julian Gray will hopefully be released at the end of his short term contract and that should help a bit with any prospective signings, although why we re-signed him in the first place is a bit of a mystery.

My question is, will we have already lost the momentum by then? Shrewsbury and Carlisle are to come and look winnable games, but our current form suggests we are going to struggle for goals, even against those two. Our 'dip' has also coincided with a drop in form by a number of individuals, particularly Sawyers, and this has had a significant impact over the last couple of games.

[funk_hits_the_fan]

There is no doubt we need a striker - but don't you all think the qualified network of coaches & the Manager know this??

Is the money being made available for a poacher? Are there any options....

Personally, I think we should be looking at someone proven at this level who desperately needs a chance - the like of Ebanks-Blake at Wolves, out of contact and kicking his heals just using the fitness facilities at the Dingles....surely worth a punt for the sake of turning our decent season into possibly amazing one? Question is, is the money there?

Is midtable "decent"?

'Cos thats where we're heading.

Dont let our attractive football distract you from the mediocre results we get.

Mid-table is more than decent in this division for Walsall FC. Yes.

Get real.....

There lies the sad reality. Today won't have gone anywhere to help anybody either.

Sad reality - not really, no. I have never really expected anything more from this Football Club based on size, resource etc. Anything above is merely an unusual achievement, which is why Graydon and Buckley are so celebrated.

Call me rare, but I am a football supporter that prefers to live in the real world.

As for the striker, would really like to see us take a chance on someone like Ebanks-Blake. Agreed the strange affair with Julian Gray needs to put to bed, and quickly!

[rogerem]

We need a striker you grey haired scrooge. :evil:

This is one of the best things I've read on here. Welcome Brighton. :D

[Registered Saddler]

Well, I'm looking for positives. I think I've found one. Hopefully we'll look back on this game as the absolute nadir of our season. It was a phenomenally poor performance, reminiscent of the days of Merson. Or the England cricket team. Hard to critique because the only thing I can think of that we need improve is absolutely everything. But perhaps, most of all, we need to rediscover the ability to pass the ball 10 yards to an unmarked team-mate when under no pressure whatsoever. What's happened to the team that demolished Swindon? These must be impostors.

No enthusiasm, no shape, no imagination. You may say that Orient only had one shot on goal. Well, that's all it takes (and we gave them that chance as well). They were laid low with illness but it was us who were utterly anaemic. They could have put 11 plastic cones on the pitch and still would have beaten us. I don't take this nonsense about it 'only' being the FA Cup. If Orient draw Arsenal or Manchester United tomorrow then they'll soon realise the continued importance of the FA Cup.

Surely we'd have got a 0-0 v the cones!?

The way he's played the last few games, an errant back pass from Adam Chambers would have seen us lose 1-0. A flippant comment, but both Chambers have looked understandably off the pace since their dad passed away. They showed commendable spirit to play at Crawley but I think Smith would have done them and us a favour by taking them out the firing line.

[TheSwift]

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/oth ... ean-smith/

I am sorry but when I read this, I couldn't help but laugh. Deano talking about how managers should admit their mistakes and I quote " and he says it is important for him to hold his hand up when getting it wrong".

Well Deano, hold your hand up then. You should admit your error and sign a striker or put in an early bid for a loan striker in January!

[SWS1]

Very inconsistent but if you believe the stats, well, it's obvious where our problems lie - sticking the bloody roundy, leathery object into the back of that netty, baggy thing strung from a frame.
Since Peterborough, in about 375 playing minutes, we've scored ONE goal. We ain't leaked goals, either: a rather lucky Port Vile scored 2 of the only 4 goals we have conceded in about 560 minutes of playing time. A decent striker and we'd probably have lost none of the last 6 games. Go figure.
:(

[Registered Saddler]

Very inconsistent but if you believe the stats, well, it's obvious where our problems lie - sticking the bloody roundy, leathery object into the back of that netty, baggy thing strung from a frame.
Since Peterborough, in about 375 playing minutes, we've scored ONE goal. We ain't leaked goals, either: a rather lucky Port Vile scored 2 of the only 3 goals we have conceded in about 560 minutes of playing time. A decent striker and we'd probably have won almost all of the last 6 games. Go figure.
:(

A striker would help, but we're not creating chances. Not clear ones anyway. Our one decent chance today was a scramble following a corner when we put everyone forward. Apart from half chances for Westcarr and Hemmings, which were easily saved, that was it. Loads of possession in non-threatening areas which peters out as soon as we're near the penalty area. And as I said earlier, it's hard to know what to put your finger on because everything is wrong. Poor decisions, no shape, simple passes going astray, no tempo to the play, long aimless balls into the channels, players standing offside for no reason, no-one beating players, no accuracy on crosses, no options for the man on the ball. It's all gone to pieces. We can get it back, I have no doubt about that, but it needs some impetus to shake things up.

[TheSwift]

“We huffed and puffed, but in the end it wasn’t to be,” he admitted. “On another day we would have scored two or three from the chances that we created.


“I felt that the game was a bit flat, to be fair. There wasn’t much of an atmosphere and we missed an opportunity here.


“We got into some good positions and created some decent chances. We are doing the right things and were unfortunate at times.


“It’s disappointing and frustrating but we know that we controlled the game against a good side who are up there in the League.


“We’ll take heart from what we are doing; we were probably having our best spell when they scored.


“It’s when we stop creating chances that we’ll start to worry.”

That's Deano's view on the game from the official website. I swear he says the exact same phrase I put in bold every time we lose/draw.

"It's when we stop creating chances that we'll start to worry" <----Well isn't that what happened today :roll:

[MPSADDLER]

I would like to see Lalkovic used as an out and out striker in the next game alongside Westcarr. He is quick and is a good finisher. As for Troy Hewitt, we may as well just release him, he is absolutely useless, sunday league at best.

[tinned]

I'm starting to worry Deano isn't just saying things to keep up morale but because he honestly believes it. If so we're in for a frustrating second half of the season.

[SWS1]

If only we could consistently produce a Peterborough display every week. We've got it in us, but even in that game we missed a shed-load of excellent chances. We seem to need at least 10 chances to slot one. Frustrating. :evil: