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

[saddlerken]

Some stats about the rubbish premier league and it's total lack of competition outside a handful of clubs.

So, what's that got to do with Walsall and division 3?

[Magic Man Fan]

All the arseholes can haves good old moan when Smith gets snapped up by someone who gives him the budget to achieve what he can't with us. Then you'll see how bad it can be.

Short memory Hutchings morons.

[Andy_Petterson]

Some stats about the rubbish premier league and it's total lack of competition outside a handful of clubs.

So, what's that got to do with Walsall and division 3?

The examples I gave were just illustrating a point. You can extend the idea further. E.g. If you look at the proportion of Div 3 teams who reach say the quarter finals of the fa cup, its less than it used to be. You also don't get a WImbledon or a Watford storming through the divisions. A reasonable inference is that it's because it's harder for smaller clubs to win football matches these days.

Spend a bit of time thinking about it before posting a reply straight away.

[Magic Man Fan]

Some stats about the rubbish premier league and it's total lack of competition outside a handful of clubs.

So, what's that got to do with Walsall and division 3?

You were moaning about foreign managers in the lower divisions earlier, now you're moaning about us having one of the better English managers in the lower divisions. Male your mind up.

[Andy_Petterson]

All the Arsenal can haves good old moan when Smith gets snapped up by someone who gives him the budget to achieve what he can't with us. Then you'll see how bad it can be.

Short memory Hutchings morons.

Yep

[saddlerken]

Some stats about the rubbish premier league and it's total lack of competition outside a handful of clubs.

So, what's that got to do with Walsall and division 3?

You were moaning about foreign managers in the lower divisions earlier, now you're moaning about us having one of the better English managers in the lower divisions. Male your mind up.

No moaning, just had a look at the table and realised that we are doing more or less the same as the past 30 years Ive been going and the past 125 years that we have existed. Smith is an average division 3 manager at an average division 3 club.

[saddlerken]

All the arseholes can haves good old moan when Smith gets snapped up by someone who gives him the budget to achieve what he can't with us. Then you'll see how bad it can be.

Short memory Hutchings morons.

Hutchings is the 2nd worst manager in the history of the football league, behind Paul Merson. Smith is as average as everyone else.

If this budget at his new lucky club involves making signings then they shall be fudge, especially those in the position of centre forward. I wonder if more money in the coffers means that he would recognise the need to be less stubborn.

[saddlerken]

Some stats about the rubbish premier league and it's total lack of competition outside a handful of clubs.

So, what's that got to do with Walsall and division 3?

The examples I gave were just illustrating a point. You can extend the idea further. E.g. If you look at the proportion of Div 3 teams who reach say the quarter finals of the fa cup, its less than it used to be. You also don't get a WImbledon or a Watford storming through the divisions. A reasonable inference is that it's because it's harder for smaller clubs to win football matches these days.

Spend a bit of time thinking about it before posting a reply straight away.

Ive spent about 4 seconds coming up with

Wigan Athletic
Hull City
Fulham FC
Swansea

The division Ray Graydon got us promoted out of some 15 years ago is stronger than todays division 3, FACT!

[Andy_Petterson]

Some stats about the rubbish premier league and it's total lack of competition outside a handful of clubs.

So, what's that got to do with Walsall and division 3?

The examples I gave were just illustrating a point. You can extend the idea further. E.g. If you look at the proportion of Div 3 teams who reach say the quarter finals of the fa cup, its less than it used to be. You also don't get a WImbledon or a Watford storming through the divisions. A reasonable inference is that it's because it's harder for smaller clubs to win football matches these days.

Spend a bit of time thinking about it before posting a reply straight away.

Ive spent about 4 seconds coming up with

Wigan Athletic
Hull City
Fulham FC
Swansea

The division Ray Graydon got us promoted out of some 15 years ago is stronger than todays division 3, FACT!

What was the highest placed finish of the teams you mention?

What was Watford's?
What was WImbledon's?

I'm not saying it's impossible to move up the divisions and win trophies nowadays. I am saying it's harder

[aaaae]

Merely suggesting that this team can be improved is heresy and the very act of suggesting it means that the team will return to one of the worst eras in its history.

FFS.

[Whitters]

All the Arsenal can have a good old moan when Smith gets snapped up by someone who gives him the budget to achieve what he can't with us. Then you'll see how bad it can be.

Short memory Hutchings morons.

Agree.

Consider also our strikers leaving over the summer.
Consider the money we got from that.
One point of view is that it was the system bought to the club by Smith and Co which created these players.
And some other clubs were then fooled into thinking they were top strikers worth spending on.

If I was at a Championship club I'd snap Smith up.
The style we play is superb.
It's also very difficult to play that style when you have lower division players with lesser skills.
Even top clubs playing the style struggle at times.
It's also a style where it can be difficult to score goals.
It also needs constant work and constant re-inforcing to the players.
Sometimes it doesn't work and we don't do well so it needs patience from the fans.
But who would want any other style at the moment?
Too many years have been spent in the dark wondering if the manager of the time had any idea of style at all.

[derbysaddler]

Yep, its gone a bit strange on here nowadays, like a bizarre cult. Oddly a while back the negativity on this site was stifling but now its gone completely the other way.

' we need another option up front' - damn you! You know nothing and you would risk the financial future of the club in your selfish quest for goals, waaaah!

'Smith should consider altering our play to give us more options ' - you ungreatful cack, how dare you, you have shexy tip tappy football , if you dont like it fudge off to the dingles waaah!

[Andy_Petterson]

Yep, its gone a bit strange on here nowadays, like a bizarre cult. Oddly a while back the negativity on this site was stifling but now its gone completely the other way.

' we need another option up front' - damn you! You know nothing and you would risk the financial future of the club in your selfish quest for goals, waaaah!

'Smith should consider altering our play to give us more options ' - you ungreatful eartha, how dare you, you have shexy tip tappy football , if you dont like it donald off to the dingles waaah!

except no-one actually said that did they.

[SWS1]

Historically, for us, times are pretty good: flirting with the playoffs, a bit up and down, playing (mostly) good football, lacking a cutting edge but never, or rarely, being taken to the cleaners, bringing on players, selling on players, and, latterly, sadly, paying the rent (mostly). This does not mean times cannot be even better. It's the nature of football fans to want times to be better, always. And they might. Meanwhile, enjoy what's currently on offer. That's it. :)

[derbysaddler]

Yep, its gone a bit strange on here nowadays, like a bizarre cult. Oddly a while back the negativity on this site was stifling but now its gone completely the other way.

' we need another option up front' - damn you! You know nothing and you would risk the financial future of the club in your selfish quest for goals, waaaah!

'Smith should consider altering our play to give us more options ' - you ungreatful eartha, how dare you, you have shexy tip tappy football , if you dont like it donald off to the dingles waaah!

except no-one actually said that did they.

Boards been littered with comments like it for a while

[Andy_Petterson]

I fully understand the wish for a new striker. It's hard to argue against that!!

It's just getting the right striker is just not that simple and Dean Smith deserves some slack for that.

It also seems to have been forgotten we lost our 3 best attacking players from last season. Further reason to give Deano some slack!

Believe me I fully understand the frustration of not scoring each game.

[Andy_Petterson]

Yep, its gone a bit strange on here nowadays, like a bizarre cult. Oddly a while back the negativity on this site was stifling but now its gone completely the other way.

' we need another option up front' - damn you! You know nothing and you would risk the financial future of the club in your selfish quest for goals, waaaah!

'Smith should consider altering our play to give us more options ' - you ungreatful eartha, how dare you, you have shexy tip tappy football , if you dont like it donald off to the dingles waaah!

except no-one actually said that did they.

Boards been littered with comments like it for a while

Yes, fair does, I get the sentiment. Apologies.

[Whitters]

More often than not, I'll try to give Smith and his team the benefit of the doubt after a poor result, but yesterday's performance was nothing other than lacklustre in every department. To show such a lack of bottle in a cup game was inexcusable.

With Orient having their manager and best player (Lisbie) missing, plus a bit of tinkering with their starting line-up, I wouldn't go as far as saying they were there for the taking, but they'd certainly given us half a chance. Yet we opted to start with Lalkovic up front on his own, with Westcarr wide on the left and Hemmings on the right - as strong an admittance as we're ever likely to see that we were hoping for the best rather than wanting to take the game to them.

The most disappointing thing was the lack of drive we had in the side. No-one looked like they wanted to win the game, as everyone seemed only too happy to play neat 10 yard passes along the halfway line. Our back four looked comfortable, yet so did theirs - which tells those who weren't there all they need to know about the game as a spectacle.

Do we need a striker? Probably, but what we also need is for our manager to show a bit more tactical nouse, rather than merely resorting to Sawyers at home and Featherstone away. It might have worked initially, but those tactics have now become so predictable that teams are sussing us out. On the plus side we didn't lose any league points, but we'll get turned over by a poor Shrewsbury side next week if we play like that again.

I know the quote "it's a game of small margins" is in vogue, but that's what it was.
A miniscule change to Westcarr's free kick and the last minute scramble and that could have totally changed the result.

Orient are top, with that comes momentum and confidence despite losing Lisbie.
So to say they were there for the taking is a bit OTT IMHO.
There was a simmering undercurrent too rather than lack of drive and bottle - nice to see Mooney go at the end!
The style demands patience and calm and control in an attempt to pull the opposition out of shape - it's not kick and rush.

I though Lalcovic was well supported by Westcarr - to me Lalcovic played more to the left and Westcarr more central rather than Lalcovic up on his lonesome.
I thought Purkiss maybe slowed things down too much, he appears to get the ball then think about what he is going to do with it rather than having it in his mind already.
I'm not a Sawyers fan either but the lad may come on in leaps and bounds for all I know.

[tinned]

Merely suggesting that this team can be improved is heresy and the very act of suggesting it means that the team will return to one of the worst eras in its history.

FFS.

Too fudge true.

Its the same when anyone dares to criticise Bonser. All of a sudden we’re going to be bought by an irresponsible idiot who will spend us to destruction. Of course there's no middle ground is there?

[JonnyOwen]

I fully understand the wish for a new striker. It's hard to argue against that!!

It's just getting the right striker is just not that simple and Dean Smith deserves some slack for that.

It also seems to have been forgotten we lost our 3 best attacking players from last season. Further reason to give Deano some slack!

Believe me I fully understand the frustration of not scoring each game.

Thank fudge there is a voice of reason.

[clawtheolder]

All the Arsenal can haves good old moan when Smith gets snapped up by someone who gives him the budget to achieve what he can't with us. Then you'll see how bad it can be.

Short memory Hutchings morons.

Hutchings is the 2nd worst manager in the history of the football league, behind Paul Merson. Smith is as average as everyone else.

If this budget at his new lucky club involves making signings then they shall be donald, especially those in the position of centre forward. I wonder if more money in the coffers means that he would recognise the need to be less stubborn.

Are you old enough to remember Frank Sibley, if so you would put Hutchings way above him.

[kshammer]

All the arseholes can haves good old moan when Smith gets snapped up by someone who gives him the budget to achieve what he can't with us. Then you'll see how bad it can be.

Short memory Hutchings morons.

This. Over and over again, this.

Did we learn nothing from our winless run last year? Some of our fans go on about hating the Premier League but still have the brainless, short term, over-reaction mentality that fans of clubs in that league have.

[chestersaddler]

Oh for a time machine to return to the days when Walsall teams scored goals

Such as last season when you moaned that we didn't score enough goals? :lol:

[WFC_Rob]

Merely suggesting that this team can be improved is heresy and the very act of suggesting it means that the team will return to one of the worst eras in its history.

FFS.

Too donald true.

Its the same when anyone dares to criticise Bonser. All of a sudden we’re going to be bought by an irresponsible idiot who will spend us to destruction. Of course there's no middle ground is there?

Exactly. We've been electric at times this season, and remain on course to have a season as good as, if not better than, last season. That doesn't mean to say Saturday wasn't powderpuff though. It was a one-off game with no league points at stake - a wasted opportunity.

[Ancient Moaner]

Oh for a time machine to return to the days when Walsall teams scored goals

Such as last season when you moaned that we didn't score enough goals? :lol:

Me? moan? you've got the wrong bloke chester, this sallian 'university professor' ( :lol: ) makes me look like an upbeat positive happy clapper!! :lol: :lol:

Who were those guys scoring those goals last season? I aint seen 'em in the team for yonks!
misquoting from whitters in an earlier post:
"The system dos'nt make scoring easy" some how sums up our current plight, good to watch for the purists, but hell on wheels for those of us who like to see the occasional goal (scored by US not the opposition), and it's not going to bring back the stayaways or the occasional 'Cup supporters' is it?

UTS always

[travelling man]

What if our three strikers who left were still with us? Not setting the world alight are they

[chestersaddler]

What if our three strikers who left were still with us? Not setting the world alight are they

We would be right up there, I reckon. Paterson has stepped up to a new level, Grigg fits well with our style of play and Brandy - difficult one. Clearly was on a mission last season to get the best contract that he could get. Had he re- signed on better terms then we might have had the Brandy that is now at Sheffield, or maybe not.

[pumajaguar]

I had thought we coped with the loss of Patterson, Grigg and Brandy fairly well. But it's looking more and more like we haven't.

Our attacking options just aren't that great. Westcarr is a decent player, but he was our 4th best attacker last season, now he's the main man. Baxendale and Sawyers are youngsters with potential, but both are best in the hole, which is also Westcarr's best position in my opinion.

Let's be honest, Lalkovic has been rubbish, maybe three good performances and a decent cameo against Wolves? It's just not enough. Ashley Hemmings has defintley improved and should be starting I think. Meanwhile, Julian Gray looks like he might be past it.

Then there's Hewitt who I haven't really seen enough off. He scored that goal against Wolves and was decent at Crewe, but can't think of much else.

[WFC_Rob]

The one failing we have seen exposed over recent weeks is the failure to bring in another striker. Westcarr's goals show he's perfectly capable in the main, but when he has an off day (like against Vale), we don't have anyone else. Hewitt's not good enough, Lalkovic can only play out wide, and Sawyers isn't the kind you want playing with his back to goal. This was made worse on Saturday by the decision to play Westcarr on the left wing, of all places.

I'm sure the cash spent on McQuilkin, Gray, and Hewitt could have been better spent on one better quality player.

Still, we can't do anything other than perform with the players we have for the time being. We're injury-free and have two winnable games up next, which could leave us within touching distance of the playoffs come Christmas.

[sallian]

The style we play is superb.
It's also very difficult to play that style when you have lower division players with lesser skills.
...
It's also a style where it can be difficult to score goals.
It also needs constant work and constant re-inforcing to the players.

Its not a superb style that results in struggling to score one goal.

But perhaps the style is okay....but is damaged by regular bad decision making on the pitch that is not being clamped down on...OR THE MANAGER IS NOT SEEING WHAT IS OBVIOUS TO SOME....(low shot count, too slow to shoot, too long to pass, too long to cross, lack of movement, failure to attack space both with the ball and with men etc)

He needs to direct the play with a style that is efficient in creating chances and preventing goals....if it is a style that is 'difficult to score goals' then for sure its the wrong style...as the whole aim is to score goals! If my food makes it difficult for me to enjoy my meal and get nutrients...then its the wrong food! Maybe Dean Smith is feeding us plastic fruit.

As seeing as his style is based on positioning, movement and passing...it shouldn't be that difficult....they train and are paid, if they can't do it then he needs to be a lot more stricter with them.

Even when the team is playing well...most of the errors in their play are still present. e.g. Peterborough game.

Most of the problems with Walsall not scoring are related to things that can be corrected by the manager RIGHT NOW if he wakes up and sees them and stops daydreaming or only seeing everything in a positive light.

I don't know what is going through his mind and eyes (or what he says after) when he sees a player mess around stupidly when a dangerous pass could be quickly made.

I don't know what he is thinking when he he sees much space and the ball is not played into it, for one of the faster players to run onto.

I don't know what he is thinking....when all the other players are marked and not moving when the man on the ball has no options.

I don't know what he is thinking when players continuously try to walk the ball in (through opposition players) instead taking a quick shot which would have the goalkeeper and defenders off guard.

I don't know what he is thinking when four players are on the wing trying to cross the ball to one man.

These and other things can all be sorted out....but at the moment it doesn't look like there is any intention to sort them out.

The Leyton Orient game was not a one off.

Struggling to score and create chances is the natural result of the errors I have mentioned.

Shooting accuracy can be improved also....there are many technique adjustments and drills for that...but only if the manager is aware the players keep shooting HIGH, WIDE and not HANDSOME!

I am a professional footballer, I train regularly, I get paid to play...I am a striker...and I shoot miles wide and high every weak.

I am a professional footballer, i train regularly, I get piad to play...I am a winger....and I hardly ever deliver the ball to the striker/strikers....

We pay £20+ to watch a team NOT try their utmost to score as many goals as possible...and the manager to be content with that.

The club is the supporters, they are the foundation......not the chairman, board, players or management....they come and go.

They owe the supporters to exhaust effort in scoring goals at every opportunity.