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MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Reports and reaction from the 2013-2014 season as Walsall finished 13th in League 1
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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sun Feb 09, 2014 2:22 pm

While I wasn't there to witness this strategic masterclass from Karl Robinson, who undoubtedly is shaping up to be League One's answer to the genius that is "Tactics" Tim Sherwood, I would point out that the side he put out yesterday was the one that MK Dons 'fans' have been crying out for for about two months. His sidelining of McLeod has been particularly baffling, especially in the absence of any other recognised striker, even preferring to play wingers up front instead of him.

And it does seem that his entire gameplan was predicated on the windspeed and direction in Walsall at 3pm. But if you're impressed by those sorts of things, good luck to you.

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funk_hits_the_fan
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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sun Feb 09, 2014 3:06 pm

Magic Man Fan wrote:
funk_hits_the_fan wrote:WE NEED A STRIKER!!!


We'd need to create chances first. We didn't today. We didn't do anything right, in area of the pitch today.

Move on. Win at Peterborough.


Isn't that what we tried to say when everyone on here was banging on about Kevin Phillips etc....

Didn't we also say a new face may upset the balance.

People screaming for change when absolutely nothing is wrong and we are over achieving.

:roll:

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PT
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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sun Feb 09, 2014 3:08 pm

Registered Saddler wrote:And it does seem that his entire gameplan was predicated on the windspeed and direction in Walsall at 3pm. But if you're impressed by those sorts of things, good luck to you.


It's good luck to me then. :D

His game plan would have had very little to do with his meteorological ability. I think it would have had everything to do with witnessing how other clubs had come to Bescot and battered us (Bradford, preston, Vale). Press high, deny us the ball and if you have decent possession you will get chances against us. Unlike Bradford and Vale though who relied on set-pieces, MK Dons placed a quality striker on the shoulder of one of our two, rather slow centre-halves and had players good enough to thread ball between our back four. If anything the wind helped us in the first half as one or two of said "threads" were carried out of play by the wind. The linesman helped us out once or twice too, as did O'Donnell.

From our point of view, as Pedagogue says above, the really disappointing thing was that our management team seemed to spend the first half admiring the problem. We've been saying all season how we lack a Plan B up front but yesterday was screaming out for a Plan B at the back. We just needed to forget the high-line and drop 5-10 yards to deny them space in behind us and if that meant the rest of the side also dropping back then when you're kicking into a gale that may not have been a bad thing for the rest of the first half. Not doing so cost us two goals (while the game was still "live"), three points and our captain for what will possibly be the most important game of the season on Friday.

They did a job on us that had nothing to do with the ref, the weather or any kind of celestial intervention.

Let's hope we're back on it on Friday. As MMF says let's "move on".

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sun Feb 09, 2014 3:31 pm

PT wrote:They did a job on us that had nothing to do with the ref, the weather or any kind of celestial intervention.

Fair enough ... as I say I wasn't there. I thought some of the comments above had been along the lines of 'Robinson adjusted to the conditions and we didn't'. I'm not really a fan of changing everything around at the last minute because of the weather, it seems quite a disruptive way to approach a game.

We are so well drilled and prepared - we have to be - that it doesn't surprise me that we are not so strong at mid-match adjustments. We've not done well when the opposition have played one awkward striker up front (Hanson, Pope, McLeod, Davies) and I don't think we've found a successful way of combating it yet. The fact that we weren't expecting McLeod to play produces a perfect storm of circumstances. Our steady progress over the last few seasons means that problems generally get solved slowly - I expect this issue will be worked out soon. It's not a question of being inflexible, it's just not having the resources to be able to respond to every challenge instantly.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Mon Feb 10, 2014 5:33 am

I think I may have the reason for the defeat!

My brother has just emailed me with 3 images.
I can’t reproduce them here as they are “copyright WFC”.
He found 3 pieces of tatty paper blowing about in the breeze near the club car park.
He surmises they may have slipped out of Smith’s pocket when he got out of his car on arrival at the ground.
They are complete with Lowryesque figures and:
One is headed “How to stop a penalty against the Plastics” and shows McLeod’s last few pennos.
Another is headed up “How to score a penalty against the Plastics”
And the final one is headed “How to play with 10 men against the Plastics”
Professional stuff that I bet no-one else is doing!

Without this vital info it’s no wonder we lost.

Seriously folks, the first page of this thread with it’s holier-than-thou and arrogant postings by folk who should know better was bound to bring the wrath of the gods down up us.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:36 am

Frankly, after Saturday I can only praise Karl Robinson for the work he's done at MK Dons under such difficult constraints.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Mon Feb 10, 2014 12:53 pm

It's ok blaming Smith, and I agree with some of the changes mentioned above (Sawyers, and Lalkovic are getting too casual), but its down to the players to perform on the pitch. They didn't, which is why we lost.

Also agree about Ngoo and Lalkovic arguing over the penalty. Not only that, but he'd already moaned to O'Donnell about a goal kick, and someone else.

He looked lively when he came on, but in a few short weeks he could upset the team spirit and end any chances we have left. It needs to be looked at, and dealt with by Smith, and quickly.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:23 pm

Anymore stupid, childish spats like on Saturday and Lalkovic and Ngoo can piss off back to their premiershine clubs where maoning like wenches is the norm. I don't care how good (or not) they are, I don't want them threatening our "one for all and all for one" squad attitude.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Mon Feb 10, 2014 3:44 pm

that 1st half was so horrible i can't even bring myself to suffer the rest of this thread yet. despite reassurances to the contrary by the resident uts professor of everything, the conditions played havoc with us, while mk fared much better.

we often see teams have a promising start, then generally we take over, but on saturday mantom struggled to get involved in the game, and he has become absolutely key. this coincided with some awful defending, and although mcloud played well, he had too much time and space to do so.

there were contentious decisions, but not in the moments that counted. substitutions struck me as a little odd. i like sawyers, but don't see him as a player for a 10 man side chasing a game, so expected to see featherstone on much earlier. i was surprised ngoo didn't replace milan, who was poor. but i ain't a manager, and 2nd half we were better, before being caught on the break, which can always happen in such a situation. awful pen.

a word regards lewington. i don't mind a man playing the game hard within reason (obviously this doesn't include elbowing butler in the face), but cannot stand when that same man squeals like a newborn whenever anybody gets near him.

brandy looked decent.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Thu Feb 20, 2014 11:18 am

Magic Man Fan wrote:It's ok blaming Smith, and I agree with some of the changes mentioned above (Sawyers, and Lalkovic are getting too casual), but its down to the players to perform on the pitch. They didn't, which is why we lost.

Also agree about Ngoo and Lalkovic arguing over the penalty. Not only that, but he'd already moaned to O'Donnell about a goal kick, and someone else.

He looked lively when he came on, but in a few short weeks he could upset the team spirit and end any chances we have left. It needs to be looked at, and dealt with by Smith, and quickly.


It certainly is, after all it is his job right ? He is happy enough to take the praise, all the good things, the good football we play, the good results etc etc, he is open to be shot at when it goes tits up, and lets face it, they aren't the first team to come to Walsall this season and give us a lesson. I didn't go to this game, but I am certain I know exactly how the game went, without reading a single post on here. I would hope the blame was kept to message boards, and chat between mates, as any kind of negative vibe towards Smith at the games isn't helpful, and not warranted at all anyway.

Other than that, several things of note.

- Everyone was crying out for a striker (well a large percentage) it was said at the time it could disrupt our style, and everything good about us, to early to say, but it wouldn't surprise me.
- We are carrying Lalkovic, and he isn't good enough to warrant being carried.
- not so much relevant to this game as such, but we need to be far more willing to try and win games rather than being happy with not being beaten, especially at home, or again to many draws will cost us. 3 draws is the same as 2 defeats in terms of points dropped.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Thu Feb 20, 2014 1:36 pm

We-ARE-Walsall wrote:not so much relevant to this game as such, but we need to be far more willing to try and win games rather than being happy with not being beaten, especially at home, or again to many draws will cost us. 3 draws is the same as 2 defeats in terms of points dropped.

If there's one criticism that can be directed at Smith, it's this one. Don't get me wrong, we've probably won more points through our style of play than we've lost through too many draws, but if we do get pipped to the playoffs by Peterborough at the end of the season, that'll be one of the main reasons why.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Thu Feb 20, 2014 2:20 pm

WFC_Rob wrote:
We-ARE-Walsall wrote:not so much relevant to this game as such, but we need to be far more willing to try and win games rather than being happy with not being beaten, especially at home, or again to many draws will cost us. 3 draws is the same as 2 defeats in terms of points dropped.

If there's one criticism that can be directed at Smith, it's this one. Don't get me wrong, we've probably won more points through our style of play than we've lost through too many draws, but if we do get pipped to the playoffs by Peterborough at the end of the season, that'll be one of the main reasons why.


Agree, it's hardly a harsh criticism in all honesty, appreciate the football we play, appreciate we have a very useful side that he has put together. Just feel at times he feels it is better not to get beat, than go for the extra two points, and risk the loss.

I'm still a believer though, still think we are more than good enough to make 6th place, and will just about do enough.

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