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Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Reports and reaction from the 2013-2014 season as Walsall finished 13th in League 1
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Super Gabor
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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:22 am

Phil the Saddler and M and M are very accurate in their assessments.

That was dire. The worst I have seen us play all season (although I didn't make the PNE match at home so can't comment on that). We look lacking in confidence throughout the whole team.

Worse thing is that we've been struggling with being incisive / creating and finishing chances for some time but have taken comfort from our neat passing game. Regrettably even our passing game went to pot last night.

Sawyers, Hewitt, Westcarr and Featherstone and Butler misplaced so many passes we made it easy for a poor and struggling Crewe side. That said I am not sure Hewitt got the ball for more than 2 or 3 touches. Those on here who like the fact he "keeps central defenders occupied" (about the nicest thing anyone can say of him) should be revising their view after that first half performance.

I quite like Featherstone although his 2 directions for moving the ball on are sideways and backwards but he's usually reliable and accurate in passing. But last night was awful.

We are clueless when attacking and getting into the final third. Ping it around the box one way then back the other - eventually (if we still have the ball) someone might make a run through and we end up losing possession. If that fails get Purkiss or Taylor to cross it into the box for their goalie to collect or a defender to nudge away as we have no threat or presence in the box.

I felt rubbish after the Wolves match as I am sure all did but just that small glimmer of hope we could turn things around was there for us on a plate last night and we just didn't do the job.

I like Dean Smith but as much as trying to re-instil confidence into the side he needs a long hard look at how we play and re-think.

PS thanks to the 3,500 extra fans last Saturday for not turning up, bar a couple of hundred maybe. Normal service was resumed.

PPS who are the numpties we get as "fans" calling in Radio WM?. Embarrassing. Can some of us who are sober, have a decent IQ and articulate their comments please call up a bit more often?

ChopperWFC
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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:06 am

Massive missed opportunity tonight not only to take advantage of other results ( although I do believe play offs a distant dream ) but to give everybody a lift . The players know the game is up this season and boy did they play like it tonight. They are unrecognisable from just a few weeks ago which not only worries me for this season but definitely next year. Smith might well gave taken us as far as he can but who can take us to the next level when our budget etc is what it is ? Age old problem for us . Been so proud of this team this year but felt badly let down last night :(
Up the Saddlers forever

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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 9:29 am

Hopefully that is as low as it gets. The whole team looks devoid of confidence, look laboured on the ball and dare I say not particularly fit. There is nothing wrong with the passing game but it needs to be high tempo and our players need to work hard in and out of possession. I'm not sure whether the negative comments against Smith are stupid or naive but just sound like something a kid would say. He has a lot of answers to find but am I really reading questions about "taking us a far as he can"? Are we really that arrogant that we think that anything less than play offs is somehow a slight on his record? Had he really done a great job up to January but now has gone as far as he can?

As for the players well not one of them comes out of the game with any credit (well suppose O'Donnell didn't do much wrong). The defence looks nervous everytime the ball gets nears them - we really need a confident Downing back with Chambo at right back and hopefully a fit Taylor (he's been rushed back way too soon for me). Adam Chambers looks tired, Featho looks nervy (and for me is better in a 3) and Mantom seems to have become irreplaceable. Brandy still looks dangerous (albeit he runs into blind alleys alot), Sawyers needs to add fitness and a work ethic to his game and while I was happy that Lalko had been dropped, we don't seem to have an obvious replacement. Hewitt aint good enough, Ngoo aint good enough and Westcarr is abjectly terrible at the moment.

As for the missing 3500 - Whitters summed it up perfectly.

Also, if we have a decent start next season, can we not bang on about the play offs from about November onwards?

clawtheolder
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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:03 am

People ask why we only get 3-4000 gates, well as i've said to mates, last nights performance answers that for many. I didn't go Saturday because i didn't want the hassle these games bring but i was there last night and i wish i hadn't.

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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:25 am

The issue is the lack of investment in January. Everyone is tired.

Deano continues to make weird decisions. Happy clap clap clap.

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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:39 am

Agree with most that last night was dire full stop.

Confidence seems a major issue, possession football doesnt mean slow football, but it does to Walsall at the moment, we need to rediscover the drive in midfield, the return of Mantom may well help. We dont have confidence in the forwards to get on the end of hopeful balls into the box, so we have stopped putting hopeful balls into the box. We are scared to make mistakes and shoot from distance, safe option is been taken to often.

Positives, start of the season having lost Brandy, Grigg and Paterson I would have said a season in the top ten 90% of the time is a success. The fact this has raised expectations and the season is in danger of fizzling out as we miss the play offs shows the progress team and management have made, many were forecasting a season of struggle. We are not the finished article by a long way but Deano can take us forward.

The players must enjoy our style and have brought into the theory of this style otherwise they would have resorted to type early last night, do we always get it right no, is there progress to be made, yes. Would addition of quality player help , of course but that isn't going to happen.

The players for next season, Deano has mixed it up, Chambers center half, Featherstone, in Hewitt up front Westcarr wide etc, but this has spoilt our consistency , by the nature of the changes players dont make the same runs, (one of Troys problems last night wrong run or right run wrong time) hence we miss place the pass or slow the play down to look for the pass which means players are closed down. But the fact Hewitt and McQuilkin are getting run outs means informed decisions can be made on the squad.

Problems, Set pieces poor again this can be sorted on the training ground and needs to be, perhaps Taylor can take a corner ?? Tempo poor but hopefully will return with confidence.
However the striker issue is the major problem, a twenty goal a season striker who can play as a lone striker wont come cheap, so wont be appearing at the Banks's. The only solution is to keep producing Fryatts, etc the issue with that is they are going to be sort after and more than likely sold, so you need another one on the production line otherwise you go from boom to bust each time one leaves. That is hard for any club and cant see Walsall set up to achieve that. So we need to find a Jorge from abroad do we still have the scouts and contacts ?
So we are in for a similar seasons in the future unless we uncover a gem, if you look at the top six all have two or three proven strikers, whilst good teams score goals from various players positions, having that constant threat is key to the jigsaw, the search must go on, we may see more Troy Hewitt type players and we invest two years into turning them into Will Grigg type players and progressing to a more prolific striker, then we start again. This is the Walsall way ATM.

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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:40 pm

That was like the dark depths of that 16 game winless run last season, just woeful.

I actually thought we started quite well, but the longer the opening half went it quickly became apparent we weren't going to create anything and the confidence in our play just dropped. Last night was the most infuriating example of our slow tempo and lack of runners ahead of the ball that I can remember all season. On at least 10-15 occasions Featherstone or Sawyers got the ball 35 yards out and the ONLY thing they could do is either stand and wait for a pass before getting tackled and losing it or aimlessly trying to pass it forward to Hewitt who just isn't a league 1 quality centre forward. The only player to move off the ball was Brandy. Hewitt stood marked and Westkaka? Jesus hay wept, I counted 10 times that we attacked and he was trotting on the left byeline making no effort to move AT ALL.

Taking a step back, credit to the team and Smith, when we lost our front 3 in the summer most of the media has us down for 24th and perhaps rightly so, but we haven't and we've given it a good go at doing something this season and for that you have to raise your cap. But what has become so obvious is that our lack of summer and then January centre forward recruitment has been atrocious. We made up for that pre January by effort, guile and attacking as a unit to make the most of what little potency we had. As soon as confidence has drained in our forwards, the rest of the team doesn't look interested in supporting us in attack. Our central midfield is an issue without Mantom, who himself isn't the most attackingly gifted midfield.

Last night and Saturday Featherstone was terrible, he seems a nice lad and tries hard but he from any of our players just sums this season up. He has 100 passes in a match, and I'd say 80 make it accurately to their man (decent ratio for a league 1 bosman) but I'd say 79 of them don't go more than 1 yard forward. He isn't physically strong so he doesn't add much defensively. So what does he add? Let's face it, how many shots has he had this season? 2? How many crunching tackles does he make? I can't remember 1. The most alarming thing of all for me, is that Adam Chambers seems to have returned to that central midfielder who hides from the game, who doesn't get forward and doesn't put his foot in - he just chases opposition midfielders around the pitch. How likely are we to look threatening when both our central midfielders are crabs and we don't have a natural centre forward on the pitch? Our wingers are an inconsistent threat to say the least? Short memories will forget that it was Chambers/Featherstone in midfield when our 16 game winless run became apparent last season, shortly after Flo got injured.

I actually thought Ngoo did what he was signed to do last night. We tippy tapped around Crewe in the midfield for 80 minutes but from the second he came on he at least tested them aerially and physically, even if he looked like a donkey and should have scored. He was pressuring the Crewe defender into making that slip up from the header and it was his knock down that lead to Milan's rasping volley - what a save that was.

Running through the players.

I don't even want to get into Westcarr, he can pucka up and kiss the core of my piece. The laziest, lacking effort and arrogant stroppy performance from any of our players this season. Boot him out the door in the summer please, he makes Hemmings look committed. Purkiss? Works hard but is he really a league 1 right back? Skinned out of his boots by Inman a couple of times. James Chambers, Andy Butler and Taylor did okay - though the goal was a mess down Taylor's side AGAIN, he can't be fit. Brandy was our best player by a mile, the only one willing to attack and run at them, it was one of the most obvious man of the match awards in a long time. Adam Chambers hid and contributed absolutely nothing, Featherstone was atrocious and stupidly negative. Hewitt? Bless him, he tries hard which is his best attribute, but what else is there to his game? I felt for Sawyers as he tried to drop and pick the ball up (about the only who is interested in doing so) but he has no options around him which lead him to over-play at times before losing the ball, that leads to comments about his attitude and what not - which are unfair.

Oh and Milan? :lol: have you seen a player that physically requires to run 10 yards towards his own goal and 30 yards across his midfield with the ball before trying to keep momentum in his attack? Hilarious. McQuilkin and Ngoo did okay, if we didn't have such a tough game Saturday I'd be tempted to start with McQuilkin, ultimately - it'l be Mantom and Chambers, possible with Featherstone behind them (which is the only time he should play).

Despite all that, people who are moaning about Smith and saying he's taken us as far as he can. Well I think that applies straight to the door of Jeff Bonser, who took us as far as he could well over a decade ago. If we sacked Smith or he left, I can wholly guarantee that all bar 10 or so of the entire FL72 would snap him up immediately, if not sooner. Look at what he's achieved in his last 3 years. Saved a cack team with a miracle escape, suffered a season with Hutchings players on his books still and then turned round a playing staff consisting of over the hill bosmans, playing hoofball that don't give a toss about Walsall FC or the fans into a team playing better football, that care for each other, that care for the fans and Walsall FC - who have also achieved things we thought impossible 3 years ago, BEFORE giving us our best run of football performances for yonks last season and in the first half of this. All of that despite losing 3 players that he developed and turned in excess of £1m profit on? (Breathe)

Be careful what you wish for if you think Smith's anywhere or even remotely close to being done here. There are fans around the country thoroughly envious of us having Smith and chairman AREN'T stupid, they will be keeping an eye on him. Grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Anyway, tough few weeks coming up with Rotherham, Orient and Bradford coming up. Stick with us, there are plenty of football fans having it worse around the country, which is always one thing you should take away whenever Walsall lose.
Last edited by Sadders on Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:41 pm

Pretty poor last night, we really are in a slump and at the moment, you can't see us getting out of it. 90% of our play was what has become the norm in the last few weeks. Tippy tappy between the back four and centre mids. We only looked threatening when Brandy turned and ran at them. The other 10% of our play broke down through either a poor pass or a stroke of bad luck. Lalkovic hit the bar, which could have gone in on another day. One corner seemed to miss everyone by inches. On a good run of form, these things tend to go for you. They wouldn't have masked what was an inept performance though.

A few things to note:

1. Featherstone can't play as part of a two man midfield, at least not with Adam Chambers. His natural game is ball retention, 10-15 yard passes. He's the ideal spare man in a midfield trio. He's just not got the ability to drive us forward which leads to Chambers having to try and play that role. Trouble is, Chambers is all about breaking up play and giving the ball to our more offensive players. Chambers driving forward means he's not there to put his foot in and break up play, which is something Featherstone doesn't do too frequently either. That's why we miss Mantom so much, he can drive us on allowing Chambers to play his natural game.

2. Ngoo is a viable option as a PlanB from the bench. He's not the greatest player we've ever had down here, far from it. But when he came on he caused problems. Not necessarily through his ability, just the fact that he was there occupying defenders. It just a shame that we were reluctant to go direct with 5 mins left. They looked shakey when the ball was hung up in the air. Ngoos presence was a major factor why their player powerd the ball in for us too, it really was a cracking header. It's just pointless to bring on a giant and still try to play to feet. We might aswel have brought on Steve Corica!

3. McQuilkin needs to be given a chance. He looked decent last night. It probably helped that Crewe sat back and let us have the ball in front of them, but at least he tried to be positive when he had the ball, electing a more adventurous pass rather than a simple square ball. Decent effort at goal too. You just fear that with Manyom back, he won't get a chance in the starting lineup for a while.

4. James Chambers is decent cover at centre back. Not the tallest but he reads the game well, getting into positions where he can intercept rather than compete for the ball. I'm a Purkiss fan too, usually he puts a decent ball into the box, didn't see much of that last night, but it adds an extra dimension when we get forward.

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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:59 pm

Good to see James getting a chance. He's worth a run in the side to give him the confidence to produce his best form.

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Super Gabor
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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:03 pm

Sadders - a very interesting read and pretty faultless set of observations.

Only quibble would be about Purkiss and Taylor. You might be right about Taylor's fitness but he played some very decent touches last night and was my MOTM and Purkiss is a solid right back and gives us a good right wing outlet (more so than Chambers when he's a right back) and both fullbacks can put in a good cross. Pity no-one gets on the end of them.

Chambers and Featherstone doesn't work as a combo and both seem to be giving 40-50% of what they are capable of on their day.

McQuilkin did give a flash of something worth trying and if Mantom comes back and we play with 5 across the midfield, it should be:

Mantom
Chambers
Baxendale
Brandy
Hemmings - maybe worth a start on the left

Sawyers should be a sub for Saturday together with Mcquilkin and Super Milan. Featherstone needs dropping for a bit.

Who to play upfront? Wetscarr...no. Ngoo?...no. Hewitt?...oh dear no...so who could it be?

Just reading that back makes it sound like the intro to "Hong Kong Phooey"!!

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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:09 pm

Sadders wrote: lots of good stuff


Cracking post that, Sadders.

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tinned
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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:23 pm

Asps wrote:Dire.

The club have not backed Smith with the money from Patto & Grigg, so it has gone stale, lost his mojo after 3 years in the job.

I worry for us next season.


I agree with the first part of your post. Whatever people say about The use of transfer receipts, the club, yet again, have quickly and quietly squirreled it away, never to be seen again. I'm not expecting a headline smashing signing but the money could have been used to pay the wages of a quality (at our level) signing. Whatever the Bonser apologists say, we have a track record of not properly investing funds received.

I'm not so in agreement with the second part of your post. You may be correct thta Smith has lost his mojo. He may also have found his tactical ceiling. I'm still nowhere near thinking about replacing him as who would we replace him with? Probably the latest version of Hutchings.

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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:07 pm

tinned wrote:
Asps wrote:Dire.

The club have not backed Smith with the money from Patto & Grigg, so it has gone stale, lost his mojo after 3 years in the job.

I worry for us next season.


I agree with the first part of your post. Whatever people say about The use of transfer receipts, the club, yet again, have quickly and quietly squirreled it away, never to be seen again. I'm not expecting a headline smashing signing but the money could have been used to pay the wages of a quality (at our level) signing. Whatever the Bonser apologists say, we have a track record of not properly investing funds received.

I'm not so in agreement with the second part of your post. You may be correct thta Smith has lost his mojo. He may also have found his tactical ceiling. I'm still nowhere near thinking about replacing him as who would we replace him with? Probably the latest version of Hutchings.


We could always bring Barnwell back! :( :( :(

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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:44 pm

smith set the team up all wrong, was hoping he would leave just adam chambers holding and have moreattacking options on the field, would have started with westcarr, lalkovich, brandy, sawyers, hewitt. although on last nights performance besides brandy they was all dog poo, were has the tempo gone and the intricate play, it beats me this is the same team that footballed to death wolves, swindon and posh.
i kinda do feel sorry for smith because i feel its hard for him to change the team for the better when we are just so weak in depth, which is why i wish we would have forgot about the multi gym being built at the ground and invested in a better quality loan or tie down one of the better players we have.

for me hewitt, purkiss, featherstone, baxendale, hemmings, mcquilkin may as well be chopped in at the end of the season. not good enough if we are seriously wanting to make a push for play offs.

with ngoo, brandy and lalkovich all be going, i think smith is going to have a very difficult rebuild in pre season, hope bakayoko gets a chance.

more importantly for me at the minute is for the players to get out there and run the balls off for the badge and cement a top half finish which would be a successful season considering our rescources and playing squad.

uts ! get on the early bird

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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:01 am

We must have the best stats for passes between the two CB's EVER.

The main problem I saw was that when either of the CM's got the ball the rest of the team were glued in postition, No movement whatsoever.

I feel sorry for Hewitt, wasn't picked when we were flying, getting criticized for his performances.

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Re: Crewe Alexandra (H) League One Tues 11 Mar, 7.45pm

Fri Mar 14, 2014 7:01 pm

"Tactical ceiling".

Sounds about right.

He cant win games when we go 1-0 down.

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