Scunthorpe United (H) League One 10th Jan, 3pm

[Welsh_Saddler]

Grimes on for Forde, 71 min.

... and Flanagan on for Cooke

Grimes hat-trick?

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Zaddler]

Given Preston hope that we are now capable of completely imploding defensively. Not their but it sounds like Swindon all over again, you would never have seen this result coming after the first 15-20 minutes

[Welsh_Saddler]

76 minutes, Manset replaces Sawyers

[Ghostofwalsallpast]

Dean 'mediocre' Smith strikes again.

Bad result
Good (lucky) result
Bad result
Good (lucky) result
Bad result

Comments to be expected from philthedingle

Average results expected from an Average manager. I'd love to see what a "positive" manager could do with this squad. It will certainly be squeaky bum time vs Preston

[Welsh_Saddler]

Attendance 3,738

MK Dons pull one back at Crawley (W. Grigg), score now 2-1

[Guest]

I don't think 1-4, 0-2, 1-4 are 'average' results. Shocking, more like.

[Sadders]

What a weird football team. Clearly the cup result has gone the wrong way mentally with us, although own goals and penalties don't help, it sounds like we started very well and the own goal knocked the stuffing out of us. Smith needs to be ruthless now. I wouldn't play O'Connor, he gets skinned too easily, has no pace and lets his man cross the ball. If Downing is having his little crisis period again, either Smith decides to drop him for a while or drops Chambers next to him who does NOTHING vocally to help him, like Butler did.

Preston will be looking at our home form and thinking they could cruise through still.

Sort it out Dean.

[Guest]

Still, we've had 17 shots to their 5.

[Welsh_Saddler]

I don't think 1-4, 0-2, 1-4 are 'average' results. Shocking, more like.

And all the more baffling when you look at the results we manage to achieve playing away from home. It's all base over apex !!

[SaigonSaddler]

Still, we've had 17 shots to their 5.

Really? Jesus.

Funny old game.

[Ghostofwalsallpast]

I don't think 1-4, 0-2, 1-4 are 'average' results. Shocking, more like.

They are but it risky to tell it as it is.

Great we're 90 minutes from Wembley but we're not there yet and it is a good "distraction" from otherwise shocking results as you say.

[Guest]

Still, we've had 17 shots to their 5.

Really? Jesus.

Funny old game.

18 now, 6 on target. They've had 3 on target and scored 4. (See above)

[Darth Vader]

We are utterly cack at home. Awful defeat.

[boringteacher]

Having just made a twerp of myself by posting about this on the Forde thread, I'm taken aback by what's going on when we play at Bescot. You can argue about us being better as a counter-attacking team, but the stats dont suggest we were short of attacking moments today.

Swindon was a bit of a freak result against a really good team in weird conditions, Cov bullied us with the help of a weak ref (and we should at least have drawn based on the 2nd half). Today, against Scunthorpe for fudge sake? I'm not over-reacting, but our inconsistency means that you have to look at points to 6th and 21st nearly every game to work out where we're at.

[sallian]

As I said before....but was opposed for it by ignorant clowns....Walsall did not play well at all in the Preston game anyway....they scored two great goals and were saved by the 'keeper. It was a bad performance in defence and attack.

This then is not so surprising....the structural problems are not being changed, so the same results/effects will be produced. Some of you are fooled by results and don't see the mechanics of success or failure on the pitch.

Walsall have good players, and the manager does some things well...but without adjustments that are SCREAMINGLY OBVIOUS....there will be no play offs and also a possible cup humiliation from Preston or at Wembley.

Walsall can not string 3 wins together because the fundamental changes are not being made and the ADMISSION of weakness in approach is absent from the manager....as it is from some of the half-brained fans.

[IHTC.]

We are utterly cack at home. Awful defeat.

Welcome back

[Jolly Johnny]

Still, we've had 17 shots to their 5.

Really? Jesus.

Funny old game.

18 now, 6 on target. They've had 3 on target and scored 4. (See above)

That probably says a lot!

Don't take your chances or at last get them on target, then you won't win games.
We need someone else who can put the ball away as it can't always be Bradshaw.

[Pheasey_Saddler]

Dreadful result. At least MK Dons have equalised against Crawley late on which may help us in a potential relegation battle!

[Sadders]

Another bogey team again today, same ast Coventry and we have our ultimate bogey next week. Preston will be licking their lips at the prospect of playing us at home. The Swindon defeat seems to have knocked our home defensive confidence away. 4, 2 and another 4 today? Own goals or penalties - that is cack. Colchester will be a juicy price at the bookies next week, will ask what I can get on Preston qualifying too.

Smith NEEDS to be ruthless now.

[Guest]

Absolutely awful. My condolences to all that were there.

I shall be over for the home game v Vale. Do you think I should change my flight?

[SaddlerSteve]

Why can't we perform against mediocre / unfashionable sides? Need to start creating some bloody noise and atmosphere the lads must forget they are playing a competitive game!

A result is not a 'result' until 90 minutes is over Phil. Ever heard of trying to support the side instead of being so eager to stick the knife in at the earliest opportunity every time we aren't doing so well? And I'll say it again, Walsall is a mediocre club in the grand scheme of things.

If your at the game then why the hell are you posting on UTS anyway? Football has changed....

I take it you weren't at the game ..... again!
The Tile Choice never stopped singing even when we were getting battered.

90 minutes is now over and the 2nd half was the same as the first. We came out and we're all over them again. Even got a good goal. Then a silly misplaced pass and they were up the other end winning a penalty. Then we folded as we have gone the last 2 home games.

You hit the impression that as soon as Smith made the substitutions he'd decided this game was over.

And some clown decided Sawyers was man of the match .... WTF!??!?

[SWS1]

Our conversion rate for attempts versus goals at home must be the worst in the whole Football League*, never mind League 1. :(
I await (with some trepidation) the verdict from the only fans who matter - those who were there! :(

* The few teams who have scored fewer goals than us are probably c_rap and have a better conversion rate (Hartlepool excepted - probably :mrgreen: )

Wembley here we come!

Maybe.

[SaddlerSteve]

Still, we've had 17 shots to their 5.

Really? Jesus.

Funny old game.

18 now, 6 on target. They've had 3 on target and scored 4. (See above)

At half-time we'd had 70% possession and were 2-0 down.

[Ancient Moaner]

League season over, how can we let in 10 goals at home in three consecutive matches? This is monstrous, Preston will be wringing their hands in glee at the prospect of walking over us in the second game.....If Scunthorpe can hit us for 4, Prestons forward line will have a field day!
The Wembley dream, now just a dream, it aint gonna happen! :(
Smith has to make some changes, I was led to believe we had a good defence? Scunny have 4 shots on target and score from three of 'em....it's just diabolical.
5 points clear of the relegation zone, and that's the direction we will be looking towards.
Very sad after Wednesday, like those biased commentators said on Wednesday at half time "how Preston were not 3/4-0 up at half time was a miracle"
The 'drop like a stone' candidates for the second half of the season, looks to be us. :(

[philthesaddler]

Dean 'mediocre' Smith strikes again.

Bad result
Good (lucky) result
Bad result
Good (lucky) result
Bad result

Comments to be expected from philthedingle

oh, so I'm a dingle cos I have an opinion based on intelligent interpretation of several performances I've seen from this team.

Last 3 home games have yielded just 2 goals scored yet 10 goals conceded. They also been matches against 3 very different teams in both playing style and approach. Clearly, as I've have been saying match after match, Dean Smith is a mediocre manager who will never get walsall anywhere near the playoffs, not even the top 10.

He's like one of those people in the casino who plays roulette and puts his chips on the same 6 numbers every spin - he'll pick up some wins, but will mostly lose.

Against mk dons we were lucky, having been gifted an early own goal, then as they pushed forward and left gaps at the back, we snook in and scored twice. Against Preston on Wednesday, we would have been 2-0 down if it werent for O'Donnell, yet we rode our lucky and scored a couple of goals as Preston pushed forward.

If the game doesn't take that kind of form, we really struggle. He hasn't got a clue how to change things.

Granted, we've had a lot of games lately, but he's a manager, he's paid to manage and make changes to ensure our results are consistent. He can't or won't do that, he plays the same tactics no matter who the opposition are, and thickos on this board can't work out why we're so inconsistent.

Like I said earlier in the season, it's not the playoffs we need to worry about, it's getting relegated because our defence is creaky and we have an over reliance on Bradshaw for goals.

If you're happy with Dean Smith producing a team that will finish 13th-19th then I feel sorry for you.

[philthesaddler]

Still, we've had 17 shots to their 5.

Really? Jesus.

Funny old game.

18 now, 6 on target. They've had 3 on target and scored 4. (See above)

At half-time we'd had 70% possession and were 2-0 down.

Really?? Why don't we lobby the league to scrap the whole "goals win games" rule and ask them to award points based on possession instead, we'd be top of them league!

[Big Dave wfc]

I left at the 4th goal as I couldn't feel my feet! Embarrassed would probably some up how I feel leaving today, a Scunthorpe side who was let's be honest bang average.

Shocking pass from Cain to oconnor which lead to the cross for the own goal. Totally switched off for the second, Jordan Cook needs a big boot up the arse from the coaching staff he really doesn't want to get back.

Downing needs a course of steroids, allows himself to get bullied. Didn't really see wether it was a penalty or not. 4th goal poor poor defending.

Bradshaw hadn't had a sniff all day.

Big fan of smith but why wasn't there a extra striker brought on at half time, he has to take responsibility for how late the subs was used.

Worried for the jpt !

[philthesaddler]

I left at the 4th goal as I couldn't feel my feet! Embarrassed would probably some up how I feel leaving today, a Scunthorpe side who was let's be honest bang average.

Shocking pass from Cain to oconnor which lead to the cross for the own goal. Totally switched off for the second, Jordan Cook needs a big boot up the arse from the coaching staff he really doesn't want to get back.

Downing needs a course of steroids, allows himself to get bullied. Didn't really see wether it was a penalty or not. 4th goal poor poor defending.

Bradshaw hadn't had a sniff all day.

Big fan of smith but why wasn't there a extra striker brought on at half time, he has to take responsibility for how late the subs was used.

Worried for the jpt !

Big fan of Smith?

4 years in charge, never got us near the playoffs, currently 15th in the league after 3 successive home defeats conceding 10 goals, lowest home goals tally last season and 3rd lowest scorers in the league this term?

Woah there buddy - You need to lower your expectations.

[Neuromantic]

I don't care about any of this manager business.

That is an absolutely shocking result. Fuming.

[Guest]

Could we ground share with someone? Obviously this Bescot thing isn't working out.