Alfreton Town (A) Friendly - 22/7/14

[Pedagogue]

Warm sunny evening here in Derbyshire.
Saddlers line-up
O'Donnell
O'Connor
Taylor
Chambers J
Holden
Chambers A
Ruiz (Spanish Trialist)
Bradshaw
Webber
Benning
Baxendale

Downing
MacGillivary
Morris
Heath
Bakayoku
Kinsella

[Pedagogue]

Half-time 0-0

We have been generally in control - until we reach their penalty-area. Sound familiar?
O'Donnell has had to make just one save. Alfreton have a big brick toilet up front (no. 23) and he has been well-marshalled by James Chambers.

[SoccerHQ]

I thought Webber had been potted given he didn't go down to Devon. Why is he still being trialled? :roll:

[Pedagogue]

Downing on for Holden.

[gerryhatrick]

Downing on for Holden.

Well, that should improve our attacking flair.

[Pedagogue]

1-0 to Alfreton

[Pedagogue]

Bakayoko and Morris on for Webber and Baxendale.

[Sadders]

Butler has scored...


















For the Blades at Northampton. :(

[Pedagogue]

Heath and Kinsella on for O'Connor and Ruiz.

[Pedagogue]

2-0 to Alfreton

[IHTC.]

friendly or not, even the happy clappers would struggle to put a positive spin on this rubbish.

[1933]

Didn't we win 6-0 or something last pre-season?

[Sadders]

A weaker defence and no goals, a stale philosophy perhaps. Sounds familiar to Tisdale down at Exeter.

Let's see what the next few weeks bring as pre-season means very little generally, though it's never nice to lose to anybody at all, ever. Some signings to be made for Smith in the coming weeks. If we start the season with Cook/Mantom injured then we are up cack street.

[Pedagogue]

Finished 2-0

[otiswfc]

1 goal scored in 3 pre season games against non league opposition is cack no matter how anyone looks at it.
When smith said the other day he wanted the goals to be spread around the team thats when alarm bells should have started ringing because that is just manager speak for we ain't got a goal scorer also when bradshaw said last week he's set himself a target of 15 for the season that's 15 in a 46 game season just goes to show he won't be scoring many. Anyway who else we got Mansfield, leamington,Aston villa wonder how many we will score against them?
I'm gonna say 1 in a 1-1 draw at leamington.

[Happydays2122]

Smith needs to sign at least 3/4 quality players proven at this level and I for one think there is 0 chance of that happening

[saddlertd]

We'll go down with this squad - we can't score goals and we are leaking them at the other end. Another pre-season transfer opportunity wasted while we pish around looking at useless Spanish trialists, has-beens and cheap cast-offs. Who was Smith kidding when he said we got rid of Westcarr because we could do better. Well we ain't doing so good replacing him so far. And O'Connor is not the answer as Butler's replacement - we need at least 3 players: a dominant centre-half, a goal scorer and a decent wide-man. We also need some cover in central midfield: why did we get rid of Featherstone again? So far, Deano's transfer dealings have left us immeasurably weaker than last season. Not good enough!!! :evil:

[saddlertd]

And where is the cash from the sale of Will Grigg? Surely we ain't spent it on the mediocre signings we've made so far? If we have to rely on Holden, Bradshaw and Baxendale this season then we are fecked!

[BathSaddler]

Maybe if we beat Leicester and Vile it will somehow balance out? :lol:

[JonnyOwen]

Why do people keep saying we need a central midfielder, feel like I have to repeat myself every 2 seconds. Flanagan and Heath will most likely step into the back up central midfield role, as they are deemed good enough. (Flanagan definitely looks good enough)

The game, well I don't really want to talk about the negatives, be here all day - and I am normally quite a positive person when it comes to Walsall! But anyway, the positives.

- Adam Chambers looks fit and up for it.
- Bradshaw tried really hard, did a lot of running and looked tidy. Hit the bar and had one close range shot saved well, looks a real handful, great player.
- Webber looked decent, played a few good passes in the number 10 spot to Bradshaw and the wide men - also had a decent turn of pace for a 32 year old...

That's about it to be honest. I still wouldn't read to much into it, honestly don't understand how people can say we are relegation fodder after playing 3 pre-season games based around fitness for fudge sake :lol:

[SoccerHQ]

What's the main problem with the defence then? O'Donnell, Downing, Taylor and Chambers all still remain from last season so is Butler just a massive loss particuarly aerially? Mind you has O'Connor actually played CB yet? In fainess as long as Holden gets nowhere near the pitch, I still back that group to churn out a decent number of clean sheets this season.

The eternal problem remains, sign some bleeding strikers Smith!!! :lol:

[JonnyOwen]

I don't know why everyone is blaming Holden either, we have conceded 5 goals this pre season, and only 1 has been conceded with him on the pitch - and that was an unfortunate own goal from him.

[Pedagogue]

I've tried to collect my thoughts while driving home (not helped by a delay and diversion on the A38 :evil: ).

Goal - Apart from the two headers which produced the goals, O'Donnell only had to make a couple of saves.

Defence - All five players used looked safe and confident when the ball was on the ground but it was panic stations when the ball was crossed in the air. Butler is DEFINITELY going to be missed.

Attack - Very pretty play until we reached anywhere near the Alfreton penalty-area and then intelligent off-the-ball movement and quick penetrative passing were conspicuous by their absence.

This was a sense of déja vu, i.e. the form of the last third of last season. In other words - relegation form. It is too early to panic and I know that we have Mantom, Sawyers and Cook to return, but, if this carries on into the new season, then we have a real struggle on our hands. I think back to the 1960s when we were relegated from what is now called the Championship and we had a crop of very promising youngsters, who went on to give us good service, but were not ready to save us from the drop. I worry that we may be asking our current crop of young players to do a job for which they are not yet ready.

Of the trialists and new signings, O'Connor played solely at right-back and it seems that he is not regarded as a replacement for Butler, Bradshaw huffed and puffed and worked hard but only once came close to scoring when he hit the cross-bar. Much the same could be said of Webber although he was quicker than I expected him to be. Ruiz I will reserve judgement on - some promising touches but never troubled their 'keeper.

I think it says it all when Mal Benning was our best attacking threat. He has got to start on the left side of midfield.

What's that old saying?

"If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always got". Some imagination is needed in the coaching and preparation of our attacking players because, at the moment, they are totally bereft of ideas.

[Chomper]

Not too worried at all. We've also got Sawyers to come back and Deano will be lining up other deals.

Don't panic after three practice matches!!!

[Happydays2122]

Agree as others have said. Smiths transfer dealings to date have put us in a much worse position than last season. What is he doing .....

[Ancient Moaner]

Not too worried at all. We've also got Sawyers to come back and Deano will be lining up other deals.

Don't panic after three practice matches!!!

Well at least such eternal optimism made me lof this morning! :?

[JAL-WFC]

Judging by the comments from the last 3 FRIENDLIES it looks like our new scoreboard wont be much use.

https://twitter.com/WFCOfficial/status/491862601622913024/photo/1

Who needs a striker when we can have a fancy scoreboard eh?

On a serious note however, those already fearing relegation are jokers.

I would expect Smith to sign a couple more attacking players within the next week or so. Everyone knows we have a striker "problem", even Smith, so I highly doubt he thinks the squad is good enough at the moment.

I will reserve judgement on the squad until September.

But can the doom and gloom merchants please go back to their caves until then.

[kshammer]

That's it then...



:wink:

[Twelthofapenny]

So... If we beat Villa does that mean we will go up champions? Friendlies are meant to build fitness and team cohesion. It's hardly a yardstick to measure how we will do over a season. Remember 1998/99? Our pre-season was apparently one the worst we've ever had that year. I myself was too young to remember it (being a baby stayaway, I had to prioritise learning to walk and talk coherently!), but people around have never had a high opinion of it. And yet, HOW well did we do that season? :wink:

Surprised we've adopted the "HE'S GORRA GEW FRANKSIE" mentality so quickly! Way before a league match has even begun, and with 2 draws and 2 losses to our friendly record.

[chestersaddler]

Surprised we've adopted the "HE'S GORRA GEW FRANKSIE" mentality so quickly! Way before a league match has even begun, and with 2 draws and 2 losses to our friendly record.

"We" haven't. A couple of doom moongers aren't representative of the majority. Pedagogue's comments give some cause for concern though.