Leyton Orient (A) League One, Sat. 23rd August 3pm

[TheSwift]

Blimey, when you look at their forwards you wonder how anybody could avoid conceding.....
James, Henderson, Mooney, Cox, with Mc Anuff as back up! We could but only dream of a forward line like that.............. :?

They have scored 4 goals this season and are equal 15th in the number of goals scored while we have scored 2 and are equal 22nd!

So far we have had 2 shots, one on target to their 0 shots and 0 on target. :shock:

[leics_saddler]

This a better looking and better balanced team at least.
I'll gladly take humdrum stuff away at Orient, there's just the two problems:
1. 45mn to go yet
2. Backing this up in the next game.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Sheffield United 1 Crawley 0 (47 min)..... No sign of Andy Butler on the pitch or the bench. :?

56 minutes, and O'Donnell saves Orient's FIRST shot that is accurate.....

[Ancient Moaner]

We have had six shots at goal in one match, and its only the 55th minute! Is this a record since Notts County? :)

[TheSwift]

Hmmm

53:11 Attempt missed. Anthony Forde (Walsall) right footed shot from very close range is close, but misses to the left.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Attendance 4,400

The odds have shifted to the extent that the draw is now (4/9) odds-on. A Walsall win brings 6/1, and looks tasty.....

[Welsh_Saddler]

Sawyers on for Baxendale, 65min.

First yellow card of the game to Vincelot of Orient.

Reece Flanagan on for Billy Clifford, 75 minutes.......

Kieron Morris on for Ashley Grimes, 80 minutes.

...and away from it all, Westcarr scores for Portsmouth, 80 min. :shock:

[AliGJ]

In other news in the Football League, Craig Westcarr scoring for Portsmouth... (Edit - Sorry, just realised this Breaking News has already been posted aha)

[Welsh_Saddler]

2 minutes into time added on, and we have a corner. Deep joy?????

Full time, and it ended 0-0. That has to be a point gained rather than anything dropped :D

[TheSwift]

A good point, but 2 0-0's in a week and one goal in 180 minutes of football is, well quite poor.

[TheSwift]

Although we are creating more chances and having more shots which is pleasing. :D

[chestersaddler]

Wow, another draw. Who'dve thunked it.

[chestersaddler]

A good point, but 2 0-0's in a week and one goal in 180 minutes of football is, well quite poor.

Maths obviously not your strong point :wink:

[Ancient Moaner]

Although we are creating more chances and having more shots which is pleasing. :D

SSShhhh don't tell Deano.....good excuse NOT to proceed with this mythical search for a striker! :?

[TheSwift]

A good point, but 2 0-0's in a week and one goal in 180 minutes of football is, well quite poor.

Maths obviously not your strong point :wink:

Sorry, I added them up as my automatic reaction was to do 3×60. Doing the 60 times table has been permanently induced on me since I learned to tell the time :D

Need to learn my 90 times table by heart now. :lol:

Anyway, 1 goal in 270 minutes of football is well, quite poor ;)

[TheSwift]

Hmmm

53:11 Attempt missed. Anthony Forde (Walsall) right footed shot from very close range is close, but misses to the left.

According to E+S it was two yards out :oops:

[asimpson]

I have to say that is two points lost having gone to the game. Two average teams but we were the only one trying to play football. Leyton Orient were very predictable lumping it up to Henderson to knock on or getting it wide to Cox and McAnuff to cross for Henderson. Once we sussed this tactic out we looked pretty comfortable at the back.

Forde missed an absolute sitter from 3 yards having done all the good work to close the keeper down. He tried to be clever by back heeling it in and it went wide.

O'Donnell: Made a good save from Cox in second half and was solid throughout, particularly from the many crosses that came in.

Kinsella: What a talent this boy is, calm on the ball and can pick out a pass. First choice right back for me.

Holden: Very solid. Not the quickest but reads the game very well. Perfectly capable as a back up to Chambers.

Downing: Solid enough but not as confident on the ball as Holden.

Taylor: Mr Consistent. Got forward very well when needed.

Chambers: Won lots of tackles and kept the ball moving.

Clifford: Always looking for ball but gave it away far too much in the first half. Improved in the second half but needs to improve his decision making if he is to keep Mantom out the team.

Forde: Couple of good moments but drifted in and out of the game. Missed the open goal.

Baxendale: Like Forde a couple of good moments but pretty average.

Grimes: Too slow to get in support of Bradshaw which meant he wasn't able to get in the game. Also quite lazy when it comes to getting back to defend.

Bradshaw: Love this guy! Worked his socks off from first minute to the last and held the ball up well. His work rate alone means he will get goals. Reminds me a lot of Grigg. Left isolated for most of the game and would have benefited from someone else alongside him.

Subs

Sawyers: Few good touches when he came on but has a tendency to overplay.

Morris: Looked good when he came on and stated a good claim to get in the starting 11 instead of Grimes. Likes to make things happen.

Flanagan: Some nice passes but not on long enough to make that much of an impression.

[NorwichSaddler]

Thought Bradshaw was awesome today, I don't think we need another striker to be honest, I have more than enough faith in him. The problem is that he didn't really get any service at all, he was forever running the channels from optimistic long balls.
Its the central midfield that needs sorting but hopefully that might change when mantom gets back from injury.
Also Forde looks a good signing, definitely showed it the second half but the whole team was pretty shocking in the 1st.
A Draw was fair enough I reckon.

[JonnyOwen]

We should of won that :shock:

I'm going to watch the coverage on TFLS tonight with my eyes closed because of the miss from Forde.

Very, very good point though, I feel Orient would of been so much more dangerous had they attacked with the ball on the ground more often, but they insisted on just crossing it to Henderson for most of the game which didn't work well. We played quite well, with Kinsella, Morris, Forde (besides the miss) and Bradshaw all impressing me a lot. Forde and Baxo did the up and down really well, covered the full backs incredibly well and was able to counter and get up the pitch with relative success. Defensively very solid, I thought Holden would of struggled more but since most of Orient's attacks were aerial he handled himself very, very well. Bradshaw is just amazing. Clifford needs game time, but looks a very good prospect.

Very poor stewarding by the Orient stewards, they told me that I will have to take the caps off my water bottle when they searched me, but then proceeded to allow me through with caps firmly on. #rebel

[sallian]

Very poor stewarding by the Orient stewards, they told me that I will have to take the caps off my water bottle when they searched me, but then proceeded to allow me through with caps firmly on. #rebel

This is one of the reasons why I did not go today....it is an idiotic and inconvenient rule and I argued with them last time about it....as though someone can't throw something else much more dangerous... idiotic rules irritate me a lot. I wonder how many plastic bottle incidents this has been based on....how many goal keepers were killed or hospitalised by such a thing....seems quite difficult to me to throw a filled plastic bottle with any force or accuracy from the stands... They seem to have overlooked all sorts of other disguised artillery:-

1) Old men with fake and extra walking sticks
2) cement filled walking sticks
3) Multiple section walking sticks
4) fake wheelchairs that can be dismantled into 40 metal missiles
5) fake watch missiles
6) false teeth missiles
7) shoes
8) fake or cheap mobile phone missiles
9) overcooked hard burgers....flying saucer missile effect
10) false leg missiles...did they ask anyone to raise trouser legs?
11) fake children missiles...I bet they never checked one child is real
12) coins
13) wallets
14) handbag slings
15) leather belt whips
16) false eye missiles...did they check anyone's eyes properly?
17) fake detachable botox lips....did they check anyone's mouth?

in short they have overlooked a whole arsenal of weaponry.....why not make everyone enter in a straight jacket with shackled legs....or naked....or surrounded in bubble wrap

Also didn't go because I considered the expense, effort...etc....to see Walsall not score yet again....

With reports about the new players all being quite good...then it has to be down to tactics/formation... so perhaps Dean Smith barks up the wrong tree in searching for more strikers who will only end up isolated and shackled by the tactics

[IHTC.]

Very poor stewarding by the Orient stewards, they told me that I will have to take the caps off my water bottle when they searched me, but then proceeded to allow me through with caps firmly on. #rebel

This is one of the reasons why I did not go today....it is an idiotic and inconvenient rule and I argued with them last time about it....as though someone can't throw something else much more dangerous... idiotic rules irritate me a lot. I wonder how many plastic bottle incidents this has been based on....how many goal keepers were killed or hospitalised by such a thing....seems quite difficult to me to throw a filled plastic bottle with any force or accuracy from the stands... They seem to have overlooked all sorts of other disguised artillery:-

1) Old men with fake and extra walking sticks
2) cement filled walking sticks
3) Multiple section walking sticks
4) fake wheelchairs that can be dismantled into 40 metal missiles
5) fake watch missiles
6) false teeth missiles
7) shoes
8) fake or cheap mobile phone missiles
9) overcooked hard burgers....flying saucer missile effect
10) false leg missiles...did they ask anyone to raise trouser legs?
11) fake children missiles...I bet they never checked one child is real
12) coins
13) wallets
14) handbag slings
15) leather belt whips
16) false eye missiles...did they check anyone's eyes properly?
17) fake detachable botox lips....did they check anyone's mouth?

in short they have overlooked a whole Arsenal of weaponry.....why not make everyone enter in a straight jacket with shackled legs....or naked....or surrounded in bubble wrap

Also didn't go because I considered the expense, effort...etc....to see Walsall not score yet again....

With reports about the new players all being quite good...then it has to be down to tactics/formation... so perhaps Dean Smith barks up the wrong tree in searching for more strikers who will only end up isolated and shackled by the tactics

No need for a new striker when we only play 1 upfront, complete waste of budget unless he makes drastic changes to his stubborn tactics.

[WFC_Rob]

The question is, does Smith only play one up front because he's never really had two strikers he has enough confidence in as a pair? Or would he play one up front regardless? Either way, another striker should at least give us the option of varying our approach at a time when we've become a bit too predictable.

Still think the main problem is the limited contribution our wide players make though.

[sallian]

Very poor stewarding by the Orient stewards, they told me that I will have to take the caps off my water bottle when they searched me, but then proceeded to allow me through with caps firmly on. #rebel

This is one of the reasons why I did not go today....it is an idiotic and inconvenient rule and I argued with them last time about it....as though someone can't throw something else much more dangerous... idiotic rules irritate me a lot. I wonder how many plastic bottle incidents this has been based on....how many goal keepers were killed or hospitalised by such a thing....seems quite difficult to me to throw a filled plastic bottle with any force or accuracy from the stands... They seem to have overlooked all sorts of other disguised artillery:-

1) Old men with fake and extra walking sticks
2) cement filled walking sticks
3) Multiple section walking sticks
4) fake wheelchairs that can be dismantled into 40 metal missiles
5) fake watch missiles
6) false teeth missiles
7) shoes
8) fake or cheap mobile phone missiles
9) overcooked hard burgers....flying saucer missile effect
10) false leg missiles...did they ask anyone to raise trouser legs?
11) fake children missiles...I bet they never checked one child is real
12) coins
13) wallets
14) handbag slings
15) leather belt whips
16) false eye missiles...did they check anyone's eyes properly?
17) fake detachable botox lips....did they check anyone's mouth?

in short they have overlooked a whole Arsenal of weaponry.....why not make everyone enter in a straight jacket with shackled legs....or naked....or surrounded in bubble wrap

Also didn't go because I considered the expense, effort...etc....to see Walsall not score yet again....

With reports about the new players all being quite good...then it has to be down to tactics/formation... so perhaps Dean Smith barks up the wrong tree in searching for more strikers who will only end up isolated and shackled by the tactics

No need for a new striker when we only play 1 upfront, complete waste of budget unless he makes drastic changes to his stubborn tactics.

agreed

you would think that the tactics had been and unending success the way they are clung to

[sallian]

The question is, does Smith only play one up front because he's never really had two strikers he has enough confidence in as a pair? Or would he play one up front regardless? Either way, another striker should at least give us the option of varying our approach at a time when we've become a bit too predictable.

Still think the main problem is the limited contribution our wide players make though.

maybe the players are being relied on too much ...and they are not being presented with enough attacking ideas/options/strategies from the management...

I'm always doubting the ability of managers who can only talk about new players to solve problems...rather than changing the methods and improving the players abilities and techniques..... you would think it is impossible to learn anything new or improve anything by making changes and practice....

[Andy_Petterson]

The question is, does Smith only play one up front because he's never really had two strikers he has enough confidence in as a pair? Or would he play one up front regardless? Either way, another striker should at least give us the option of varying our approach at a time when we've become a bit too predictable.

Still think the main problem is the limited contribution our wide players make though.

He'd play 1 up regardless, as it allows two defensive midfielders and to be fair it works well away from home.

Today was a good result and should have been 3 points, I just cannot believe for a side struggling for goals Forde tried to back heel the ball into the net. Beggars belief.

At home I'd like to see us a a bit more offensive. On another thread I suggested a 3-4-1-2 formation but that's not going to happen. As we will persist with 4-2-3-1, I'd like to see the midfielders making more runs into the box to give us more of an attacking threat.

[IHTC.]

The question is, does Smith only play one up front because he's never really had two strikers he has enough confidence in as a pair? Or would he play one up front regardless? Either way, another striker should at least give us the option of varying our approach at a time when we've become a bit too predictable.

Still think the main problem is the limited contribution our wide players make though.

Why sign the ones hes brought in then?

[Andy_Petterson]

I have to say that is two points lost having gone to the game. Two average teams but we were the only one trying to play football. Leyton Orient were very predictable lumping it up to Henderson to knock on or getting it wide to Cox and McAnuff to cross for Henderson. Once we sussed this tactic out we looked pretty comfortable at the back.

Forde missed an absolute sitter from 3 yards having done all the good work to close the keeper down. He tried to be clever by back heeling it in and it went wide.

O'Donnell: Made a good save from Cox in second half and was solid throughout, particularly from the many crosses that came in.

Kinsella: What a talent this boy is, calm on the ball and can pick out a pass. First choice right back for me.

Holden: Very solid. Not the quickest but reads the game very well. Perfectly capable as a back up to Chambers.

Downing: Solid enough but not as confident on the ball as Holden.

Taylor: Mr Consistent. Got forward very well when needed.

Chambers: Won lots of tackles and kept the ball moving.

Clifford: Always looking for ball but gave it away far too much in the first half. Improved in the second half but needs to improve his decision making if he is to keep Mantom out the team.

Forde: Couple of good moments but drifted in and out of the game. Missed the open goal.

Baxendale: Like Forde a couple of good moments but pretty average.

Grimes: Too slow to get in support of Bradshaw which meant he wasn't able to get in the game. Also quite lazy when it comes to getting back to defend.

Bradshaw: Love this guy! Worked his socks off from first minute to the last and held the ball up well. His work rate alone means he will get goals. Reminds me a lot of Grigg. Left isolated for most of the game and would have benefited from someone else alongside him.

Subs

Sawyers: Few good touches when he came on but has a tendency to overplay.

Morris: Looked good when he came on and stated a good claim to get in the starting 11 instead of Grimes. Likes to make things happen.

Flanagan: Some nice passes but not on long enough to make that much of an impression.

very good summary

[Cully]

Listened to Smith on the radio who stated that he was very happy with all our players and performances so far this season, Bradford included, and that he expects us to making a real challenge this season. Now there are two possibilities............he's lying or he's thick.

I now fully expect us to win promotion this season and look forward to our unbeaten run to the top of the league..............hooray, SMITH IN!

[WFC_Rob]

The question is, does Smith only play one up front because he's never really had two strikers he has enough confidence in as a pair? Or would he play one up front regardless? Either way, another striker should at least give us the option of varying our approach at a time when we've become a bit too predictable.

Still think the main problem is the limited contribution our wide players make though.

Why sign the ones hes brought in then?

Because you can't rely on one striker to see you through 50-odd games. I'm not suggesting that Smith signs players he genuinely doesn't rate - just that perhaps he signs strikers he's happier to play up front on their own than together as a pair.

[TheSwift]