Scunthorpe United (A) League One 30th Aug, 3pm

[SWS1]

And before anyone actually replies, I'd better admit the above is a (very poor) joke.
(But which bit. A-ha!)
:mrgreen:

Oops! Wasn't quick enough, there. :lol:

[Happydays2122]

I'd like to see a change.... And quickly. 8 signings is it now ?
the replacement of butler has been a disaster waiting to happen. James chambers played out of position and Holden
The form is simply a carry on from the end of last season so actually this is a run of something like 20 plus games.

[IHTC.]

I'd like to see a change.... And quickly. 8 signings is it now ?
the replacement of butler has been a disaster waiting to happen. James chambers played out of position and Holden
The form is simply a carry on from the end of last season so actually this is a run of something like 20 plus games.

I have the stats for you but they are irrelevant and I am not allowed to use them. But some good news, we can look back on the good things that have happened, that's allowed :D

[JonnyOwen]

Hmm.

If we don't win against Colchester then my panic button is going to be firmly pressed.

Positives:
Baxendale was very good second half, ran at them and scared the heck out of them.
Clifford was very influential again.
Morris is screaming to be started, looks very, very dangerous.
Bradshaw continues to be class.

Negatives:
2 more injures to J Chambers, and Grimes.
No link between midfield and attack, hoofed it too many times.
Manset looked unfit.
A Chambers had a bit of a shocker.
Holden is decent until you get space on him and are allowed to run, then he is way too slow (first goal).
O'Donnell should of done better for their second.
Referee was proper saft.

Their number 12 Neil Bishop is a barclays.

[belgiansaddler]

Got what we deserved after only playing for 20 minutes of the match. The first 70 minutes we were absolutely woeful. Yes the ref and Lino were useless but even Deano can't blame them for our shocking performance for the majority of that match. The fact that they were total and utter gash makes it all the more annoying

[Walsall_Casual]

Thank God we now have the final piece of the jigsaw anyway!

Embarrassing.

[Happydays2122]

I'd like to see the stats in terms of wins, loses, draws since February 2014
I think..... Maybe 2,3,4 wins possibly out of maybe 22,23,24 games
Abysmal run of form which if continues makes us absolute certainties for relegation a long time before the season ends

[IHTC.]

I'd like to see the stats in terms of wins, loses, draws since February 2014
I think..... Maybe 2,3,4 wins possibly out of maybe 22,23,24 games
Abysmal run of form which if continues makes us absolute certainties for relegation a long time before the season ends

After beating Notts County (25th Jan)

P23 W2 D10 L11 F19 A28 (goals F/A are thereabouts)

[bangsection]

Bit of a blow to the clamour for 4-4-2 today. At home, fair enough - change things up. Away, it was a disaster. 4-2-3-1 has always worked better on the road. Perfect opportunity today to start Baxendale behind Bradshaw but rushing Manset into the side backfired big time.

Also, what does it say about Smith's confidence in Holden that he rushed Chambers back early? Too early, as it turned out.

[Happydays2122]

don't know what will happen at Walsall
But with 2 WINS OUT OF THE LAST 23 GAMES
Most Clubs would look at change of manager

[Cully]

Duh, duh, duh, dah, duh, duh, duh, dah, fudge useless. Absolute garbage and deserved loss against a team who were better in all areas for most of the match. There is no fight, precious little battle and absolutely no idea from Smith Out's team. No cohesion between players, very little positive play ie getting the ball forward quickly, too much hoofing and a ridiculous tactic of the goalkeeper booting the ball as quickly as possible to Bradshaw. Smith Out doesn't appear to know what to do, the team look de-motivated, there are no natural leaders on the pitch and despite the fact that we actually have a few decent players they seem to be directionless. I thought that Manset, despite not being match fit did a reasonable job as did Bradshaw, as usual, and Morris must start.

I have no idea why Smith Out cannot get this team to score goals, win a few games or why he is still manager with his record over the last 3 1/2 years. He's had his chance after chance after chance and it's time for someone else.

SMITH OUT!

[Lone Striker]

Bit of a blow to the clamour for 4-4-2 today. At home, fair enough - change things up. Away, it was a disaster. 4-2-3-1 has always worked better on the road. Perfect opportunity today to start Baxendale behind Bradshaw but rushing Manset into the side backfired big time.

Also, what does it say about Smith's confidence in Holden that he rushed Chambers back early? Too early, as it turned out.

Spot on, the 4-2-3-1 system has worked for us, this season it has not been the system not working but the lack of quality in the 3 in behind Bradshaw, highlighted by Sawyers lack of form and confidence. Baxendale played his best football in the role in behind but Smith seems reluctant to play him there, playing him in wide areas where he is less effective. Changing to a 4-4-2 appears to be a panic measure and I fear that our Manager does not know his best system, let alone who plays.

Re the defence, I have said since day one of the season not replacing Butler with a like for like centre half would come back to hurt us, signing another right back was a mistake and with the emergence of Kinsella in that position is now even more strange, we have 4 right backs and I assume nothing left in the budget to get a centre half. Losing Butler was not a surprise, it appears we have tried to make do and it is now backfiring, Downing is not the player he was last season, probably missing playing alongside a dominant centre half, Chambers is injury prone and Holden is not a long term solution.

It is still early in the season, however, not addressing these problems quickly will make it a long winter.

[Happydays2122]

If we lose to Colchester on saturday

The gates plummeting week by week

My prediction is he will be clearing his desk by the monday

[Torbaysaddler]

don't know what will happen at Walsall
But with 2 WINS OUT OF THE LAST 23 GAMES
Most Clubs would look at change of manager

The question we should be asking ...... What are the ambitions and aims of Walsall F.C. and let's not get too ambitious and say over the next two years. Do we want promotion to the Championship or are we happy to stay in League 1?.

You can't make a Silk Purse out of a Pig's Ear. I only saw the pre-season game at Torquay and what I saw was pretty poor ( see my brief comments )

In my humble opinion, it's getting to to the stage of directing your anger, not at the manager but at the the board or the one who controls the purse strings.

Having said that is the reality in this day and age that all the money and attention is going to a few top clubs and the football pyramid is no longer working and teams like Walsall have to accept that they are where they are.

I hope not, because it will be the demise of Football being the major sport in this country. My wish is that the big sponsors and sugar daddies of the Premier League move and and give the sport back to true fans.

I was taken to my first match at Fellows Park in 1952 and passed through the crowd to the front behind the goal, I was only 6 at the time, but what a thrill, I was hooked.

But what I have seen over the past few years, I only go to the games down here in Devon, has not been a pleasant experience and definitely not value for money as an expenditure for entertainment.

Your insults are expected

[Happydays2122]

We could always phone up Hereford or Doncaster
Take a couple players on loan

[belgiansaddler]

don't know what will happen at Walsall
But with 2 WINS OUT OF THE LAST 23 GAMES
Most Clubs would look at change of manager

The question we should be asking ...... What are the ambitions and aims of Walsall F.C. and let's not get too ambitious and say over the next two years. Do we want promotion to the Championship or are we happy to stay in League 1?.

You can't make a Silk Purse out of a Pig's Ear. I only saw the pre-season game at Torquay and what I saw was pretty poor ( see my brief comments )

In my humble opinion, it's getting to to the stage of directing your anger, not at the manager but at the the board or the one who controls the purse strings.

Having said that is the reality in this day and age that all the money and attention is going to a few top clubs and the football pyramid is no longer working and teams like Walsall have to accept that they are where they are.

I hope not, because it will be the demise of Football being the major sport in this country. My wish is that the big sponsors and sugar daddies of the Premier League move and and give the sport back to true fans.

I was taken to my first match at Fellows Park in 1952 and passed through the crowd to the front behind the goal, I was only 6 at the time, but what a thrill, I was hooked.

But what I have seen over the past few years, I only go to the games down here in Devon, has not been a pleasant experience and definitely not value for money as an expenditure for entertainment.

Your insults are expected

The only thing I would insult you about after that post is living in Devon!!! If you were going to move that far you could of least emigrated completely and gone to Cornwall :mrgreen:

[Torbaysaddler]

don't know what will happen at Walsall
But with 2 WINS OUT OF THE LAST 23 GAMES
Most Clubs would look at change of manager

The question we should be asking ...... What are the ambitions and aims of Walsall F.C. and let's not get too ambitious and say over the next two years. Do we want promotion to the Championship or are we happy to stay in League 1?.

You can't make a Silk Purse out of a Pig's Ear. I only saw the pre-season game at Torquay and what I saw was pretty poor ( see my brief comments )

In my humble opinion, it's getting to to the stage of directing your anger, not at the manager but at the the board or the one who controls the purse strings.

Having said that is the reality in this day and age that all the money and attention is going to a few top clubs and the football pyramid is no longer working and teams like Walsall have to accept that they are where they are.

I hope not, because it will be the demise of Football being the major sport in this country. My wish is that the big sponsors and sugar daddies of the Premier League move and and give the sport back to true fans.

I was taken to my first match at Fellows Park in 1952 and passed through the crowd to the front behind the goal, I was only 6 at the time, but what a thrill, I was hooked.

But what I have seen over the past few years, I only go to the games down here in Devon, has not been a pleasant experience and definitely not value for money as an expenditure for entertainment.

Your insults are expected

The only thing I would insult you about after that post is living in Devon!!! If you were going to move that far you could of least emigrated completely and gone to Cornwall :mrgreen:

One and counting

[Sadders]

If we lose to Colchester on saturday

The gates plummeting week by week

My prediction is he will be clearing his desk by the monday

Lol, Smith will be tucking into his christmas dinner come December at that same desk, whether we are 2nd on 22nd. Get used to it.



Can give a few more thoughts now I'm home.


Firstly, we seemed to go completely the opposite way today. I'm not sure whether Smith said mix it up more too Manset, or whether the players felt having Manset upfront was a perfect opportunity to hoof it. Instead of getting it forward too slowly we went directly to the Mullen/Hutchings tactic and just launched it aimlessly anywhere. Manset couldn't trap wind, never mind a football and so absolutely eveything came right back at us. I really honestly hope that Manset isn't anywhere near fully fit or else I fear I (and many others) may have put their eggs in one basket. Probably one of the most lacking debuts I can ever remember and if his attitude is like that now, then god knows what it'l be if this run continues. He barely broke a sweat, he didn't break into a sprint, he looked slow, he dived a lot, and his first touch/back to goal ball control was worse than Ryan Jarvis.

Smith has signed cack out wide. It says it all that we looked entirely better with a player already at the club (Morris) and a player who has probably been told he can finally get a shot at playing number 10. Grimes really offers nothing bar a few good touches when he's got time on the ball. He doesn't even consider getting back to cover his full back, offers nothing physically and I don't see him being the all amazing finisher that Smith thinks he is. Forde on the other side is marginally better, but he will have games where he's completely abysmal. He skinned his man in the first half and totally dragged his shot wide in one of the better chances of the half and then gave the ball away about 6 times in the second half before being withdrawn. Morris looked immediately better.

Clifford plays his part and he works hard, but I'm just not sure what he's going to offer statistically. He looks quite aggressive and like he may create something but the final ball never seems to happen. On to one of my biggest gripes. What is the obsession with Adam Chambers? I honestly don't get it. He's been here 3 years and in that time bar a 3 month spell during 'THAT' run. Name me anything notable he has done in one single match? The bloke doesn't attack, he doesn't put that many obviously crunching tackles in and every single attack that goes near him, reverts to a cack slow frustrating 5 yard sideways pass. He doesn't ever get into the box, he doesn't offer ANYTHING at set pieces and yet he's seemingly untouchable on here?

Much like O'Donnell who AGAIN today was absolutely cack for both goals. For me, he messed up at Vale, he was pretty poor for the Southend free kick, he was dire for the free kick in the week and could both the other Palace goals were near him and today he let a 35 yard free kick basically land right into the roof of the centre of his goal. Poor. Chambers in particular is definetely the prize award winner for 'most anoymous over-rated' Walsall player since I started following us in 04.

Holden is finished. Nice bloke, reasonable in the air - skinned by anyone that can run faster than an undernourished elephant. He makes Downing nervous, who isn't helped at all by O'Connor who is slow, lumbering and almost constantly out of position. Taylor looked solid, but he seems to have stopped going on these galvanising forward runs? We are already defending 20 yards deeper because Butler isn't here to dominate that central defensive zone - those who thought we wouldn't miss him are deluded, the entire tone of our defensive unit is entirely different. No attacker is scared of any of our defenders. The defending for the first goal was a joke, how many did the bloke skin - 6? Apalling.

The only bright spark is Tom Bradshaw. AGAIN, everything went through him, his running, his work rate, his chest and back to goal control. Smith may just have found the next forward off the rank. Looks a great signing. No Sawyers in the squad? A few weeks off so he can get his head back together maybe?

The biggest worry for me today is that we looked like 11 individuals, not a team representing Walsall FC and that's something we haven't been able to say (predominantly) since Smith took over. There's no cohesion between players, we just look like 10 outfield midgets trying to scurry around as much as possible and pass to the nearest player in the same coloured shirt and that is a real, real concern. For all the abuse Sawyers has received, when he receives that ball 25 yards out, the entire team can push up the pitch and whilst we do that we are in possession and thus not only is the opposition not, but there's always a chance things will be created. When you just hoof it upfront, with no proper winger on the pitch all the ball does it come directly back and the opposition have more possession, it's a simple numbers game.

Smith is in trouble as far as I'm concerned, I had the feeling when we went 2-0 down today of a sinking ship, the first time I've had that real 'deflated, wow we are utter relegation fodder with no redemption' since the 5th goal went in at the Ricoh 2 years ago. It's nowhere near time for Smith to resign, be sacked or anything as such - the players are low on confidence, need a break and we need everyone fit. We haven't half taken advantage of Whitney keeping players fit in the last 3-4 years, when have our best players been injured for more than the odd game in that time? Never? Butler missed about 6 games in 4 years mostly through suspension whilst Paterson, Brandy and Grigg were all always fit. I don't think people realise how important Mantom, Chambers and Cook are to this side, as well as a fit Manset - Morris/Bax.

Interesting times ahead, let's hope Smith comes back from this. But everyone needs our support at the moment, not jeering or booing, or fickle. It's not been good enough, but it's a long road ahead this season and we can still quite easily walk to promotion from this point and in football...stranger things have happened.


Ratings

O'Donnell - Very poor on both goals. One good save, decent handling but some poor kicking. 5

O'Connor - Better than at Vale, but so slow, gets forward and doesn't get back. We look exposed on the right 5
Downing - Looks so nervy, sometimes so much so that he can't kick a ball. Decent in the air. Misses Butler 5
Holden - Finished. Okay at heading, but he's so slow, so poor and average forwards will smash him 4
Taylor - Standout in defence, wish he'd get forward a bit more often. Solid 7

Forde - Looks sub-standard. No pace, can't beat his man. I'd start Morris over him. 4
Chambers - Good solid pro, just so frustratingly underperforming in his duties at either end. Tell him to offer more or sack him. 4
Clifford - Another bright spark, fiesty little lad. Slightly lightweight, but I like him 7
Grimes - Pathetic. Doesn't get involved, picks up more yellows than career goals. Loan him or bench him. 2

Manset - One of the worst Walsall debuts in my time supporting us (10 years this April). 0
Bradshaw - Brillant again. Tireless in his closing down, anything good came through him. Strong with his back to goal, runs the channels well, just looks a good league one forward. Won't be long before the vultures are circling at this rate. 9


SUBS

Bax - Had a real good go today Bax, tried creating and skinning his man. A little bit unlucky. I'd start him over Grimes with 1 leg. 6

Morris - Start him, immediately looked more likely to create. Not sure if his defensive game is developed well enough yet. 6

[JonnyOwen]

Best post 2014.

Disagree on Grimes though, personally I think he has been our second most dangerous player behind Bradshaw, and I think if he can get a goal and a run of games in the number 10 position he can be a great signing.

Problem is that I want Bax to get a run of games at number 10, as well as reinstate Sawyers at number 10 after he has had a few games out to sort out his form.

[chestersaddler]

Interesting times ahead, let's hope Smith comes back from this. But everyone needs our support at the moment, not jeering or booing, or fickle. It's not been good enough, but it's a long road ahead this season and we can still quite easily walk to promotion from this point and in football...stranger things have happened.

Indeed. It's easy to sing when we are winning. It's now Smith needs support.

[TheSwift]

I just hope a SLIVER of the form we had during the back end of the 12/13 season can be achieved :wink:

[latviancheese]

Sawyers is off on his holidays in St Kitts.

[belgiansaddler]

It was totally Sawyers fault today, he didn't influence the match at all. I can't remember him making any positive contribution to the match. No chasing lost causes, no tackles, no telling passes and he didn't get into the box once. he should be shot.

[Ancient Moaner]

It was totally Sawyers fault today, he didn't influence the match at all. I can't remember him making any positive contribution to the match. No chasing lost causes, no tackles, no telling passes and he didn't get into the box once. he should be shot.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Your a class act Belg, sorry I couldn't be there today, but it appears I didn't miss much!

[pumajaguar]

Scunthorpe have been a thorn in our side lately. Beat us 4-1 during the 16 game winless run, then effectively ended our play-off chances with that last minute equaliser later on that season.

First half was incredibly boring and we offered very little. Then those two goals came out of nowhere and we found ourselves two behind. Much credit to Bradshaw as he made that goal himself and without it I think we would of gone down with a whimper. The goal gave us confidence and we put lots of pressure on, but couldn't break them down.

My thoughts on some of the players:

Adam Chambers - Think he is on the wane, 33 now and hasn't been influencing games the way he used to.

Grimes - Had to go off injured, but cannot get my head around why he was started out wide again. Offers next to nothing in that position in my opinion. Play him upfront or not at all.

Manset - As has been said he was poor, lets hope there is more to come. Very surprised to see him start though, surely he can't of been match fit?

Morris - I want to see him start the next game, seems to have a bit of energy and drive that our more senior 'wingers' are lacking.

The defence - As I said in pre-season, we will struggle if Holden is going to be a regular starter. Downing sadly doesn't look the same player he was 12 months ago. We have more right backs than league goals.

Lose to Colchester and I think it becomes hard to defend Deano's position, when are Mantom and Cook back?

[clawtheolder]

If anyone thinks the goalie could have saved those two goals needs there heads looking at, they should be looking at the 6 outfield players chasing shadows from the halfway line for the first one :roll: :roll: .

[ToeJoe Jnr]

If anyone thinks the goalie could have saved those two goals needs there heads looking at, they should be looking at the 6 outfield players chasing shadows from the halfway line for the first one :roll: :roll: .

Agree, abysmal defending as just seen it on TV! Forde, Chambers, Clifford,Taylor & Holden all let him walk through!

Chambers isn't cutting it for me at present. He isn't breaking play up like he did last season and he is offering little as captain. This maybe due to playing alongside Clifford rather than Mantom, but you could argue both these should start in place of Chambers when fit.

[Exile]

Disappointed in the result. Pleased to read some great comments on here! Good humour is important.

[JonnyOwen]

Can I just say that every game my love for Baxendale grows even bigger?

Anyone notice how any time an opposition player gets angry at him and pushes him around, shouting at him and the usual, all Baxo does it stare at them smiling? Baxo for England.

[ChopperWFC]

Agree about Bax. Feel sorry for the lad never given a chance in his proper role . Been so many years we have craved a player like him now we do he's shunted to the wing. Waste of a player and part of me hopes he moves so he can play football . Our loss but I'm a football fan too and good players need to play .