Gillingham Away

[WFC_Rob]

I hope to God that's not Taylor out injured too. We'll have to employ another Physio at this rate.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Andy Butler booked.......

[TheSwift]

FT- Borefest over.

[PT]

Take that. Looks like we could have won, but a decent point following the midweek debacle.

[WFC_Rob]

Didn't sound like the mosh inspiring of games, but I'd have taken a point at Gillingham even if we'd had an unbeaten start to the season, let alone after what happened on Tuesday.

[Pheasey_Saddler]

Decent result - keeps us just outside the bottom 4.

[Sadders]

Decent point. They won't go down, so it's a good cleansheet and away point. I'd have taken 4 points from Preston at home, Dale/Gills away. Preston WILL finish in the top 6. Dale have monentum, only second to confidence as the most important thing in Sport IMO and Gills where we never, ever, ever win. The only reason it feels like a dissapointing week is the fact we lost 4-0 to Dale and not Preston and the win came in the first game of the week.

Had we lost 4-0 to PNE, then drew 0-0 at Dale and beat these 3-1 people would be FAR happier.

Defence with a response to Tuesday and it sounds like we had chances.

[WarsawPact]

Finished 0-0
Don't know why I said that :?

Hope Taylor isn't too injured :oops:

[SWS1]

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL.

1. Good away point
2. the 4 - 0 debacle is behind us (Not to say there's not another lurking in the future)
3. We are not in the bottom 4
4. the injuries can't last forever
5. We're only 8 points off second place
6. good defensive display and
7. we shaded the chances

:D
Come on now, cheer up!! :mrgreen:

[chestersaddler]

Gills where we never, ever, ever win.

See opening post on this thread :roll: :wink:

[chestersaddler]

Fourth goalless draw from nine games. I'll gladly take that one though.

[SoccerHQ]

Good point, Gillingham get pretty good results at home.

How random is the defence this season, 4th clean sheet yet looks sunday league esque for some halves of football.

This will be a midtable season.

Edit: Who was supposed to play lead forward today, Grimes or Sawyers? No wonder no goals, really need Bradshaw fit next game.

[IHTC.]

Glad I do not subscribe to Saddlers Player to listen to that rubbish (from both teams).

But still 0-0 is a massive improvement.

0.666666666666666666667 goals per game is pathetic.

Previous boss's last 29 games
Mullen W10, D5, L14 - 35pts
Merson W8, D8, L13 - 32pts
Dogface W9, D5, L15 - 32pts
Smith W4, D12, L13 - 24pts

Maybe a first where draws could be keeping a manager in a job :?

[chestersaddler]

Well that's that then
The universally accepted barometer - the last 29 games :-)

[IHTC.]

Well that's that then
The universally accepted barometer - the last 29 games :-)

Yes, were you not aware :lol:

not sure where 29 games would take us back too, maybe just before County away. Just something I saw on the interweb 5 minutes ago :wink:

[Ghostofwalsallpast]

Good away point against one of our relegation rivals.

[hullsaddler]

Positives
1. It was not as bad as Rochdale (but mainly because Gillingham were rubbish)
2. We did not lose
3. The 2nd half drizzle did not turn into anything heavier
4. That's it

A dreadful game between two poor teams. Tedium ad nauseam. A sentiment echoed by a couple of Gills fans I was chatting to on the train. A relegation 6 pointer that each side took one from, Very depressing ( apart from not losing obviously!)

[Cowshed]

There are no words to describe this today.

[hullsaddler]

What did anybody else there think of Grimes' chances in the first half? Not sure how far out he was for the one he ballooned over the bar.

[latviancheese]

Sounds terrible but at least we didn't contrive to lose it. Big up to anyone who went today, it had grim written all over it.


I'd Take a point anywhere away from home really.

Two very tough home games coming up.

[cumbria-saddler]

What did anybody else there think of Grimes' chances in the first half? Not sure how far out he was for the one he ballooned over the bar.

I've only seen his sub appearance at Rochdale, but from the Saddlers Player commentary so far this season I get the impression he has a foot like a sand wedge.

[asimpson]

Was one of the (lucky) few Walsall fans who went today.

This performance highlighted very clearly just how important Bradshaw is to our team this season and how ordinary we are without him.

Defended okay but had no pace or movement upfront. We also seem to get to 22 yards out and have a fear of shooting. There were 2 or 3 chances for players to have a shot today but instead opted to pass sideways and then ended up losing the ball.

O'Donnell: Solid enough, not much to do.

O'Connor: Did okay but should be replaced by Chambers when he is back.

Butler: Solid.

Downing: Looked nervous to me and is clearly lacking confidence. I think he needs to be left out for couple of games but given the injuries we have Smith's hands are tied.

Taylor: Not one of his better games if I'm honest. Went off with what looked like a back injury early in second half.

Forde: Thought he was of our brightest players today. Has a tendency to drift in and out of games but he is young and is showing signs of improvement from what i have seen in the few games i have seen him.

Chambers: We are a better side with him in the team.

Flanagan: Think he struggled a bit today although he had some nice runs and touches. Injuries have meant he has had to play a lot more games than both he and Smith would have expected/wanted at this stage so i don't want to be too hard on him.

Baxendale: Average.

Sawyers: Like is said often on these boards, flashes of brilliance but not consistent. Saying that, he did okay.

Grimes: If he is our "best finisher" as Smith likes to keep saying then we need to worry! Missed a great chance today which Bradshaw would have put away. Once Cook and Bradshaw are back fit Grimes will be lucky to make the bench. League 2 player at best.

Subs-

Benning: Replaced Taylor at left back who went off injured. Made some nice off the ball runs and was solid enough. Prefer him in midfield though.

Manset: Did okay when he came on but needs to improve his fitness.

Bakayoko: Not on long enough for me to comment on.

[hullsaddler]

Defended okay but had no pace or movement upfront. We also seem to get to 22 yards out and have a fear of shooting. There were 2 or 3 chances for players to have a shot today but instead opted to pass sideways and then ended up losing the ball.

Completely agree about how we acted just outside their 18 yard box. We faffed about almost as if players were under orders not to shoot or at least did not have the confidence to take responsibility for anything. One example in the first half summed it up when there were innumerable passes there and the ball eventually ended up with O'Donnell.

[chestersaddler]

Febian Brandy makes Crewe's bench... :lol:

Good to know he has a trade to fall back on once his football career comes to an end.

[wednesburysaddler]

my mate and I went on the train today and made a day of it.
not much to talk about regarding the game our best chance came from their bloke chipping a shot towards his own goal and that was the only time their goalie was ever tested.
a mixture of tippy tappy sidewards backwards passing first half only to be changed to more direct hoof it up second half neither of wich worked very well.
I actually feel a bit sorry for the players as they trundled off as they know theyre not really good enough to maintain any challenge to what I believe is the weakest league 1 in years.
we may just stay up this season I really can get bothered about it whatever will be will be but the lack of goals and exciitement makes these long trips very mundane and boring to watch.
gills fans seemed a nice bunch

my summary would be both teams did well to get nil.

[Graydon48]

376 mile round trip. Would have been happy if both teams hadn't turned up . Watching a empty pitch for 90 minutes would have been more exciting . Absolutely nothing happened. The M25 had more movement than us.
Highlight of the day was the M/Way services at Beaconsfeild .Best I've ever even to. It had a Nando's and a Wetherspoons. Sad really that was the highlight of the day. Would prefer it been the football . But that's how it is watching football with Dean Smith's Walsall.

[SoccerHQ]

What did anybody else there think of Grimes' chances in the first half? Not sure how far out he was for the one he ballooned over the bar.

Grimes is always ballooning shots over the bar and snatching at stuff. I know Managers will sometimes bend the truth slightly to promote new signings but really Deano claiming Grimes was "one of the best finishers I've seen" was pretty delusion, the bloke is bang average.

[SoccerHQ]

Have to say the worst ever Walsall home game I've been to in terms of excitement was against the Gills. Was a 0-0 early in the 09/10 season, think Hutchins was manager then so these two don't often serve up classics.

[moaning saddler]

A few random thoughts following the festival of football at the Priestfield :

1. O'Connor - he is no Craig Pead. His distribution makes Downing look like Pirlo.
2. Baxendale - I remember watching him at Portsmouth 2 years ago - he was a great prospect. Probably the most disappointing decline of a young player since Don Penn ( and he had the valid excuse of being plagued by injury ).
3. Grimes - talked up by Smith as being a natural finisher - he completely buggered up 2 good chances in the 1st half at Gillingham., then avoided the penalty box for the whole of the 2nd half.
4. O'Connor, Forde, Grimes, Manset - on their collective showing to date, they are piss-poor signings for a club that cannot afford to waste one wage, let alone four.
5. Flanagan - looks a player for the future; hope we don't bugger up his development by giving him too much responsibility too soon.
6. Sawyers - offers something that no other player does, but offers little when played in an advanced role - absolutely no physical presence.
7. Chambers - the only player outside of the back four who is willing to put his foot in.

As other people have noted, this looks to be a particularly weak league this season - that might prove to be our saving grace. I'm still giving Smith the benefit of the doubt, yet it is painfully obvious that he has enjoyed an easy ride from the fans for what has been a quite horrendous 2014.

[Tyldesley_saddler]

What did anybody else there think of Grimes' chances in the first half? Not sure how far out he was for the one he ballooned over the bar.

Grimes is always ballooning shots over the bar and snatching at stuff. I know Managers will sometimes bend the truth slightly to promote new signings but really Deano claiming Grimes was "one of the best finishers I've seen" was pretty delusion, the bloke is bang average.

From the beeb !
Gillingham were held to a goalless draw by struggling Walsall, who have just one win in nine League One matches.
Saddlers striker Ashley Grimes, without a goal since April 2013, volleyed straight at Gills goalkeeper Stephen Bywater early on.
The 27-year-old then flicked a shot at Bywater from Anthony Forde's teasing cross.
Cody McDonald went closest for the Gills, who remain unbeaten in the league at Priestfield this season.
Walsall have not won away since the 2-0 win at Bradford on 25 March.

SAYS IT ALL REALLY !!