Oldham Athletic (A) League One 11 Oct, 3pm

[Ancient Moaner]

With that sort of relentless pressure it as almost a matter of time before they got the winner.
Sad, now level with the relegation zone, but with a superior goal diff.
Sad, but onwards and upwards, looks like our season will be centred in or around the relegation zone!

PS... Belgian has just rung me to say that it was the most one sided 2-1 defeat in the history of football, we were non exisitent after the first 10 minutes, but should have equalised a couple of minutes into injury time when Monsay was sent clear only to blast it over the bar!
If you can imagine all the insulting adjectives in the English dictionary Belgian used them all to describe our appalling display! Not a good day at the office then..............

[BathSaddler]

That`s all folks 2-1. :( :(

Not really surprised, and predicted as such. Without key players we are far too lightweight and it is clear there is not sufficient back-up, particularly in midfield. Oldham are a decent and forceful side and that starting line up was just not good enough, simple as that. The best squad we've had for a while? I don't think so.

It's the biggest squad we've had for a while.

Too many changes today though I feel.

I agree, Leatherman. It's bigger, but certainly not better than we have had recently. Probably on a par with recent history.

[otiswfc]

Is this term good enough to finish in the top 6 dean smith thinks so let's hope he's right UTS

[PT]

Is this term good enough to finish in the top 6 dean smith thinks so let's hope he's right UTS

Think his first XI might have half a chance but when we're hampered by injuries it gets harder when his selection hampers us again. In fact I do worry that in his head, O'Connor and Grimes are part of that first XI.

[philthesaddler]

4 wins in the last 28. (Excluding cup competitions). 13 draws, 11 defeats. 25 points.

As ever under Deano, we are nearly men. Not terrible, we have a couple of decent games and then return to being poor.

For all the talk of our football being sexy, the facts are that we've never finished above mid table under Dean.

I said he'd got til the end of October to sort it out, if we are in the bottom 6 come the end of this month then I'd say he's failing.

[philthesaddler]

Is this term good enough to finish in the top 6 dean smith thinks so let's hope he's right UTS

Think his first XI might have half a chance but when we're hampered by injuries it gets harder when his selection hampers us again. In fact I do worry that in his head, O'Connor and Grimes are part of that first XI.

If anyone believes this squad is good enough for the top 6, they're nuts.

Remember, butler isn't our player, Taylor is starting to struggle with fitness again, mantom is out indefinitely, and our senior forwards (Bradshaw, manset, forde and grimes) have scored 7 goals between them in 12 games.

[BathSaddler]

4 wins in the last 28. (Excluding cup competitions). 13 draws, 11 defeats. 25 points.

As ever under Deano, we are nearly men. Not terrible, we have a couple of decent games and then return to being poor.

For all the talk of our football being sexy, the facts are that we've never finished above mid table under Dean.

I said he'd got til the end of October to sort it out, if we are in the bottom 6 come the end of this month then I'd say he's failing.

Phil, didn't we finish 9th a couple of years ago :?:

Other than that, I agree with most of your post.

[Soton Saddler]

4 wins in the last 28. (Excluding cup competitions). 13 draws, 11 defeats. 25 points.

As ever under Deano, we are nearly men. Not terrible, we have a couple of decent games and then return to being poor.

For all the talk of our football being sexy, the facts are that we've never finished above mid table under Dean.

I said he'd got til the end of October to sort it out, if we are in the bottom 6 come the end of this month then I'd say he's failing.

Phil, didn't we finish 9th a couple of years ago :?:

Other than that, I agree with most of your post.

We did 2012/13. Which considering our resources was remarkable. He's done a good job that lad.

[Cowshed]

Very weak again

Why grimes gets near the first team god only knows

3 wins in 30

Last seasons relegation teams in 46 games

Tranmere won 12
Carlisle won 11
Stevenage won 11
Shrewsbury won 9

Excuse time again and which one is it this week

Referee,injuries,played a team in form. Delete as appt

[JonnyOwen]

One loss and suddenly we are absolute shite, Deano should be hung off the fountain in Walsall town centre and players lashed for poor performances.

Not surprising, our fan base has some absolute fudge morons.

[pumajaguar]

Poor performance, but I'll give the team the benefit of the doubt due to the players missing and Oldham are unbeaten in ten now, so must be a decent side.

I think Deano got his selection wrong though. I'd have put Manset up top after his improvement mid-week, dropping the utterly ineffective Grimes for Cook.

We took the lead, but barely had a kick in the first half. Couldn't get out of our own half. Second half we improved, but never looked like scoring.

The three attack midfielders (Bax, Grimes and Forde) were all completely anonymous and had no impact on the game. Cook took his goal well but don't think he's lone striker material.

I'd love to know what Smith sees in Grimes, he offers next to nothing in my opinion. Forde is yet to impress me too, there's been a few good moments, but he has been anonymous in the vast majority of games I've seen him.

Clifford only seems to play well when he comes of the bench, which is strange.

Trust Crewe to win today just before we play them. I'll be concerned if we don't take three points from that one.

[Cully]

I'm absolutely fed up with every game we play the SMITHOUT way, dull, unexciting, boring, crablike, tedious and going nowhere. No urgency, no drive, no point. It's just aimless crap with some very bad performances. Terrible display from Baxendale as usual, lightweight, can't win a tackle, plenty of his usual backpasses to Downing or O'Connor constantly putting them under pressure, absolutely useless, awful display from Benning, Downing poor as usual, Clifford very poor and actually had a better pass ratio passing to Oldham players than his own, Grimes - pointless player. The only player worthy of man of the match was Adam Chambers....for his shear effort alone.

Can we please have a manager that actually tries to win a game...........................3 wins in 30 = failure and totally useless


SMITHOUT...............Get rid of him NOW!

Best bit of the day was the 'Guest pie', a pint of John Smiths and the company to, during and from the match. Just relaxing with 'Come Dancing', a glass of wine and the company of Mrs Cully :D

[Sadders]

I do wonder if finally, we are going to become one of those run of the mill league one teams that wins at home and is poor on the road. We have, after all been very good away for a few years now and predominantly poor bar a couple of spells since promotion to league one. The writing was on the wall early for this one, Taylor injured and the utterly hopeless Benning at left back, Sawyers/Bradshaw missing - arguably our most effective players in the last few weeks.

Just before I get on to the game. In my opinion only, some of the posters and fans we have are complete deluded braindead mongo specialists. 7 points from Donny - PNE - Brizzle who were/are promotion favourites then a nice little JPT win but today we lose thanks to a long distance strike in what was an admittedly woeful performance with said problems above and it's SMITH OUT - THE STATS MEN ARE BACK. Seriously, just get a fudge grip on yourselves. It's like you can't wait to be the centre of negative attention and people wonder why football is so short-sighted these days. Shitbags.

Anyway. The first half was the worst I've seen in a very long time. Smith got his starting XI wrong for me. Grimes is absolutely, totally and completely cack. I don't care what anyone says, he won't improve, send him off on loan and play Bakayoko if we have too. Lazy, slow, spineless, doesn't cover his man. Total cack. We had Bax/Forde/Cook/Grimes as the front 4 and we looked painfully weak, painfully lightweight. We were pinned back from minute one and it was only a good 5 minute spell who took his goal excellently that gave us the 1. I can honestly kid you not, Clifford didn't touch the football once until the 44th minute. He and Chambers bypassed with more energy, legs and vision. Benning woefully exposed, even more so with Grimes infront of him. O'Connor constantly dragged in, allowing his winger space and time to cross. Butler had a rough challenge and was so, so very close to losing it for 5 minutes you could see the anger on his face. O'Donnell, pathetic. Couldn't kick, catch, pass or throw the ball - such was the pressure from Oldham he literally handed them the ball on 3 or 4 occasions. Another untouchable that's been dodgy on numerous occasions this season already. How many more goals in the centre of the goal? How many more 'was the keeper dodgy there' moments after goals? Ridicolous. Baxendale running around like a skinny little child that's never seen another man before and Forde, surprisingly gash.

Second half, I'm not sure whether they got shitter or us better. We won the ball slightly higher up the pitch and Manset gave us some ball retention. It wasn't great though. Neither side created much. Benning with a curler over and then THAT Manset chance in the 93rd minute - blazed over on his weak foot, he honestly looked like he had also never seen a football before - so amatuerish to blast the ball as hard as he could from that kind of distance, a simple side foot into the opposite corner and we leave with a fortunate point. Not sure what I think about their goal - was it deflected? Seemed to go in at a weird angle, though again - it was centre of the goal. O'Donnell made a good save after a deflected effort. We looked entirely better once Grimes and Clifford had gone off. Strangely, Oldham seemed to sit off us after they went 2-1 up but we looked clueless and they defended well. Today just showed how effective Bradshaw and particular Sawyers are for us. We were static in attack, weak on and off the ball and our ball retention at the top of the pitch until the hour was non-existant.

I can honestly say it's been very long time since I've seen us retain the ball in every single area of the pitch as little as we did today. Not only that but the sheer lack of ball control, first touch and needless giving away of the ball. That must be the least possession we've had in a game for ages. Totally unlike us.

Postitives of the day?
- Oldham unbeaten in 9 and have been battering teams. For all the possession they had, they didn't create many chances at all.
- Oldham were good. Neat on the ball, played with a fast tempo and the football they played was miles better than us. Like us in the Brandy/Pato/Grigg phase, but with less goal threat.
- Taylor/Bradshaw/Sawyers/Mantom all in and we would have got something out of the game.
- It wasn't more than 2-1.
- Cook got 90 minutes, that will do his fitness the world of good.



Ratings -

O'Donnell - Nice bloke, real fans kind of guy, but this 'untouchable' status he has alongside Chambers, is hugely strange. He's nothing more than a par to average league one goalkeeper. Shot stopping over-rated. Been poor this season for me. Some dire distribution during a poor first half and he concedes goals from distance FAR too regularly, most of them are straight at him. 5

O'Connor - Okay on the ball. Exposed all over the place when players run at him, he's a good bloke though - I mean, he gives oppo players that much space they must all love him. 5

Butler - Nearly lost the plot after an altercation with Poleon. Got booked for pushing into him shortly after. Solid otherwise, if it hadn't been for him and Downing we may have lost by more. 8

Downing - Best I've seen him for a while. Won a lot of 50-50's in the second half that shouldn't go under the radar. Probably my MOTM. 8

Benning - A Sunday league left back. Positional sense of an elephant. Slow, dithers on the ball, gives too much space. Release him right now if he's to play as left back. Smith should loan a left back in or try Rico Henry if Taylor is injured for too long. 2


Forde - Very poor today. Didn't get at anyone, didn't get involved and just got totally pushed out of the game. 4.

Clifford - Anonymous, totally anonymous. I am legitimately serious when I say that he didn't touch the football in play until the 44th minute, such is how easily brushed aside the central midfield was in the first half. We need Mantom back to fitness. Flanagan did more in his small cameo than Clifford did. I like Billy, but he can't play a full 90 minutes and he looks better when he comes off the bench. 2

Chambers - See above in the first half. Best of the midfielders in the second half. Charged around like a mad man, put his body on the line and generally got stuck in. Still doesn't do anything but pass it sideways on the ball but definetely the best of the midfield. 6

Baxendale - A skinny little child who didn't beat his man, run at his man or cross the ball all afternoon. Pass it wide, control it, look up, look backwards and pass it back to O'Connor and repeat - except a few over hit long balls. One in the second half down the near touchline towards Manset was in particular, a hilariously Sunday morning pass. Least he has the attitude to improve. 3

Grimes - Honestly? Do I have to even get into him. A walking yellow card liability. Lazy, slow, passionless, no movement, rubbish first touch, no goalscoring threat, doesn't cover his fullback. Seriously - give me a one legged Anton Peterlin and I'd sooner have him. Release or loan him, save the wage and forget he ever existed, a proper non league no hoper. 0

Cook - Very lively early on, took his goal well and then nearly scored twice with long distance efforts. Sadly, he spent the remainder of the half chasing shadows. We sat that deep he mays well have had a coffee break after 15 minutes and not bothered appearing again until the 75th. Promising signs, but he's never a loan striker, simply doesn't have the back to goal strength/phyiscal presence. 7.


SUBS

Manset - Really hard this one. Because we looked better with him than without, he held the ball well at times and to be fair to him, he did hold his own. On the flipside. Boy is he a donkey. Doesn't even look a professional at times, it's embarassing. His finish at the end stunk of a striker who hadn't scored consistently for years, completely and totally amatuerish. Bradshaw would have at least forced the keeper into a save and most likely - stolen an undeserved point for us. 6

Morris - Seems to have completely lost himself. Could barely control the ball, looked lightweight and uninterested. 4

Flanagan - Did okay when he came on, nothing more nothing less. It was only 10 minutes. 5


Poor, but that's football. It made me blush to think I was discussing our squad depth with Oldham fans on another forum and how it felt a novelty to have 4 big players missing but still be confident of getting something. I'm still confident we have a top half finish in us, but it's a case of consistency rather than quality in league one this year. The results of us and other teams say it all. Donny lose to us 3-0, then win at Scunthorpe, who go to Gillingham and win 3-0 who a few weeks ago we drew 0-0 with, after they'd just beaten Posh and we lost 4-0 to Rochdale. Weird league.

Let's beat Crewe next week and take a point from momentum full Chesterfield the week after and I'm perfectly happy.

[IHTC.]

Funny, tells the Smith Out clan to get a grip then starts the next paragraph by saying worst half he's seen in along time, got the starting eleven wrong and Grimes ( who Smith signed) is woeful . Next you will want Smith to start doing what he's paid to do, the cheek of it :lol:

[Sadders]

Funny, tells the Smith Out clan to get a grip then starts the next paragraph by saying worst half he's seen in along time, got the starting eleven wrong and Grimes ( who Smith signed) is woeful . Next you will want Smith to start doing what he's paid to do, the cheek of it :lol:

I didn't say he was untouchable and today was cack, but some perspective FFS. We just got 7 from 9 at home and a JPT win. So what, we lost 2-1 to Oldham, a good side unbeaten in 9 who will do well this season with our best players injured. Difference between ranting at what I saw and then ranting at the overall situation.

HANG HIM OUT TO DRY NOW, IT'S THE END OF THE LINE. BYE DEAN. OLDHAM, NON LEAGUE LOSERS.

[SoccerHQ]

What is the fudge point of Ashley Grimes? :roll: Barely touches the balls and should've got booked again for a cynical foul. I'm not going to be harsh on the bloke by saying he's stealing a living as a footballer but he ain't league one standard no way.

As for the rest O'Donnell was very sloppy with his distribution which unnerved the back 4 (will need to see the 2nd goal again, was a great strike from the excellent Mike Jones), Benning just does not convince me as a left back. And James Chambers needs to come in as RB as O'Connor is a liability against any winger who breaks into a jog.

The rest were very meh with Bax having one of his infuriating on the perhipary of the game.

Cook was good though. Took his goal really well and I was impressed with some of his touches.

I think people need to remember A) Oldham are 8 unbeaten so they're actually a pretty good team this season and confident atm and b) a front three of Cook, Bradshaw and Sawyers looks exciting for this level as it has many different qualities.

The reality is this will be a mid table season so after a couple of decent games a result like this will occur.

[Sadders]

What is the donald point of Ashley Grimes? :roll: Barely touches the balls and should've got booked again for a cynical foul. I'm not going to be harsh on the bloke by saying he's stealing a living as a footballer but he ain't league one standard no way.

As for the rest O'Donnell was very sloppy with his distribution which unnerved the back 4 (will need to see the 2nd goal again, was a great strike from the excellent Mike Jones), Benning just does not convince me as a left back. And James Chambers needs to come in as RB as O'Connor is a liability against any winger who breaks into a jog.

The rest were very meh with Bax having one of his infuriating on the perhipary of the game.

Cook was good though. Took his goal really well and I was impressed with some of his touches.

I think people need to remember A) Oldham are 8 unbeaten so they're actually a pretty good team this season and confident atm and b) a front three of Cook, Bradshaw and Sawyers looks exciting for this level as it has many different qualities.

Almost spot on word for word. Amen.

The reality is this will be a mid table season so after a couple of decent games a result like this will occur.

[Cowshed]

Very weak again

Why grimes gets near the first team god only knows

3 wins in 30

Last seasons relegation teams in 46 games

Tranmere won 12
Carlisle won 11
Stevenage won 11
Shrewsbury won 9

Excuse time again and which one is it this week


Referee,injuries,played a team in form. Delete as appt

A new excuse to add to the list - deflections

[IHTC.]

Funny, tells the Smith Out clan to get a grip then starts the next paragraph by saying worst half he's seen in along time, got the starting eleven wrong and Grimes ( who Smith signed) is woeful . Next you will want Smith to start doing what he's paid to do, the cheek of it :lol:

I didn't say he was untouchable and today was eartha, but some perspective FFS. We just got 7 from 9 at home and a JPT win. So what, we lost 2-1 to Oldham, a good side unbeaten in 9 who will do well this season with our best players injured. Difference between ranting at what I saw and then ranting at the overall situation.

HANG HIM OUT TO DRY NOW, IT'S THE END OF THE LINE. BYE DEAN. OLDHAM, NON LEAGUE LOSERS.

So you can use the 7 from 9 stat but we cannot say 3 from 30? Whatever suits your argument :wink:

[EvenFlow]

I'm not all that downhearted, because with the missing "big 4" in that game, I reckon we'd have gotten at least a point. The lack of Mantom was more glaring today than any game I've seen so far. As it was, can't complain at the result... the side that attacked with pace and attempted shots in the second half eventually had one go in. Quick comments...

R O'D- Distribution was uncharacteristically woeful first half. A couple of decent stops in the second.

O'Connor- Both goals again came from down his flank. Drifts too far infield, too often. Offered much more than Baxendale as an attacking threat. A fit Purkiss or Chambers (if Butler stays) would play every time, for me.

Benning- I feared a Preston/Stevenage style horror show for Mal after the first half hour. Second half improved & (goal aside) he actually had our best effort. Those first 30 minute-eqsue displays are getting less excusable though... he's at the stage now where he's not a "kid" anymore.

Butler- Won everything he had to. Great flick on for Manset at the end.

Downing- The pick of the back four. Dealt with everything & got us (as) going (as we got) from the back.

Chambers- Completely exposed by the shortcomings of Clifford & Baxendale (read on) throughout. Battled well in the second half.

Clifford- Utterly anonymous. Not surprised when he was hauled off.

Forde- Quiet. Nothing glaring.

Baxendale- Never a right winger in a hundred, million years. Don't understand why Smith persevered with him there with Manset on & Cook in the hole.

Grimes- It's just not happening, is it? Genuinely don't see what he offers at League One level.

Cook- Surprised at how much he won & held up as the lone striker, & took his only chance with aplomb. Surprisingly faded after dropping deeper, although very likely a match-fitness issue.

SUBS
Manset- We looked a bit more likely when he came on. Wasn't getting the early balls in that he seemed to be appealing for. Very decent chance to snatch a draw at the end, but fluffed his lines.

Morris- Okay, I thought. Bit confused in the last mins, where he appeared to be in the hole, with Cook out left & Baxendale right... three players all out of their best position?

Flanagan- One very weak header nearly had us in trouble, but otherwise a massive improvement on Clifford, and bust a gut getting out right to help the flailing Baxendale... to the point where in left Chambers 2 against 1 in the middle, but that wasn't Flanagan's fault.

Do the other two Saddlers who were in the Bluebell & got the minibus up with the Oldham fans post here per-chance? We went back afterwards, and it was worth the minor ribbing, because they put a spread on!

[Sadders]

Funny, tells the Smith Out clan to get a grip then starts the next paragraph by saying worst half he's seen in along time, got the starting eleven wrong and Grimes ( who Smith signed) is woeful . Next you will want Smith to start doing what he's paid to do, the cheek of it :lol:

I didn't say he was untouchable and today was eartha, but some perspective FFS. We just got 7 from 9 at home and a JPT win. So what, we lost 2-1 to Oldham, a good side unbeaten in 9 who will do well this season with our best players injured. Difference between ranting at what I saw and then ranting at the overall situation.

HANG HIM OUT TO DRY NOW, IT'S THE END OF THE LINE. BYE DEAN. OLDHAM, NON LEAGUE LOSERS.

So you can use the 7 from 9 stat but we cannot say 3 from 30? Whatever suits your argument :wink:

If you can't beat them, join them. :lol: The 3 from 30 is far more irrelevant than Oldham being unbeaten 8 in my opinion. I personally don't care about statistics, but commenting Smith out and so on in specific relation to the run we are directly on at the minute is just pure stupidity. I tell my football-going friends some of the stuff said by our fans and they all smirk and laugh. The best line is 'if Smith left it would just be another cheap nobody to come in and work on a shoe string keeping you from the drop' - and the sad thing, is that it's true.

Be careful what you wish for.

[IHTC.]

Funny, tells the Smith Out clan to get a grip then starts the next paragraph by saying worst half he's seen in along time, got the starting eleven wrong and Grimes ( who Smith signed) is woeful . Next you will want Smith to start doing what he's paid to do, the cheek of it :lol:

I didn't say he was untouchable and today was eartha, but some perspective FFS. We just got 7 from 9 at home and a JPT win. So what, we lost 2-1 to Oldham, a good side unbeaten in 9 who will do well this season with our best players injured. Difference between ranting at what I saw and then ranting at the overall situation.

HANG HIM OUT TO DRY NOW, IT'S THE END OF THE LINE. BYE DEAN. OLDHAM, NON LEAGUE LOSERS.

So you can use the 7 from 9 stat but we cannot say 3 from 30? Whatever suits your argument :wink:

If you can't beat them, join them. :lol: The 3 from 30 is far more irrelevant than Oldham being unbeaten 8 in my opinion. I personally don't care about statistics, but commenting Smith out and so on in specific relation to the run we are directly on at the minute is just pure stupidity. I tell my football-going friends some of the stuff said by our fans and they all smirk and laugh. The best line is 'if Smith left it would just be another cheap nobody to come in and work on a shoe string keeping you from the drop' - and the sad thing, is that it's true.

Be careful what you wish for.

I absolutely agreed 2 hrs ago regarding the form we are in ( see earlier posts in the Smith Out thread) but when I read 3 wins in 30 i could not escape how pathetic it us and any other manger in Walsalls history would have had their p45 by now.

[Sadders]

Funny, tells the Smith Out clan to get a grip then starts the next paragraph by saying worst half he's seen in along time, got the starting eleven wrong and Grimes ( who Smith signed) is woeful . Next you will want Smith to start doing what he's paid to do, the cheek of it :lol:

I didn't say he was untouchable and today was eartha, but some perspective FFS. We just got 7 from 9 at home and a JPT win. So what, we lost 2-1 to Oldham, a good side unbeaten in 9 who will do well this season with our best players injured. Difference between ranting at what I saw and then ranting at the overall situation.

HANG HIM OUT TO DRY NOW, IT'S THE END OF THE LINE. BYE DEAN. OLDHAM, NON LEAGUE LOSERS.

So you can use the 7 from 9 stat but we cannot say 3 from 30? Whatever suits your argument :wink:

If you can't beat them, join them. :lol: The 3 from 30 is far more irrelevant than Oldham being unbeaten 8 in my opinion. I personally don't care about statistics, but commenting Smith out and so on in specific relation to the run we are directly on at the minute is just pure stupidity. I tell my football-going friends some of the stuff said by our fans and they all smirk and laugh. The best line is 'if Smith left it would just be another cheap nobody to come in and work on a shoe string keeping you from the drop' - and the sad thing, is that it's true.

Be careful what you wish for.

I absolutely agreed 2 hrs ago regarding the form we are in ( see earlier posts in the Smith Out thread) but when I read 3 wins in 30 i could not escape how pathetic it us and any other manger in Walsalls history would have had their p45 by now.

3 in 30 is pathetic, but if we rinse and repeat the form in say the last 5 games over this season then I think calls for Smith out are idiotic. We have 3,500 home fans 80% of the season, fans of oppo teams, the bookies, the national media and general football going people see Walsall as the team that does well to stay up each year and frankly they are bang on correct, sure it's not a great outlook and realistic ambition is fantastic. But the reality is, more often than not we may do well in 3 or 4 games and then get a hammering in the 5th, it's just the natural path of the football pyramid and if anything, since the Hutchings days we've done extremely well to avoid thrashings and really nasty results.

The worry is for the boos boys in camp tonight is, - Smith's tenure is a positive football period for us if you scope out and look historically at where we are currently and comparatively down the line, we may be wishing for this back.

[SWS1]

Disappointed. Sitting back on a slim lead is, surely, never a good tactic, especially for Walsall.
Ah, well. :(

[Sadders]

Disappointed. Sitting back on a slim lead is, surely, never a good tactic, especially for Walsall.
Ah, well. :(

We didn't sit back, we just didn't retain the ball at the top end of the pitch and were pinned back by a much better team on the day, happens in football and we move on. 2 deflections less and we win 1-0, Smith's a tactical genius and it's a rearguard brillance.

[Ghostofwalsallpast]

Funny, tells the Smith Out clan to get a grip then starts the next paragraph by saying worst half he's seen in along time, got the starting eleven wrong and Grimes ( who Smith signed) is woeful . Next you will want Smith to start doing what he's paid to do, the cheek of it :lol:

I thought that too :roll:

[chestersaddler]

Postitives of the day?
- Oldham unbeaten in 9 and have been battering teams. For all the possession they had, they didn't create many chances at all.
- Oldham were good. Neat on the ball, played with a fast tempo and the football they played was miles better than us. Like us in the Brandy/Pato/Grigg phase, but with less goal threat.
- Taylor/Bradshaw/Sawyers/Mantom all in and we would have got something out of the game.
- It wasn't more than 2-1.
- Cook got 90 minutes, that will do his fitness the world of good. .

The Libdems are looking for a PR Guru for their election campaign. Suggest you send in you CV :D

[SWS1]

In all this doom and gloom, let's see what we can do when we have a more or less full squad to choose from, eh?
All our internationals were missing :mrgreen: and Oldham are a half decent team.
UTS!

[JonnyOwen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GRWlBi6GQU

[Sadders]

First goal is a lot more deflected than I thought, quite unlucky with both really. Both goals an example though of how we gave the ball away too easily with poor touches or passes. The worst part of the afternoon for me was the needless giving away of the ball and lack of ball retention. Very unlike us.