saddler_nic wrote:sallian wrote:saddler_nic wrote:I like Bax, seems a great hard working lad but he should be judged on his performances - not his personality and so far in the last 18 or so months, especially this season - he's been weak and like playing with 10 men. Just saying it how I see it. If he proves me wrong, then great - I want him too. For me, he needs to put 2 stone of muscle on and work hard on his strength/ball retention and so on. I hope he's successful here, but I don't see it currently.
Another thing....Baxendale reacts quick and creates bursts of activity...but Dean SMith's formations and style mean the team doesn't react quickly enough to the type of openings Baxendale initiates.
Attacking minded, more observant managers would have this Walsall team scoring 3 and 4 goals a match. It is like trying to instigate a riot with 3,000 people at your disposal but only sending in one person in at a time....it ends up losing all impact and effect.
Bax is half the player Sawyers is. He's rubbish on the wing and not as effective as Sawyers behind the striker. He is too weak to play at this level. I don't understand how you can say those things considering how poor Baxo has been. Sawyers controls games on his own! You must be at a different game to 99% of Walsall fans.
No, Sawyers can make good link play and 'blind side' passes when the game flows at his sort of pace and in particular break situations etc.... But Baxendale has energy and tricks to unlock the tight spaces, to score, to draw players (true that Sawyers also draws players in a different way) and he can make creative movement in and around the box whereas Sawyers walks into walls in similar situations... But like I said, Dean Smith doesn't utilize the Baxendale qualities correctly and not regularly enough...Sawyers has an unjustified place in the selection hierarchy.
If Baxendale is in the gap (hole, interspace, pivot point, or whatever you want to call it) between two advanced central strikers (centrally, not on the wing)...I'm telling you Walsall will likely have goals showering in...whether it be Grimes and Bradshaw, Manset and Grimes, or Bradshaw and Manset.... If Dean Smith were to do that for a few games it would revolutionise their attacking threat.
Grimes is also being TOTALLY WASTED its ridiculous. Grimes looks to be the better technical striker to me....rather than Bradshaw....but obviously Bradshaw is good. The sad thing is if Grimes was alongside him....probably Bradshaw as well as Grimes would be scoring more. They could have 20+ goals each in the season. But the way it is going it will be something like 15 + 5. Someone needs to write to Dean Smith or speak to him.....or Richard O Kelly.
Of course you would use Sawyers too....depending on circumstances...he would be another option and style to adopt when things are locked down.
But at the moment Walsall are locked down by their own formation, team selection and rigidly imposed style/plan.
And when you keep on playing players out of position and stop them from having regular places when they should be there....then they start forgetting or getting rusty...or they snatch at chances and passes....or they try to over elaborate for missed time off the park. The manager can create a lot of psychological and technical hurdles he is unaware of.[/quote]
Just out of interest, how many times have you seen us play in the last couple of months? Sawyers' performances have been consistently higher than anyone else in the squad. Even those who were booing him off earlier in the season are having their opinions changed. Surely if you'd seen him play a handful of games, you'd see that he's well worth his starting place.
Also, on the Sawyers v Baxendale debate. If Bax had been roughed up like Sawyers did in the second half, he'd have gone missing. Romaine always wanted the ball, even after been clattered from behind on numerous occasions. Football is all about opinions, but personally I can't see how you are forming yours![/quote]
Some people can see a lot from a little, and some can't see what is always before them... 8)
Maybe 'Name that tune' was before your time, but a trained, experienced ear can sometimes declare 'I will name that tune in one'.... Some are chauffers and others connoisseurs :shock:
If Bax had been roughed up he would have perhaps drawn more direct free kicks.
I am not against Sawyers, all players should be encouraged and supported...and any booing etc is shameful and counterproductive. For me, Baxendale is more likely to score and create opportunities....as long as he is in the right position and especially if they have two central strikers in front. I think Dean Smith's 'one man stranded , lone survivor striker' attacking philosophy has been decisively proven ineffective by results and prolonged goal drought.
But it is frustrating when when Walsall have weapons that can wreak havoc with opposition but end up being muted and impotent due to mis/non-deployment.
Baxendale can unlock doors....Grimes can open doors....yes Sawyers can in some situations carry the keys and hand them to those who know how to twist their wrist at the right time.[/quote]
It's just not feesable to drop Sawyers when he's probably playing his best football for us at a more consistent level than usual. I agree, Baxendale would do a good job "in the hole", it's his best position, entirely wasted when he's shoved out wide. The reason he's not getting a look in is the fact that Sawyers is simply better than him. Technically he's the best player we've had at the club for some time. Part of the reason he gives the ball away is because he sees things tat others don't. He's a lot like Merson was in that respect.
As for two up front, I'd like to see it myself, but it's just not going to happen. Smith now has teams at every level within our club playing the same way, so he won't change it, even if it's the right thing to do. It also begs the question, if you play two up top, where would Baxendale/Sawyers fit? Neither of them can play as an orthodox CM. with a lack of creative talent from elsewhere bar Forde and maybe Cook, where is the service coming from?[/quote]
Well if Dean Smith has based his whole strategy and philosophy one one rigid formation he is a real dopey drip....formation adjustment is one of the weapons a manager has at his disposal, and it is a mighty weapon....if he doesn't understand that then he is the weak link.
The service to the front two (any combo of manset, bradshaw, bakayoko, grimes, bradshaw....i also expect cook would be good) would come from the 'hole' player (Baxendale)....and either of the two holding midfield players....occasionally from the full backs (not wing backs in this formation....i.e. don't go all the way forward like a winger....but they can still cross from deeper positions when suitable)....and mainly from one winger (Ford....or whoever else)...and that winger swaps sides when suitable and that winger is substituted for another winger when he isn't having much success) There are plenty of options there for service both from central, deep wide and advanced wide positions....BUT one of the key issues about service is that when any pass from full backs, wing, hole or midfield FAILS (and it often does) to reach its intended striker....the OTHER striker has a chance to reach it....NOT ONLY THAT....but they also are in a position to assist each other and NOT ONLY THAT....they can also feed off each other's failed attempts....all of those reasons are highly likely to result in many more goals that the isolated hopeful striker wrong methodology.....who gets ONLY two chances in each half!
Two wingers (which puts emphasis on wide delivery over central delivery) is suited to when you have at least one player who is tall or exceptionally good in the air (which Walsall don't)....that is why delivery has to be from central positions as much as width in Walsall's case.
So basically Walsall's ideal formation for me is 4-2-1-3 (the 1 being baxo) the 3 including a winger who is not as advanced as the two central strikers...so you could also call it 4-2-2-2.... like a two layered midfield...its attacking layer with a central and wide element. But you can also put Sawyers there as I said, especially if Baxendale is having a bad game...its just I think Baxendale is more capable there.
Walsall have the players to make this formation work very well and they have enough options to interchange those positions.......it's mile better that Dean Smith's way....gives them a much better chance of scoring and they don't have to compromise on a passing game at all.....it just means they are more engineered to making quick and effective passes to a greater populated box.
Too much of Walsall's passing is redundant....i.e. in non threatening areas.....and it is misleading, as people think 'excellent football' but it isn't as it is not focussed on the aim of football....goals....and always comes up short where it counts.
I know people don't like hearing this ...but on this issue SALLIAN IS FRIPKINNNNN RIGHT!!!!
