Leyton Orient (H) League One Feb 28th, 3pm

[caldy]

Have to say that was dire today. Cook diving at every opportunity really peed me off. Either he wasn't up for it or he is saving himself for Wembley. I think a few were pulling out of tackles or just not on it cos of our Wembley trip. I doubt we will go down but we are going to make hard work of staying up. Leyton Orient weren't that good but we made them look great. I would love to have Dagnall in our team. We need someone like him to be a bit more direct. It just shows what Forde brings to the team, without him there's no out ball and no running at the opposition. Smith needs to act fast.

[philthesaddler]

Stop fretting Phil You know well enough that we will win 15 draw 15 and lose 15 - the only uncertainty is which way the dice will roll for the 46th game. So, at least 60 points which will be good enough for a nice mid table finish :)

You knows it - you tell us every week.

He rolls the dice every week.

If you ever gamble in casinos you know the house always wins. You know why there's a zero on a roulette table yeh? If you rely on the law of averages like Smith does you've gotta accept the house will ultimately win, which is why Smith will never win more than he draws or loses, ergo, he'll never get a team near the playoffs.

If I'd ever seen anything from Smith to suggest he can either:

A) Preempt the tactics of a team by changing his tactics or game plan prior to a game

Or

B) Change the course of a game once it has started going against us

...I'd be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But I've never seen that from Smith.

[Mazza01]

Serving up performances like this on to regular basis is why our fan base doesn't grow! Simple

[boringteacher]

Without wanting to appear a Ginger Morhinio happy clapper, I'd point out that at no stage during the game did anyone apart from Sawyers look like they gave a flying fornication. Nobody apart from him and the keeper turned up today - it wasn't Orient winning the game, it was simply that they had nothing to beat. Shocking fudge drivel, if Rochdale away was worse that that, I'm fudge glad I wasn't there. In the end, the fault comes down to Smith but some of those twerp out there today really should think a bit about us stupid fudge who paid their wages by watching that excuse for a performance.

I personally reckon Hirwula got the man of the match (to general bemusement, the only booing was for the actual announcement that we actually gave a MoM today) because he hadn't succeeded in touching the ball for the last 75 minutes of the game. The real competition was for the most useless Scunthorpe on the pitch - I thought it was a competition between Caine, Adam Chambers (shockingly), Taylor and Purkiss. Tough choice, but probably Chambers. Bradshaw wasn't fit, which wasn't a problem as he had absolutely zero service all day anyhow.

AWFUL :twisted:

[Welsh_Saddler]

And not a single shot on target so far, 62 mins gone, against 2nd from bottom

Errrrr.... three shots on target, all in the first 18 minutes, from Taylor, Jordy Hiwula and Cook. Do keep up..... :roll:

2 from free kicks that rolled tamely at the keeper and I don't recall the 3rd.

1 shot from open play in 70mins vs a bottom four side at home.

Sexy football

Not sure where you got the 3 shots on target from...I was at the game and saw 2 from free kicks in the first half, and that's what WM reported after the final whistle. Do keep up.

As others have said - this is looking worryingly like one of Smiths winless streaks, not sure where the next goal or win is coming from, no creativity, lifeless, slow, sideways football with a handful of woeful individual performances thrown in to the mix.

Good old roll the dice Dean mediocre Smith.



But Wembley ay it and we're making progress ay it?

And a word for WM who keep banging on about this so called "playoff push"...wtf are they on about? Play off push? More chance of Elton John announcing he's straight again that we have of finishing within 5 places of the playoffs.

Perhaps WM should keep up........the Press Association/BBC reported the following, as the game was in progress:

3min 47sec Taylor free kick, saved in the top centre of the goal

10min 53sec Cook free kick saved in the centre of the goal

18min 39sec Jordy Hiwula left footed shot from the left side of the box saved in the bottom left corner

As I posted at the time, 3 goal attempts in the first 18 minutes.

[MILO5]

We need 9/10 points QUICK before panic sets in .

We could easily go down if we take our eye off the ball.

It looks increasingly like we are

[m&m]

How predictable was that! A truly dreadful performance from start to finish.

Anybody who thinks this team is play off material is deluded! This is now a relegation battle. One point and one goal in the last four games !

We finished today with grimes/ Flanagan and bakayoko for gods sake. The squad is poor.

Worst performance of the season. Wembley really is papering over the cracks!

[Pedagogue]

And not a single shot on target so far, 62 mins gone, against 2nd from bottom

Errrrr.... three shots on target, all in the first 18 minutes, from Taylor, Jordy Hiwula and Cook. Do keep up..... :roll:

2 from free kicks that rolled tamely at the keeper and I don't recall the 3rd.

1 shot from open play in 70mins vs a bottom four side at home.

Sexy football

Sorry, Welshie, I don't know where you got that info from, but Phil is correct. Our only on-target shots have come from poorly taken free-kicks. The first time that their 'keeper had to make a save of any consequence was in stoppage time of the second half, from Bakayoko!

As I, and many other posters on UTS, have remarked - there is NO plan B. We must be the most predictable team in this division. We show absolutely no idea on how to break down any team which does not fling loads of players forward at us. Orient were quite content to contain us (and Bradshaw in particular) until catching us with two fast breaks in quick succession. Then they played with confidence and were in complete control while our play just went to pieces. Not one Walsall player can claim to have played well although some were clearly worse than others.

The tactics, as with all team matters, are the responsibility of the coaching and management team. Either (a) they are incapable of coaching the players to modify their game to suit the circumstances or (b) they have tried and the players are not capable of following those instructions. Whichever it is, the management is responsible.

We have 4 more league games between now and Wembley - 2 against good teams, 1 against a team of similar standing to ourselves and 1 against bloody Yeovil, bottom of the league. Quite frankly, if we play like today, we will lose all four! Is Wembley on the minds of the players? I think it was said at the Fans Focus Meeting that a Scunthorpe United director had commented that when they got to Wembley, their league form went all to pot.

[philthesaddler]

And not a single shot on target so far, 62 mins gone, against 2nd from bottom

Errrrr.... three shots on target, all in the first 18 minutes, from Taylor, Jordy Hiwula and Cook. Do keep up..... :roll:

2 from free kicks that rolled tamely at the keeper and I don't recall the 3rd.

1 shot from open play in 70mins vs a bottom four side at home.

Sexy football

Not sure where you got the 3 shots on target from...I was at the game and saw 2 from free kicks in the first half, and that's what WM reported after the final whistle. Do keep up.

As others have said - this is looking worryingly like one of Smiths winless streaks, not sure where the next goal or win is coming from, no creativity, lifeless, slow, sideways football with a handful of woeful individual performances thrown in to the mix.

Good old roll the dice Dean mediocre Smith.



But Wembley ay it and we're making progress ay it?

And a word for WM who keep banging on about this so called "playoff push"...wtf are they on about? Play off push? More chance of Elton John announcing he's straight again that we have of finishing within 5 places of the playoffs.

Perhaps WM should keep up........the Press Association/BBC reported the following, as the game was in progress:

3min 47sec Taylor free kick, saved in the top centre of the goal

10min 53sec Cook free kick saved in the centre of the goal

18min 39sec Jordy Hiwula left footed shot from the left side of the box saved in the bottom left corner

As I posted at the time, 3 goal attempts in the first 18 minutes.

Ah yes, the ever reliable BBC stats department.

Do they still station someone at Bescott stadium every game?

[ToeJoe Jnr]

Please for my sanity can we stop Andy Taylor taking free kicks! Please, Andy if you read this forum you are terrible. Whoever is telling you that you are good at taking free kicks is lying to you and showing you up!

Romaine, if you read this forum I just want to let you know that you haven't got to pass every ball with the outside of your foot. There are other parts of your foot with which you can pass it with.

James O'Connor, if you read this forum, I am happy for you to berate those in front of you for not moving. However on the odd occasion they do it would be helpful if you could actually pass it to them.

Jordan, if you read this forum, can you please try and have more than one good game in ten, it will help the teams cause.

Ashley, if you read this forum, please explain your role now we have Bradshaw, HiwLa, Bakayoko and Murphy.

Finally, Dean, if you read this forum, can you please find a plan B or plan C. If you want to stick to plan Aa, then you need enough players in those positions if others are injured. Don't spend all week telling anyone that will listen that Hiwala is a threat to defences then shove him on the left wing. It makes you look clueless. Please also try and change a game tactically if it isn't working. Just once is all I ask so that I can have faith that you have this skill set.

[JonnyOwen]

Only positive from today as Bakayoko who looked great, looked more up for it than the entire team combined.

Awful.

[Big Dave wfc]

Left after 60 minutes. I remember a game against dag and red under dog face. This probably equalled it as the worst performance I've seen at home since I've had a season ticket from the age of 15, I'm 29 now so I've sat through some rubbish.

Not renewing for next year not based on this game, partly work and having a 6 month old, but games like today and if we are honest the performances especially at home just have'nt been upto much, and I've been very much a smith in fan, does good with what he's got but when I don't see 100% out there, I did think today why should I leave family and loss of earnings leaving fork early for it. I will include smith in not giving a 100 either, I'd liked to have seen him send a few rockets out from the touch line but stood with hands in pockets.

They will have a debrief Monday and be ready to go aha in next game, yawn......

Hope bonser gives them all a right good rodgering

[moaning saddler]

That was the sort of gutless performance that could get a manager the old tin tack.
Is Smith aiming for a record low home league scoring record for the second season in a row?

[Darth Vader]

fudge glad I couldn't make it. Two defeats on the bounce now...

[ToeJoe Jnr]

17 wins in 63 league games at home in the last 2 seasons and this one does not make good reading. The system we play doesn't work at home and only Smith can't see that, so let the sarcasm continue as it is deserved.

[SoccerHQ]

Have to say that was dire today. Cook diving at every opportunity really peed me off. Either he wasn't up for it or he is saving himself for Wembley. I think a few were pulling out of tackles or just not on it cos of our Wembley trip. I doubt we will go down but we are going to make hard work of staying up. Leyton Orient weren't that good but we made them look great. I would love to have Dagnall in our team. We need someone like him to be a bit more direct. It just shows what Forde brings to the team, without him there's no out ball and no running at the opposition. Smith needs to act fast.

Orient have a lot better players than the table suggests....Cox, Dagnall, Mooney, McAnuff all would get in the Walsall 11 I think so today wasn't a huge shock...added with how bad the home form remains.

[longdogs]

how bad the home form remains.

In the 14 home games I've seen this season, I've seen us score 6 goals. Three of them were in the same game, v Barnsley, which is the only game I've seen us win this season. Today was the worst performance of the lot.

[Sadsfan]

Smith can thank Brandy, Patterson and Grigg for keeping him in a job,because if it hadn't been for them in that season his record would be awful. Sexy football is a distant memory and now just a myth, unless impotence has suddenly become sexy. Square pegs round holes, same system that never changes so it is clear he doesn't look at the opposition and plan how to beat them. Bakayoko did have a shot saved towards the end which would make 3 shots on target.

Absolutely woeful AGAIN today. That was as bad as under Hutchings (damn auto correct ). He's gorra gew.

[Sadsfan]

Have to say that was dire today. Cook diving at every opportunity really peed me off. Either he wasn't up for it or he is saving himself for Wembley. I think a few were pulling out of tackles or just not on it cos of our Wembley trip. I doubt we will go down but we are going to make hard work of staying up. Leyton Orient weren't that good but we made them look great. I would love to have Dagnall in our team. We need someone like him to be a bit more direct. It just shows what Forde brings to the team, without him there's no out ball and no running at the opposition. Smith needs to act fast.

Orient have a lot better players than the table suggests....Cox, Dagnall, Mooney, McAnuff all would get in the Walsall 11 I think so today wasn't a huge shock...added with how bad the home form remains.

Not shock!? They were second bottom and we made them look like second top. Ludicrous comment.

[Walsallone]

A very poor performance by all of our players. Our senior players(Chambers (2), Taylor,O'Conner) were awful. Collectively they had the worst games it is possible to have. Purkiss and Cain were little better and Bradshaw not match fit. We know they can be better than that and they MUST be better than that starting on Tuesday.
Just one small glimmer of hope -Bakayoko who I think will get longer run outs in the near future.

[tinned]

And not a single shot on target so far, 62 mins gone, against 2nd from bottom

Errrrr.... three shots on target, all in the first 18 minutes, from Taylor, Jordy Hiwula and Cook. Do keep up..... :roll:

2 from free kicks that rolled tamely at the keeper and I don't recall the 3rd.

1 shot from open play in 70mins vs a bottom four side at home.

Sexy football

Not sure where you got the 3 shots on target from...I was at the game and saw 2 from free kicks in the first half, and that's what WM reported after the final whistle. Do keep up.

As others have said - this is looking worryingly like one of Smiths winless streaks, not sure where the next goal or win is coming from, no creativity, lifeless, slow, sideways football with a handful of woeful individual performances thrown in to the mix.

Good old roll the dice Dean mediocre Smith.



But Wembley ay it and we're making progress ay it?

And a word for WM who keep banging on about this so called "playoff push"...wtf are they on about? Play off push? More chance of Elton John announcing he's straight again that we have of finishing within 5 places of the playoffs.

Perhaps WM should keep up........the Press Association/BBC reported the following, as the game was in progress:

3min 47sec Taylor free kick, saved in the top centre of the goal

10min 53sec Cook free kick saved in the centre of the goal

18min 39sec Jordy Hiwula left footed shot from the left side of the box saved in the bottom left corner

As I posted at the time, 3 goal attempts in the first 18 minutes.

Well that proves you shouldn't rely on statistics from organisations that don't give a cack.

2 pass backs (sorry, officially they were free kicks but that's pushing it a bit) and a shot in the dying minutes by wacky backy.

Truly awful.

[philthesaddler]

Today was a chance for smith to show he could do something different in an attempt to win a game.

With hiwula in form, and bradshaw back, why not go 4-4-2 with a diamond in the midldle? Play Sawyers in the hole, Cook on the left, Grimes on the right, or even James Chambers at right midfield.

He's got to try new stuff, otherwise the players just become stale - Sawyers has got the potential to be a great player, but too many games pass him by. Today, I'd have put him in the middle of the park and told him to go and run the game, win the ball and play as a complete midfielder. Playing in the hole is easy, it absolves you of the defensive responsibilities of being a midfielder. Sawyers was nowhere near the worst today, but to have a player of his ability barely getting the ball at his feet is a ridiculous waste.

Play two up top and tell the lads to get he ball in to Bradshaws feet early and get runners past him, take the game to them, and forbid and passing amongst the defence...get it forward quickly at all times, so what if we lose it (we lose it anyway under smiths current tactics), you win it back and start again. If you ain't got game changing players you've at least got to try and force an error by playing at tempo and direct. How on earth are you going to force an error passing sideways?

If you watch much of the premier league, take out the woeful sides like villa etc, and take out the big 4 who dominate possession and have stand out players, and look at how the likes of Southampton, Swansea, West Ham, Everton play - they're not all that skilful, they just play at a high tempo when they have the ball, and as soon as they lose it, they get their shape back and Harry and Harry until they get the ball back. Southampton have that Wanyama who's an excellent example of this - he just stands in the centre circle when they have the ball, then as soon as they lose it, he snaps in to action and and the whole shape of the team changes.

[BathSaddler]

Sleep walking towards relegation.

It smells distinctly like another Smith winless streak. Unlike last season though, we haven't quite got the points on the board to keep us safe this time.

Only 8 teams below us now. We've played six of those at home and we've drawn one and lost five. Scored one and conceded eleven in the process. Absolutely shocking.

That is a truly shocking statistic :shock: .

Our combined home record for 13/14 and 14/15 so far is:

W12
D12
L16

GF 39
GA 50

Less than one goal per game at home over a period of 40 matches and a loss rate of 40% [that's 4 in every 10 home games]. Sure our away form has been decent, but we are not going to achieve anything other than mediocrity [at best] and relegation [at worst] with a home record like that.

[m&m]

Instead of the management team congratulating each other about reaching Wembley they should perhaps start to think about doing their job which in case they had forgotten is to try to win football matches.
Today was nothing short of disgraceful . They should all be in on Sunday.

[tinned]

Sleep walking towards relegation.

It smells distinctly like another Smith winless streak. Unlike last season though, we haven't quite got the points on the board to keep us safe this time.

Only 8 teams below us now. We've played six of those at home and we've drawn one and lost five. Scored one and conceded eleven in the process. Absolutely shocking.

That statistic, and our home form over the last two seasons only lead to one sensible outcome ..... unfortunately too many are still dizzy with the great escape and sexy football bollocks to admit the plain obvious.

[<Nat>]

Only positive from today as Bakayoko who looked great, looked more up for it than the entire team combined.

Awful.

Couldn't put it better.

[Pheasey_Saddler]

That was absolutely shocking.

We lacked energy, imagination and strength all over the pitch. Similar to the Rochdale game after 30 mins, we seemed to lose virtually every 50/50 challenge. Worst of a very bad bunch were O'Connor (made to look so immobile by an average strike force) and Adam Chambers (worst first 30 mins I've seen from a Walsall player for a long time).

We desperately need a new face or two, preferably with a physical presence down the spine of the team. Opposition players must love playing against us - we're far too nice and easy to play against.

I was hoping we could reach 50 points before Wembley. I now just hope we win once before the big day!

[philthesaddler]

Instead of the management team congratulating each other about reaching Wembley they should perhaps start to think about doing their job which in case they had forgotten is to try to win football matches.
Today was nothing short of disgraceful . They should all be in on Sunday.

That's the problem, they're too satisfied with reaching Wembley. We could lose every game between now and the end of the season and they would still be lauded for reaching Wembley - and like I keep saying, it's great to play there but it's a tin pot competition!

That goes for the players too, they think they've been successful this season having reached Wembley.

It just speaks volumes for the attitude of the clubs leadership team - woeful home form, but Wembley ay it?

[BEIRLYND]

Usually a reader not a contributor
But today's performance made everyone so angry.
I have been surprised when reading the forum how many supporters think the team could make the play-offs with this manager. I assume they attend the home games. We struggle to win any game at the Banks, even Rochdale when 3-0 up. I'm a supporter of 40+years and I cannot recall any team gaining promotion with a home record like ours, not just this season but last as well.
How many games at home will it take for Smith to realise alternative tactics are required? All Leyton Orient had to do to win was work hard.
O'Donnell competent, did his job
Purkiss Awful, defensively & offensively
Taylor What is wrong with him. His crosses were very poor, he looked disinterested
O'Connor very poor cannot pass, struggled defensively
J Chambers Average
Cain Should be left out Tuesday
A Chambers. I would guess his worst game as a professional footballer
Cook Over rated, cannot kick with his left foot
Sawyers Average but tried to make something happen
Hiwula tried but ineffective as a winger
Bradshaw Not in the game, no service
Bakayoko Nice little cameo. Brought the only real save from their goalkeeper
Smith Same old. The squad HE put together gives him no options. Couldn't blame the Ref today.
A usual football cliché "Ii would be worried if we were not creating chances" Smith - you should be worried, I am. This looks much more a relegation fight then play-offs :mrgreen:

[caldy]

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/oth ... sall-loss/

Apparently it's the pitch and the crowds fault for negative comments that the players were below par. Well, unfortunately professional footballers get that from time time in their careers. They should be able to deal with it. DS and ROK need to look at themselves first and how they do things before anything else. Fresh ideas and personnel required to stop this season becoming a disaster.