funk_hits_the_fan wrote:philthesaddler wrote:Great start to the season, and I hope it continues.
Smith appears to have found a plan B, so well done to him - shame it took him 2 seasons since people first started point this out, but hey ho.
My worry now is that it's still very early days, his new formation may get found out by scouts, and we'll revert to the same old problems. There are encouraging signs though - more goals, more attacking intent.
As ever, let's give it 10 games - then we'll judge. At the moment, my opinion is that I think he'll get found out again, he's just a bit thick, he doesn't react and doesn't see the value of having strong physical players. Simply playing a new formation with a similar squad make-up wont change that.
And you are ignorant or daft! You obviously think just by changing a formation this middle of League One club will become Barcelona! All these clever football managers on here eh, remind me why you work a 9-5 again?!
I suggest you read MMF's post and think about the infrastructure of the club and where we were heading before Smith took over. It's not just about formations and Saturday afternoons, especially at a club like Walsall.
Other than a very small minority of posters on here, everyone else - media, other clubs fans, other clubs staff, majority of Walsall fans etc etc - seem to think he has done pretty well. Does it never cross your mind that it might be you that is 'thick'?
LOL, 2 league wins and suddenly the dross of the past 18 months is forgotten? How fickle.
MMF's post is plain wrong. He's had no opportunity to rebuild the squad? Lets just list all of Smith's permanent signings:
Tom Williams
Anton Peterlin
Matt Sadler
Kevan Hurst
Ryan Jarvis
Adam Chambers
Claude Gnakpa
Lee Beevers
David Grof
Ashley Hemmings
Dean Holden
Febian Brandy
Paul Downing
Connor Taylor
James Chambers
James Baxendale
Ben Purkiss
Nicky Featherstone
Andy Taylor
Sam Mantom
Craig Westcarr
Troy Hewitt
Richard O'Donnell
Romaine Sawyers
James McQuilkin
Craig MacGillivray
Tom Bradshaw
James O'Connor
Jordan Cook
Ashley Grimes
Billy Clifford
Anthony Forde
Mathieu Manset
...Not forgetting all the loan signings:
Cuvelier, Martin, Wilson, Halliday, Darlow, McCarey, McLoughlin, Johnstone, Ngoo, Cain...to name but a few.
So he's signed ~34 players permanently and >10 on loan,
but it...MMF wrote:...took him that long to replace the dross squad he was left with and gradually improve it, with no budget
Come off it. If you're going to make fickle pro-Smith arguments, at least back them up with fact.
Like I said in my OP, it's great to see an upturn, let's see if it lasts - my hunch is that it wont, because he'll get found out like he has done half a dozen times, and he's too thick to pre-empt the issues that this will cause, but thats just my opinion.
And to answer your question, I don't work 9-5, I run my own business so I work what hours I like :mrgreen: