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Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Reports and reaction from the 2014-2015 season as Walsall finished 3rd in League 1
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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:10 pm

From my correspondent at the game:

"Woeful. Not one shot on target - 0-6 would have been a fair result. Started badly and somehow got worse."

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chunkster
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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:15 pm

oh well not the end of the world. still third with a game in hand over some of our competitors. i just hope the team and sod learned something from it. and if they did then it's not all doom and gloom. just a shame when we seemed to have picked up a few more fans. and they have to witness that poor performance :(

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:18 pm

Rochdale were fresher and more hungry probably the postponement of their game on Monday worked in their favour.

Our team selection was poor the team clearly needed freshening up , Rico , Tom and Morris should of all started for me. I won't comment on the formation as I couldn't work out what it was?

Hopefully it's lesson learnt and we put it behind us.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:19 pm

Bad day at the office against a Rochdale side who did a job on us.

Strange selection considering both Bradshaw and Rico were available.

Forde, Cook, Chambers, Downing, Taylor all looked leggy, lots of games over the Christmas period and it showed today (also Rochdale had one or two called off didnt they?).

Kick up the arse for SOD...

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:24 pm

philthesaddler wrote:Bad day at the office against a Rochdale side who did a job on us.

Strange selection considering both Bradshaw and Rico were available.

Forde, Cook, Chambers, Downing, Taylor all looked leggy, lots of games over the Christmas period and it showed today (also Rochdale had one or two called off didnt they?).

Kick up the arse for SOD...


Agree they were fresher for it and totally out ran us.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:28 pm

We lost, take the lessons from it and move on.
Positives?
Surely can't be as bad again this season, Tom and Rico have minutes under their belts and had a good rest(that's if they are here in February) And......

Villa are now certs to go down (and listening to reports likely to struggle in the Championship :lol: )

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:36 pm

Awful, just awful.

Put it behind us and move on, no point dwelling. We go again.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:37 pm

Ouch! Bad day to lose given 4 of the top 6 won today. Not about to press the panic button yet. SOD's first few games have earned him the odd day like today as long as he learns from it (something his predecessor didn't do so well). He's still getting to know the team and they're still getting to know his methods.

Onwards to Brentford! UTS

LD

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:40 pm

one of the poorest home games for many a year.
from the first minute to last Rochdale completely outplayed us and if it wasn't for etheridge could have been 8-0

their manager did a job on us cant rate any of our players today hoping we got it out of our system.

the sign of a good side is how they bounce back from a poor performance and no better way to start on Saturday with 1650 fans behind them at Brentford.

one thing for sure that if anybody thinks we can maintain a promotion push without strengthening will see from today that they are wrong.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:44 pm

I'm trying to stay realistic and not overreact to a poor display and it is hopefully a blip and nothing more!

Basically they did their homework on us and did a good job On us. Fair play to their management as they got their tactics just right today.

Yes, we didn't really turn up in terms of quality and work rate but they simply:

1. Out worked us - they ran themselves ragged chasing our boys down

2. Out thought us - they played with endeavour and width when they could

3. Out fought us - a few bookings but basically did what they had to to stop us having any periods of possession...

When you lose 0-3 and your goalkeeper gets the MOM award then you know as a team that you've had a bad day in the office so I'd suggest SOD gets them in to watch the entire horror show and sort it out now before we get any potential repeats..

Poor everywhere today but Taylor had a nightmare (sorry to pick him out but he looked off the pace and leggy) and in my opinion should have been replaced with Rico at half time.

Also, I'm not sure that taking Milan off was a good move - he was one of the few players working hard at any point in the first half.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:47 pm

cack happens, sounded like Rochdale did an excellent job on us and we weren't up for it. Need to bounce back, can't say I'm too interested in Brentford (now I'm not going anyway) big game at cov warrants a bigger turnout.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:50 pm

3-0 was a bloody lucky result for Rochdale, it should have been 6 or 7. The tone was set 20 seconds in when we passed the ball to them and they strolled through our "defence"

SOD has been barking on about "not having to change much" but he changed needlessly today, what the fudge formation was that? Taylor got his arse ripped open, he showed his age today but he had ZERO protection from whatever player was meant to help him out a bit. We also played it long, against a team who sat deep, who have not one player under 6 foot, whilst playing two wingers up front. Genius that is.

The goalie got MOTM and its hard to disagree.

We were out fought in every department, and outplayed by an average side. The warning signs were there against Peterborough.

Rochdale looked fit, played with desire, with a bit of a skill, and had a useful target man who transformed them into a decent side. Notice how teams like that rarely waste a cross. Every single ball they put in was asking to be headed in. This an option we dont have.

We might as well have played the ball boys over Taylor and Evans, they were pathetic today. Both plodding along like they finished the Christmas pudding last night. The rest were only marginally better. The subs bringing on Henry and Bradshaw were only token gestures. It was pointless as we couldnt create a chance if we played all next week.

The ref was cack, the linesman was cack and the weather was cack.

All good and well saying " yeah but we won five before it", that was an alarming performance..

The real test is how they play next week.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:58 pm

The only thing I will add is despite the wins we have performed very averagely since Shrewsbury away. I think that's been coming.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:04 pm

Haven't read the comments on here, but some absolutely pathetic over reactions on twitter and facebook. Yes we were obviously shite but some comments are baffling. FICKLE

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:08 pm

scott_powell wrote:Haven't read the comments on here, but some absolutely pathetic over reactions on twitter and facebook. Yes we were obviously shite but some comments are baffling. FICKLE


Probably from the droves that started leaving after the 3rd went in and the 2nd wave on 10 minutes to go.
Don't expect them back till we're top again with a few wins under our belts. :roll:

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:33 pm

Note on the attendance, pathetic!

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:43 pm

Some Walsall fans today really let me down
1: The pre match atmosphere leading upto the whistle was a joke it was basically non existent Walsall fans waiting to be entertained?
Cmon we're not Gooners. And we're not Arsenal we are a league 1 Club.
2: People around me today old enough to know better saying Forde he's cack get him off
Taylor fudge him off he's cack.
It's pathetic they are the same players who have got us to the top of the league at the end of 2015 now we lose a game they are cack all of a sudden?
Dear o Dear let's not have this all again like in the colin lee days.
Bad day at the office is my opinion let's bounce back perfect opportunity vs coventry.
Last edited by otiswfc on Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:44 pm

In the grand scheme of things it is one bad result so the important thing is to pick ourselves up and react in the right way.

On the specific performance a bad day at the office. The formation didn't work from the start. It looked like we omitted the wingers in place of the fullbacks giving the width. Great if you have the legs of Demitriou, a nightmare if you have the legs of Andy Taylor! To be fair Taylor had a bad game but Demitriou faired no better.

In midfield I can't remember Evans or Chambers making a tackle, they were completely bossed. Forde is still apparently wandering around the pitch looking lost. For all those who call Sawyers lazy, watch Forde's performance today and question how lazy he is. He was lucky to survive 90 mins because he was abysmal.

We played two up front and had no shots on target, not one! Double the threat with no end product. Lalkovic and Cook aren't strikers so if SOD wants to do this I can only assume this is an area he will be looking to get a player in, or two if Bradshaw goes.

Distraction of the cup next week with pressure off before a big game with Cov Shitty. Keep the faith.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:47 pm

I have previously described this team as special but today for whatever reason we were very poor all over the pitch. Only Etheridge played well and our midfield was non existent. I think the two tough games last week against Millwall and Peterborough were part of the reason...incidentally I don't agree with the comments above that this was coming. I have watched us for over 50 years and I didn't see it coming!!
What is important now is how we respond at Brentford and Coventry. It will test the new Manager and lets hope he can revitalise the lads.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 6:58 pm

Mazza01 wrote:Note on the attendance, pathetic!


Why? I thought near to 5,000 was as much as we could hope for, given a 300 or so following from Rochdale. If you were expecting 6,000 today then I have to ask how long have you been watching Walsall?

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 7:03 pm

BathSaddler wrote:
Mazza01 wrote:Note on the attendance, pathetic!


Why? I thought near to 5,000 was as much as we could hope for, given a 300 or so following from Rochdale. If you were expecting 6,000 today then I have to ask how long have you been watching Walsall?


Home and away for over 20 years and for me the attendance was still poor! Do you believe under 4.5k home fans is good for a team who has won 5 on the bounce and top of the league?

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 7:08 pm

Bad day. My only thoughts were that we were poor down the left, Taylor and Forde woeful. If we play 4-4-2 then Sawyers is nowhere near as effective as a midfielder and Milan and Cook played like wingers up front - too far apart and no one to hold the ball up. Hope SO'D goes back to 4-2-3-1 soon.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 7:10 pm

The nature of the loss concerns me, almost as though all the players had the hump...because they had been told off or something....O'Driscoll does seem much stricter than Smith to me....maybe the sissy players can't handle it....and need their egos massaging all year like little princesses....or maybe it was just the pitch

Seems like worst performance and loss of the season...might end up damaging the confidence of the team and staff...Brentford seem very strong, if we get thrashed there...then it could have a double impact psychological choke on the team.

They need a big psychological lift to get them back on track...the other teams at the top are quite relentless in their consistency and pressure....Gills, Coventry, Burton....one or two more might join the pack..... Walsall must keep winning otherwise...relegation from the football league

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 7:17 pm

Mazza01 wrote:
BathSaddler wrote:
Mazza01 wrote:Note on the attendance, pathetic!


Why? I thought near to 5,000 was as much as we could hope for, given a 300 or so following from Rochdale. If you were expecting 6,000 today then I have to ask how long have you been watching Walsall?


Home and away for over 20 years and for me the attendance was still poor! Do you believe under 4.5k home fans is good for a team who has won 5 on the bounce and top of the league?


No, I don't, but if you have been following Walsall for that long you should know that we were never going to get that sort of crowd today. Walsall is an apathetic place when it comes to supporting the local football club, unless there is a Wembley trip in the offing or we are at home to Chelsea.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 7:19 pm

Why has SOD changed things?

He won us the game late on by changing to the diamond in midfield and playing 2 upfront, but that was because it worked in 1 game where we struggle to break a team down playing our normal formation. Posh exploited it for 35 minutes a couple of days back and had they taken their chances, that would have been another loss. Stupid. It's very simple. We played so well early in the season by having Sawyers as the focal point - when we are too narrow as a side, he can't control the centre of the pitch and thus, we create nothing. Playing with wingbacks and having Rico booming down the line are huge keys to success and yet we have completely alienated everything good that got us into this position by suddenly going narrow?

Strange. It's very simple SOD - Play Henry, play Sawyers next to or just marginally behind Bradshaw. Play Milan and Morris wide. Evans next to Chambers. Use Taylor, Cook, Mantom as changes if we need too.

If this result goes on to ruin our season then we have absolutely nobody but ourselves to blame.

Brentford could spunk on us next week...then it's Coventry at the Ricoh...

This will either be the period of the season where the players prove everyone wrong yet again...or this will be a knife in the bubble we have created so far this season and the collapse will follow.

Hope it's not the latter.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 7:25 pm

Sadsfan wrote:Bad day. My only thoughts were that we were poor down the left, Taylor and Forde woeful. If we play 4-4-2 then Sawyers is nowhere near as effective as a midfielder and Milan and Cook played like wingers up front - too far apart and no one to hold the ball up. Hope SO'D goes back to 4-2-3-1 soon.

Yeah but what about the fans who will chant
442
442
442
What I think is extremely odd is when o drisscol took over he said I'm not going to change anything then in his first game he changed things nobody mentioned it because we got a result then the next game's he changed things about nobody questions its today was very strange Sawyers playing very deep first half obviously instructed to play that role in haven't seem him play that deep before all of a sudden it's o drisscol what are you doing? :lol: it's class being a Walsall fan people chanting Bradshaw and Rico like they are going to come on in the 70th minute and win us the game :lol: they ain't that fudge good :lol:

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 7:27 pm

What ever the reasons for today's performance, the formation, number of games etc... It's probably a combination of them all, hope it's out our system, cannot be arsed about Brentford result just going for a good day out with a good following.

A win at cov is massive with our game in hand still, he's got to play the 5 in midfield allowing sawyers the free role, he just don't get the best out of him with his formation.

Forget it move on, we still hold the cards.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 7:31 pm

cack today, didnt deserve 0.

cack happens though

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 8:10 pm

What a shocker got what we deserved today should have and could have been lot worse if not for etheridge, don;t know what was wrong formation, attitude (it's only rochdale beat them easy) but all outfield players really poor today.
Nobody except team surprised rochdale scored after only 3 mins they had already had two attempts
Hope this is just a one off and not the start of a fight against promotion as we have seen before get a great position then blow it.
Not interested in game against brentford but really must get back on track against coventry and play like we can.

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Re: Rochdale (H) League One, 2 January 3pm

Sat Jan 02, 2016 8:12 pm

scott_powell wrote:Haven't read the comments on here, but some absolutely pathetic over reactions on twitter and facebook. Yes we were obviously shite but some comments are baffling. FICKLE


Couldn't agree more, we were only 1-0 down and some of the doom and gloom merchants that infest this site were moaning about Plan A not working and hoping that there was a Plan B.
Fickle ? Tell me about it :wink:

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