JonnyOwen wrote:Gutting, absolutely gutting.
Still I feel we didn't deserve to win, only got into the game and started to play after 65 minutes which is not good enough. The main difference between Wigan and Walsall is they have invested and improved their squad in January and we haven't. They brought in Morsy who I felt was excellent today, they also scored their first from nowhere with a wonder strike from McAleny and also had talent on the bench like £1m Wildschut on the bench to grab the winner. In comparisons, our bench had youngsters and Jordan Cook on it, improvements to the squad are VITAL to us dreaming of Auto's again but also staying - and then doing well, in the play offs.
Etheridge 5 - Not sure whether I am being harsh or not but I feel he could of done better with both of their goals. Sure they were great strikes, the first in particular, but that first was also right down his throat.
Demetriou 8 - Excellent forwards and backwards and causes all kinds of problems to opposition. It's just a shame that these same problems can't be replicated on the left with Rico's disappearance, we are a lot more 1 dimensional now because of that.
Downing 7 - Did well I feel, solid.
Preston 6 - Okay defensively, distribution was very poor though. He'll come back better because of this though, I rate Preston highly.
Taylor 6 - He's just kind of average. Far too slow to be a threat offensively and far too slow to deal with things defensively, yet he reads the game well. Think his days at full back are done IMO.
Chambers 6 - Not his best game, I feel myself that under SOD he has been given more of a licence to get forwards as a 2 next to Mantom, and I feel this doesn't help his game at all. He is laughable going forwards, just let him sweep up the opposition attacks using him as an anchor to allow the fullbacks to get forward more.
Mantom 8 - Decent game, wonder goal. A better performance from him.
Forde 9 - How he didn't win MOTM is baffling. He was our main attacking force and singlehandedly I reckon spearheaded many of our only chances where we caused Wigan problems.
Sawyers 6 - A big drop off in performance levels from Crewe, couldn't get into the game at all thanks to the work done by Morsy, Power and Perkins.
Lalkovic 7 - Shite first half, nothing came off for him. Picked it up big time 2nd, managed to run at and beat Daniels a couple of times.
Bradshaw 6 - Didn't really do anything either, looked very isolated.
Was going to write a long post on this game as I too feel really annoyed but Johnny your post is pretty much all my thoughts bar being a little harsh on Etheridge I think.
A few things regardless:
Best game Forde has had for the club imo, I too thought he was MOTM by a country mile as he was the only attacking player who showed anything for the full 90 minutes, likes of Milan and Sawyers only woke up at 1-1 and began to do things.
I've been a bit bemused by why Forde has suddenly become this indispensable week in week out player while Morris has barely had a kick as there isn't a huge difference between the two but Forde more than justified his selection for Burton next week.
Matt Preston. Very much in the roper kick it block it mode. What he isn't though is a Beckenbauer type bring it out from the back and beat 5 men past the halfway line.
He'll learn that it isn't a clever thing to do as it cost a goal today.
Mentioned it on the other thread but what was the point of bringing Morris in on loan? Surely with 5 minutes left you say with a draw it's still a point clear of Wigan with a game in hand and one more game chalked off. Bring on Morris and I'd confidently say Wildschut dosen't have a free run and shot in goal when there should've been decent numbers back at that point in the game.
I'd be amazed if Wigan don't go up now...in any case I wouldn't want to play them in the play offs as they'd win comfortably over two legs or a final imo.
Big game next week at Burton...lose that and automatic promotion will be realistically over imo.
