Sheffield United (A) League One, 2nd April 3pm

[Darth Vader]

Was gutted I didn't go but slightly more relieved now, though it is a good place for a drink.

Sounded shite anyway and completely off it, strange team selection which didn't work from the off. Another huge game next weekend but I'm feeling like second place is almost out of reach now

[sallian]

not taking advantage of the current Wigan slip-up

Losing 0-1 and we have Morris, Lalkovic, Forde and Hiwula all on the bench....seems like we are not set up to score

And right on cue look what piece of crap has come back to gloat because we are 1-0 down.
Sod off !

the PINNACLE of ineloquence and ineptitude.... mine and O'Driscoll's intelligent, wise, rational way.....defeats the emotional clueless way every time....you chose the clueless way...because you are emotional.

You chose a physio for a football manager....so I guess you go to a butcher for cosmetic surgery....and brick layer for psychological counselling. Keep smiling...as you wanted the team smiling rather than learning.

[Darth Vader]

Very harsh on Whitney there. He's far more than just a physio

[SoccerHQ]

Very flat performance today, clearly the break was not beneficial as the rhythm was disrupted.

Mistake not to play Hiwula, Bradshaw was completely isolated against their three man mountains at the back.

Let's not forget despite their poor season Sheffield United have some very good forward players for this division. Matt Done was the best player on the pitch and Sharp would walk into any time in this division.

Crossing in the first half from United was superb, O'Connor was greatly missed in that respect. The middle 5 were non-exsistant.

Disappointing day and pressure now on at Oldham.

[JonnyOwen]

Lads didn't really seem like they could be arsed to be honest, I think they thought they could just turn up and turn over Sheffield United because of our away form. Really poor and flat performance not helped with what I believe to be the wrong team selection and formation.

Taylor was poor and Downing in particular was very shakey, one again he proves to be unreliable when he is not being cared for by a better and more experience defender in a Butler or O'Connor. Liked the look of Pennington though, might be my MOTM actually, he actually looked like he cared a little bit with his driving runs from central defence.

[reedswood sadler]

Another poor game, today our luck ran out after winning at Fleetwood (poor game) beating Colchester (terrible game apart from last 5 mins) we lost points today but definatly stole a few in those games.
6 points from 3 poor performance Burton having a bit of blow up could be lot worse.
We have all started to expect to win every game, not going to happen just need to improve on last few games try to win enough to keep gap between those below and hope we can catch Burton.
Was surprised by selection of Flanagan took it as sign we would lose not played for long time and no need to change team except for o'conner.

[sallian]

Very harsh on Whitney there. He's far more than just a physio

Yes is harsh....not a true reflection of what I really think about him, he is probably good from many angles and does many good things at the club and is part of the past ingredients of success...and obviously he has experience too in various capacities...

But it was top rate dumb....to get rid of an excellent, experienced coach...due to a barren patch and replace him with someone with far less specialized knowledge, experience and ability

Whitney should have encouraged the team more under O'Driscoll....Whitney probably annoyed he lost the role in the first place to O'Driscoll....remember him saying he and his associates are 'presenting a plan'

If you listen to all of Whitney's interviews...he had ambitions for management...and seems to have a bit of ego....I wouldn't be at all surprised if he had something to do with players negative reaction to O'Driscoll

At least Whitney admitted he learned from O'Driscoll and that O'Driscoll challenged everyone at the club.

If players can't take being challenged then it explains why they are not playing at a higher level and reaching a higher standard

O'Driscoll probably was too professional for the club.....Walsall is held back by small mindedness of board, players and fans.

Also expect O'Driscoll put someone else in their place at the club and they didn't like it.

Unlikely we will get another coach as good as him....for another 20 years....and probably don't deserve one either.

[scott_powell]

Deserved to lose. No complaints about the loss.

Flanagan is crap. Absolutely terrible. Conference level player.

Rest of them didn't seem interested.

Pennington looks decent.

Referee was incredibly biased. Gave some quite baffling decisions their way.

Sallian, fudge off you Scunthorpe.

Goodnight

[hullsaddler]

Massively disappointing. Never thought we were likely to get back into it when we went behind. We had a few free kicks in dangerous positions, corners etc but their goalie was never seriously tested, in fact I can't remember him making a proper save. Bradshaw didn't have a sniff the whole game. Hard not to be despondent when you look at the league table & thinking 'what if'. Just have to bounce back emphatically next week. Things do change so dramatically at this stage of the season as games run out. At least Burton did not win.

[SoccerHQ]

Just got back

Actually really angry about today's game, to be outplayed and out battled by a team with pretty much nothing to play for was scandalous.

Team selection was bizarre , Flanagan???? That one selection lost us the game harsh I know but true.

Sawyers and Mantom completely invisible and I hate to say it didn't look at a all interested at times.

Shocking day and unfortunately our automatic promotion hopes over. This team has the quality but not the desire to get over the line I'm afraid.

Also the referee was perhaps the worst yes the worst I have ever seen! So biased it was untrue..

UTS

Didn't lose because of a referee, the supporters wanted an ambitious, enthusiastic physio rather than an experienced, knowledgeable football coach.....we decided to leave all our attacking players on the bench when we have had a season of attacking flowing football away from home....

A non-attacking line up invites the physical opponents to be direct....cheered on by the home crowd. Poor decision making...

Most of us want you to fudge off but we haven't got what we wanted.

You got what you wanted....enjoy the happy losing team, you thought you knew better...but you don't.

It was a miserable losing team under S O'D though.

[Ancient Moaner]

What can anybody say about THAT pile of poo.........................
Are we still playing at 8 0'clock? Then we still won't have scored then!

Utter and total cack, If this squad does get promoted we will become an embarrassment.

We looked reasonable for about 10 minutes, and the Blades looked poor, after that it was one way traffic.
Two great goals, form a team low on confidence and mid table, we made them look like Champions.
Why can't WE score great goals anymore? A great solid header, and a great shot.
We lacked ANY fluid movement whatsoever, no attack at all, Sawyers was crud (again),we kept lumping it up to Bradders, who was shackled by two huge dirty monkeys. And whose 'brilliant' idea was it to play Flanagan!!! He looked like a little boy lost, gave the ball away time and again, his replacement, Jordi also had an appalling poor game, gave nothing at all.
We've thrown away any chance of a top two finish, with displays like this we will be VERY lucky to retain a play off place.
If we do happen to be lucky enough to finish in the top six we will get knocked out in the first play off round.
A really poor display, the team lacked confidence, and lacked any attacking ideas at all, lumping it up to our huge 6'6' centre forward ( :P ) seemed to be our only plan.
Lots left well before the end, and I don't blame them, what a waste of a Saturday, what a waste of money. :(
This squad needs a massive kick up the backside if we are to retain our play off place. We WILL lose again on Saturday at Oldham, we lack confidence and guile, can't honestly remember one effort on goal throughout the match.
Anyone who thinks any differently permanently wears rose tinted glasses, or is blind. Bad day at the office all right, we will get caught by teams below us who show commitment and enthusiasm, those who saw the great robbery of Colchester warned us all, we should have heeded their comments.
Only £15 quid for concession though, cheapest I've paid at away matches all season, note the gate...19,000+...if only eh?
A happy dressing room don't win games, we will have to knuckle down and remember how good we once were prior to the SOD destruction. Get a grip lads or you will lose it.

[SoccerHQ]

A week's a long time in football....the team are very capable of winning at Oldham. If Burton lose then the gap is 5 points with the magical 2 games in hand...

Burton are really struggling to score, seem to have hit the wall big time so I'm interested how many more points they'll actually get in the run in.

[coop63]

Very harsh on Whitney there. He's far more than just a physio

Yes is harsh....not a true reflection of what I really think about him, he is probably good from many angles and does many good things at the club and is part of the past ingredients of success...and obviously he has experience too in various capacities...

But it was top rate dumb....to get rid of an excellent, experienced coach...due to a barren patch and replace him with someone with far less specialized knowledge, experience and ability

Whitney should have encouraged the team more under O'Driscoll....Whitney probably annoyed he lost the role in the first place to O'Driscoll....remember him saying he and his associates are 'presenting a plan'

If you listen to all of Whitney's interviews...he had ambitions for management...and seems to have a bit of ego....I wouldn't be at all surprised if he had something to do with players negative reaction to O'Driscoll

At least Whitney admitted he learned from O'Driscoll and that O'Driscoll challenged everyone at the club.

If players can't take being challenged then it explains why they are not playing at a higher level and reaching a higher standard

O'Driscoll probably was too professional for the club.....Walsall is held back by small mindedness of board, players and fans.

Also expect O'Driscoll put someone else in their place at the club and they didn't like it.

Unlikely we will get another coach as good as him....for another 20 years....and probably don't deserve one either.

Sallian - I genuinely believe all fans have a right to express their opinion but I'll say up front that I have no intention of a continued exchange with you so I'm only going to post this reply to your comments:

1. You only seem to post to annoy other contributors - not sure why or what this achieves

2. You only seem to post when we lose or a poor performance gets a response

3. You seem to target a few individiduals that reply to your posts - must get you going in some way..

4. Your opinion on SOD is fine by me and you clearly disagree with his dismissal but you are in a huge minority by not appreciating that the period under his management was nothing less than disastrous for this seasons progress.. He dismantled what was a very effective squad during a few months and if the board and management hadn't made the change then I dread to think what would have happened..

In the final analysis of this season - the current management and coaching staff will be judged but one thing us for sure, the team definitely didnt respond positively to SODs tactics or approach and frankly no football club can accept that

UTS

[SoccerHQ]

Only £15 quid for concession though, cheapest I've paid at away matches all season, note the gate...19,000+...if only eh?
A happy dressing room don't win games, we will have to knuckle down and remember how good we once were prior to the SOD destruction. Get a grip lads or you will lose it.

I was waiting for the REFUND word to appear before I read that.

It was a tenner if you purchased the day before btw. :wink:

[Salop Saddler]

O'Connor. He makes a huge difference and was badly missed. I was hoping (expecting) for two up front to get in amongst their back line. Once I realised it was TB doing a solo I expected the worst. All very disjointed, all too narrow. On the plus side Rico's ankle is holding up well.

[coop63]

O'Connor. He makes a huge difference and was badly missed. I was hoping (expecting) for two up front to get in amongst their back line. Once I realised it was TB doing a solo I expected the worst. All very disjointed, all too narrow. On the plus side Rico's ankle is holding up well.

Good spot - I'd forgotten about that dodgy ankle :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[SoccerHQ]

Flanagan wasn't great but he wasn't the worst player on the pitch, just an easy player to hook at half time. Sawyers and Mantom did very little today.

[Ancient Moaner]

When we come to the realization that we need an experienced, tactically savvy football coach....rather than a physio whose ambition overreaches his capability.....

....we will then reflect on how inspiring a place we have made Walsall as seeing as we sack managers after having only just appointed them.

Two entities scored own goals, damaging their own long term interests.... Dean Smith and Walsall f.c. (including the illiterate, clueless supporters who supported a decision of folly)

But I expect most of you will not grasp this for another 6 months at least, I'll meet you at the station in six months or so when you catch up....that is those of you who don't hop on the wrong train altogether.

Go boil your head you utter ****hole, get off our board, go infest some other board that can accept ****holes like you, a bad day made even worse by crud comments about a boring moron who all but destroyed our season, have you not taken the time to read comments of fans from other teams he bored to tedium? Just go away you muppet, I'd rather have Sound_Out's anti west propaganda, than your 'told you so' nonsense. :evil:

[sallian]

Deserved to lose. No complaints about the loss.

Flanagan is crap. Absolutely terrible. Conference level player.

Rest of them didn't seem interested.

Pennington looks decent.

Referee was incredibly biased. Gave some quite baffling decisions their way.

Sallian, fudge off you Scunthorpe.

Goodnight

you got what you wanted....O'Driscoll gone.....keep smiling, according to you....that's all that is needed...not EXPERIENCE...TACTICS....SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE....INTELLIGENCE....DISCIPLINE

[sallian]

When we come to the realization that we need an experienced, tactically savvy football coach....rather than a physio whose ambition overreaches his capability.....

....we will then reflect on how inspiring a place we have made Walsall as seeing as we sack managers after having only just appointed them.

Two entities scored own goals, damaging their own long term interests.... Dean Smith and Walsall f.c. (including the illiterate, clueless supporters who supported a decision of folly)

But I expect most of you will not grasp this for another 6 months at least, I'll meet you at the station in six months or so when you catch up....that is those of you who don't hop on the wrong train altogether.

Go boil your head you utter ****hole, get off our board, go infest some other board that can accept ****holes like you, a bad day made even worse by crud comments about a boring moron who all but destroyed our season, have you not taken the time to read comments of fans from other teams he bored to tedium? Just go away you muppet, I'd rather have Sound_Out's anti west propaganda, than your 'told you so' nonsense. :evil:

See....deluded

Yes of course you will find other illiterate, emotional, reactionary fans in the country....just as you will also find other players who can't take being corrected...so they stay in the bottom divisions

O'Driscoll's qualities are not appreciated by your likes....you need a ten year re-education first

[Ancient Moaner]

Flanagan wasn't great but he wasn't the worst player on the pitch, just an easy player to hook at half time. Sawyers, Mantom, Flanagan, Downing, Jason, Bradders, did very little today.

There extended that for you HQ!! :mrgreen:

Lets face it not one player earned his crust today. My man of the match was their goalkeeper, how did he manage to keep warm during the match? He certainly had nowt to do all day, apart from kicking the ball away to kill time.
Someone should also tell our own goalie..............................we are losing you muppet, kick the bloomin ball upfield once in a while (if you can be bothered).

[Ancient Moaner]

When we come to the realization that we need an experienced, tactically savvy football coach....rather than a physio whose ambition overreaches his capability.....

....we will then reflect on how inspiring a place we have made Walsall as seeing as we sack managers after having only just appointed them.

Two entities scored own goals, damaging their own long term interests.... Dean Smith and Walsall f.c. (including the illiterate, clueless supporters who supported a decision of folly)

But I expect most of you will not grasp this for another 6 months at least, I'll meet you at the station in six months or so when you catch up....that is those of you who don't hop on the wrong train altogether.

Go boil your head you utter ****hole, get off our board, go infest some other board that can accept ****holes like you, a bad day made even worse by crud comments about a boring moron who all but destroyed our season, have you not taken the time to read comments of fans from other teams he bored to tedium? Just go away you muppet, I'd rather have Sound_Out's anti west propaganda, than your 'told you so' nonsense. :evil:

See....deluded

Yes of course you will find other illiterate, emotional, reactionary fans in the country....just as you will also find other players who can't take being corrected...so they stay in the bottom divisions

O'Driscoll's qualities are not appreciated by your likes....you need a ten year re-education first

Someone will eventually find out who you are, and YOU will get re-educated. As I say, go away, before it happens.

[Salop Saddler]

When we come to the realization that we need an experienced, tactically savvy football coach....rather than a physio whose ambition overreaches his capability.....

....we will then reflect on how inspiring a place we have made Walsall as seeing as we sack managers after having only just appointed them.

Two entities scored own goals, damaging their own long term interests.... Dean Smith and Walsall f.c. (including the illiterate, clueless supporters who supported a decision of folly)

But I expect most of you will not grasp this for another 6 months at least, I'll meet you at the station in six months or so when you catch up....that is those of you who don't hop on the wrong train altogether.

Go boil your head you utter ****hole, get off our board, go infest some other board that can accept ****holes like you, a bad day made even worse by crud comments about a boring moron who all but destroyed our season, have you not taken the time to read comments of fans from other teams he bored to tedium? Just go away you muppet, I'd rather have Sound_Out's anti west propaganda, than your 'told you so' nonsense. :evil:

See....deluded

Yes of course you will find other illiterate, emotional, reactionary fans in the country....just as you will also find other players who can't take being corrected...so they stay in the bottom divisions

O'Driscoll's qualities are not appreciated by your likes....you need a ten year re-education first

To keep things in context, they seem to have been little appreciated by several of his former employers in recent years also. Just saying like.

[Mazza01]

Flanagan wasn't great but he wasn't the worst player on the pitch, just an easy player to hook at half time. Sawyers and Mantom did very little today.

Agree you could argue Mantom was worse.

[sallian]

Very harsh on Whitney there. He's far more than just a physio

Yes is harsh....not a true reflection of what I really think about him, he is probably good from many angles and does many good things at the club and is part of the past ingredients of success...and obviously he has experience too in various capacities...

But it was top rate dumb....to get rid of an excellent, experienced coach...due to a barren patch and replace him with someone with far less specialized knowledge, experience and ability

Whitney should have encouraged the team more under O'Driscoll....Whitney probably annoyed he lost the role in the first place to O'Driscoll....remember him saying he and his associates are 'presenting a plan'

If you listen to all of Whitney's interviews...he had ambitions for management...and seems to have a bit of ego....I wouldn't be at all surprised if he had something to do with players negative reaction to O'Driscoll

At least Whitney admitted he learned from O'Driscoll and that O'Driscoll challenged everyone at the club.

If players can't take being challenged then it explains why they are not playing at a higher level and reaching a higher standard

O'Driscoll probably was too professional for the club.....Walsall is held back by small mindedness of board, players and fans.

Also expect O'Driscoll put someone else in their place at the club and they didn't like it.

Unlikely we will get another coach as good as him....for another 20 years....and probably don't deserve one either.

Sallian - I genuinely believe all fans have a right to express their opinion but I'll say up front that I have no intention of a continued exchange with you so I'm only going to post this reply to your comments:

1. You only seem to post to annoy other contributors - not sure why or what this achieves

2. You only seem to post when we lose or a poor performance gets a response

3. You seem to target a few individiduals that reply to your posts - must get you going in some way..

4. Your opinion on SOD is fine by me and you clearly disagree with his dismissal but you are in a huge minority by not appreciating that the period under his management was nothing less than disastrous for this seasons progress.. He dismantled what was a very effective squad during a few months and if the board and management hadn't made the change then I dread to think what would have happened..

In the final analysis of this season - the current management and coaching staff will be judged but one thing us for sure, the team did definitely not respond positively to SODs tactics or approach and frankly no football club can accept that

UTS

on 1.....however it seems, if some are annoyed by my posts it can say more about those getting annoyed rather than me. What exactly are they getting annoyed at? Read all of my posts....and ask yourself that question.

On 2. its also false, check all my posts....but there is more to talk about when we lose....just like a manager learns more from defeats (arguably).

3. I don't target anyone....just the substance...you will find...several individuals on here though target me...and mainly for abuse. Even a thread where some people calling for me being banned...and 13 people calling for my execution....but all of this without a charge, no reasoning or justification.

4. How on earth you can call O'Driscoll's tenure as disastrous is beyond me....He left with a POSITIVE RECORD...taking points in the MAJORITY of games and NEVER losing TWO GAMES (or 3 I forgot) in a row. And he was hardly given time, but everything he said made sense....and Dean Smith had much worse runs of bad form than O'Driscoll.

the majority of fans are wrong.....right isn't decided by how many people erroneously agree or support a matter, that is the problem with democracy

[Mazza01]

Did anyone hear the away attendance?

[sallian]

When we come to the realization that we need an experienced, tactically savvy football coach....rather than a physio whose ambition overreaches his capability.....

....we will then reflect on how inspiring a place we have made Walsall as seeing as we sack managers after having only just appointed them.

Two entities scored own goals, damaging their own long term interests.... Dean Smith and Walsall f.c. (including the illiterate, clueless supporters who supported a decision of folly)

But I expect most of you will not grasp this for another 6 months at least, I'll meet you at the station in six months or so when you catch up....that is those of you who don't hop on the wrong train altogether.

Go boil your head you utter ****hole, get off our board, go infest some other board that can accept ****holes like you, a bad day made even worse by crud comments about a boring moron who all but destroyed our season, have you not taken the time to read comments of fans from other teams he bored to tedium? Just go away you muppet, I'd rather have Sound_Out's anti west propaganda, than your 'told you so' nonsense. :evil:

See....deluded

Yes of course you will find other illiterate, emotional, reactionary fans in the country....just as you will also find other players who can't take being corrected...so they stay in the bottom divisions

O'Driscoll's qualities are not appreciated by your likes....you need a ten year re-education first

Someone will eventually find out who you are, and YOU will get re-educated. As I say, go away, before it happens.

If any of you actually knew who I was, I doubt you would be so free with the insults...however, I let it slide as you are supposed to be part of my own tribe (on some level).

[sallian]

When we come to the realization that we need an experienced, tactically savvy football coach....rather than a physio whose ambition overreaches his capability.....

....we will then reflect on how inspiring a place we have made Walsall as seeing as we sack managers after having only just appointed them.

Two entities scored own goals, damaging their own long term interests.... Dean Smith and Walsall f.c. (including the illiterate, clueless supporters who supported a decision of folly)

But I expect most of you will not grasp this for another 6 months at least, I'll meet you at the station in six months or so when you catch up....that is those of you who don't hop on the wrong train altogether.

Go boil your head you utter ****hole, get off our board, go infest some other board that can accept ****holes like you, a bad day made even worse by crud comments about a boring moron who all but destroyed our season, have you not taken the time to read comments of fans from other teams he bored to tedium? Just go away you muppet, I'd rather have Sound_Out's anti west propaganda, than your 'told you so' nonsense. :evil:

See....deluded

Yes of course you will find other illiterate, emotional, reactionary fans in the country....just as you will also find other players who can't take being corrected...so they stay in the bottom divisions

O'Driscoll's qualities are not appreciated by your likes....you need a ten year re-education first

To keep things in context, they seem to have been little appreciated by several of his former employers in recent years also. Just saying like.

you must be googling with a very biased filter applied

[Mazza01]

When we come to the realization that we need an experienced, tactically savvy football coach....rather than a physio whose ambition overreaches his capability.....

....we will then reflect on how inspiring a place we have made Walsall as seeing as we sack managers after having only just appointed them.

Two entities scored own goals, damaging their own long term interests.... Dean Smith and Walsall f.c. (including the illiterate, clueless supporters who supported a decision of folly)

But I expect most of you will not grasp this for another 6 months at least, I'll meet you at the station in six months or so when you catch up....that is those of you who don't hop on the wrong train altogether.

Go boil your head you utter ****hole, get off our board, go infest some other board that can accept ****holes like you, a bad day made even worse by crud comments about a boring moron who all but destroyed our season, have you not taken the time to read comments of fans from other teams he bored to tedium? Just go away you muppet, I'd rather have Sound_Out's anti west propaganda, than your 'told you so' nonsense. :evil:

See....deluded

Yes of course you will find other illiterate, emotional, reactionary fans in the country....just as you will also find other players who can't take being corrected...so they stay in the bottom divisions

O'Driscoll's qualities are not appreciated by your likes....you need a ten year re-education first

Someone will eventually find out who you are, and YOU will get re-educated. As I say, go away, before it happens.

If any of you actually knew who I was, I doubt you would be so free with the insults...however, I let it slide as you are supposed to be part of my own tribe (on some level).

You want some? I'll give it ya!!

[Salop Saddler]

Flanagan wasn't great but he wasn't the worst player on the pitch, just an easy player to hook at half time. Sawyers and Mantom did very little today.

Agree you could argue Mantom was worse.

Certainly no better, in fact all 10 outfield players were up for subbing in the first half.

If ever there was a game where we needed to exploit a wide pitch this was it. I think how we set up was a double bluff which went astray. Anyway, it's done with now so back to it next Saturday.