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

[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.

you must be googling with a very biased filter applied

Hmmm...okay.

[sallian]

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

No way sir....I don't get involved with ruffians and hooliganistic types....I know all about the Walsall boot boys reputation....and I am no Wealdstone Raider....I am the peaceful, civilized type....can't be involved in any brutish acts that put my hair out of place or damage my nails. I think my heritage goes back to the more genteel districts of Walsall.

[chunkster]

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

well it's better than needing a lobotomy :lol:

[chunkster]

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

No way sir....I don't get involved with ruffians and hooliganistic types....I know all about the Walsall boot boys reputation....and I am no Wealdstone Raider....I am the peaceful, civilized type....can't be involved in any brutish acts that put my hair out of place or damage my nails. I think my heritage goes back to the more genteel districts of Walsall.

goscote? :lol:

[Mazza01]

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

No way sir....I don't get involved with ruffians and hooliganistic types....I know all about the Walsall boot boys reputation....and I am no Wealdstone Raider....I am the peaceful, civilized type....can't be involved in any brutish acts that put my hair out of place or damage my nails. I think my heritage goes back to the more genteel districts of Walsall.

:lol: :lol:

[sallian]

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

No way sir....I don't get involved with ruffians and hooliganistic types....I know all about the Walsall boot boys reputation....and I am no Wealdstone Raider....I am the peaceful, civilized type....can't be involved in any brutish acts that put my hair out of place or damage my nails. I think my heritage goes back to the more genteel districts of Walsall.

goscote? :lol:

I can't be seen trying to brave the waves in that riff raff area sir...more like Park Hall or the Pleck

[ChopperWFC]

That felt just like the Wembley performance today. Not nice watching. However it's done let it go and move on.
What I am really angry about is the utter tossers I was surrounded by today. From the first minute they moaned. Eg. " why do people chant for Rico , he's useless ...... Play Bradshaw on the wing ...... Don't pass it there ..... Why aren't you passing it there .... . One minute into the second half " why aren't we in their faces !!!" " I'm sending my season ticket back ..,, must be something better to do than this ..

To you so called fans if that what you call support fudge off. Seriously just fudge off. I know we were bad today but you never gave them a chance. Spent the whole 90 mins moaning . Why did you come ?? I respect other people's opinions on football but it's so easy to rant about a missed pass from the stands. They don't intend to miss the pass it just happens. Had one bloke say Rico is believing his own press !!!
He's young and will have the odd bad game. No wonder players want to leave if they hear this cack. He's a top talent and will be missed when gone.
Rant over
Up the Saddlers forever

[Mazza01]

That felt just like the Wembley performance today. Not nice watching. However it's done let it go and move on.
What I am really angry about is the utter tossers I was surrounded by today. From the first minute they moaned. Eg. " why do people chant for Rico , he's useless ...... Play Bradshaw on the wing ...... Don't pass it there ..... Why aren't you passing it there .... . One minute into the second half " why aren't we in their faces !!!" " I'm sending my season ticket back ..,, must be something better to do than this ..

To you so called fans if that what you call support fudge off. Seriously just fudge off. I know we were bad today but you never gave them a chance. Spent the whole 90 mins moaning . Why did you come ?? I respect other people's opinions on football but it's so easy to rant about a missed pass from the stands. They don't intend to miss the pass it just happens. Had one bloke say Rico is believing his own press !!!
He's young and will have the odd bad game. No wonder players want to leave if they hear this cack. He's a top talent and will be missed when gone.
Rant over
Up the Saddlers forever

We didn't compete today I think that's what caused so much frustration from the fans, I some times look at a few of our players and get the feeling they know they will be leaving in the summer and their effort levels reflect it.

If you look over some of my past posts you will see I'm one of Sawyers biggest fans but sorry today he couldn't be bothered and that's not me being unfair.

[coop63]

That felt just like the Wembley performance today. Not nice watching. However it's done let it go and move on.
What I am really angry about is the utter tossers I was surrounded by today. From the first minute they moaned. Eg. " why do people chant for Rico , he's useless ...... Play Bradshaw on the wing ...... Don't pass it there ..... Why aren't you passing it there .... . One minute into the second half " why aren't we in their faces !!!" " I'm sending my season ticket back ..,, must be something better to do than this ..

To you so called fans if that what you call support fudge off. Seriously just fudge off. I know we were bad today but you never gave them a chance. Spent the whole 90 mins moaning . Why did you come ?? I respect other people's opinions on football but it's so easy to rant about a missed pass from the stands. They don't intend to miss the pass it just happens. Had one bloke say Rico is believing his own press !!!
He's young and will have the odd bad game. No wonder players want to leave if they hear this cack. He's a top talent and will be missed when gone.
Rant over
Up the Saddlers forever

We didn't compete today I think that's what caused so much frustration from the fans, I some times look at a few of our players and get the feeling they know they will be leaving in the summer and their effort levels reflect it.

If you look over some of my past posts you will see I'm one of Sawyers biggest fans but sorry today he couldn't be bothered and that's not me being unfair.

I agree Mazza - not competitive today in any department..

Not an unfair criticism of Sawyers at all - like you, I'm a big fan of his and he has undoubted talent in abundance (it's clear when he shows it) but he is also a very lazy player when he chooses to be and this is what's so infuriating about him..

Problem for him is that it's a very obvious trait and he seems to amble through games with an odd good touch or movement (I recall his move to create one of the girls at Donny and it was a piece of brilliance) but it's all too irregular...

I hope the current management team can get it ironed out as at times he is a waste of a shirt..

UTS

[ChopperWFC]

Yeah I agree it was shocking today and the players need to have a word with themselves but honestly the abuse started in the first minute. " Rico is cack ... Bradshaws cap gone to his head ... " I really could go on. I know it was frustrating today but was more angry with some supporters today than players and to me that not what supporting Walsall is all about. Always loved our away support and unique them and us mentality

[Bristol Fan]

Sawyers wasn't lazy, he was all over the pitch as he usually is, often mystifyingly finding himself in full back positions when they (particularly Demetriou) kept going AWOL. And that was one of the results of the bizarre formations we played. What was that in the first half, 3-6-1? With Taylor and Pennington frequently pushing so far forward at the same time as both wing backs (presumably because they were told to) it left us totally, hopelessly exposed, with Downing forever being left on his own, Chambers and usually Sawyers racing back to try to help him when things went tits up, as they often did.

But if that was weird, whatever the hell we were playing after half time was even weirder. Taylor was definitely then playing left back and not left-sided centre back and Henry was definitely playing as an out-and-out winger, but Demetriou didn't seem to know what he was supposed to be doing and ended up as neither one thing nor the other, Sawyers was now permanently sitting alongside Chambers.

Was Mantom playing?

Chest-thumping and morale-boosting can get you so far (and I honestly expected it to last longer than this) but the last couple of games (except those three glorious minutes at the end of Colchester) show you really do need more than that. I hope it's just a blip because today was worse than O'Driscoll: plodding, shapeless, square pegs in round holes. We've got to capitalise on Burton's own little blip and heap the pressure on them.

[chunkster]

That felt just like the Wembley performance today. Not nice watching. However it's done let it go and move on.
What I am really angry about is the utter tossers I was surrounded by today. From the first minute they moaned. Eg. " why do people chant for Rico , he's useless ...... Play Bradshaw on the wing ...... Don't pass it there ..... Why aren't you passing it there .... . One minute into the second half " why aren't we in their faces !!!" " I'm sending my season ticket back ..,, must be something better to do than this ..

To you so called fans if that what you call support fudge off. Seriously just fudge off. I know we were bad today but you never gave them a chance. Spent the whole 90 mins moaning . Why did you come ?? I respect other people's opinions on football but it's so easy to rant about a missed pass from the stands. They don't intend to miss the pass it just happens. Had one bloke say Rico is believing his own press !!!
He's young and will have the odd bad game. No wonder players want to leave if they hear this cack. He's a top talent and will be missed when gone.
Rant over
Up the Saddlers forever

We didn't compete today I think that's what caused so much frustration from the fans, I some times look at a few of our players and get the feeling they know they will be leaving in the summer and their effort levels reflect it.

If you look over some of my past posts you will see I'm one of Sawyers biggest fans but sorry today he couldn't be bothered and that's not me being unfair.

Totally agree with yours and choppers posts.because i sit so close to the touchline at home games i only ever shout encouragement and maybe the odd bad luck to players that have misplaced a pass. they know that they have done wrong but don't need a few hundred morons to tell them :roll: and sawyers for me has been immense this season. but the last few games has looked like he just doesn't want to be here :|

[coop63]

Yeah I agree it was shocking today and the players need to have a word with themselves but honestly the abuse started in the first minute. " Rico is cack ... Bradshaws cap gone to his head ... " I really could go on. I know it was frustrating today but was more angry with some supporters today than players and to me that not what supporting Walsall is all about. Always loved our away support and unique them and us mentality

Does make you wonder why some of em bother travelling if that's all they wanna do!

[funk_hits_the_fan]

Another match thread ruined by people quoting a troll.

Not funny now I'm fudge sick to death of it

[TWM1962]

Well that was dross. Poor team performance and a total lack of tactical ineptness. Sorry Jon but you can spin as much as you like, but you ain't fooled me!! I just cannot wait so see the half-time video from this weeks performance. I will watch and keep on VHS for posterity??

We were shite against Colchester and were even worse today. Still Pennington looked half decent. That's the negatives out the way. Positive - Still think we have the best away fans in the league.
Oldham here we come.. Still we are a force to be reckoned with.. LOL ��

[chunkster]

Well that was dross. Poor team performance and a total lack of tactical ineptness. Sorry Jon but you can spin as much as you like, but you ain't fooled me!! I just cannot wait so see the half-time video from this weeks performance. I will watch and keep on VHS for posterity??

We were shite against Colchester and were even worse today. Still Pennington looked half decent. That's the negatives out the way. Positive - Still think we have the best away fans in the league.
Oldham here we come.. Still we are a force to be reckoned with.. LOL ��

you are right we are still a force to be reckoned with :wink: . we will put it right it is just a blip :wink:

[saddler79]

Had to post up as I am sick of biting my lip with Sawyers. In my opinion this guy is one of the most naturally gifted players we have had in a long time. What is he doing?........wasting it!!! In games like today where everyone is struggling Sawyers could have the ability to make the difference. Since christmas he has just jogged around the pitch and just HID from any responsibility. Makes me feel really sorry for Flanagan. We all know the kid lacks confidence and to be plain about it is just not very good but he never hides and works hard!! I dont care if it gets me a heap of abuse but Sawyers should be dropped immediately until his attitude sorts itself out. He is a bad influence on this team.

We've got a big battle on now to secure a playoff spot but all is not lost yet!

[Andy_Petterson]

Had to post up as I am sick of biting my lip with Sawyers. In my opinion this guy is one of the most naturally gifted players we have had in a long time. What is he doing?........wasting it!!! In games like today where everyone is struggling Sawyers could have the ability to make the difference. Since christmas he has just jogged around the pitch and just HID from any responsibility. Makes me feel really sorry for Flanagan. We all know the kid lacks confidence and to be plain about it is just not very good but he never hides and works hard!! I dont care if it gets me a heap of abuse but Sawyers should be dropped immediately until his attitude sorts itself out. He is a bad influence on this team.

We've got a big battle on now to secure a playoff spot but all is not lost yet!

\

Nonsense on stilts.

Romaine Sawyers was the hardest working Walsall player at Bramall Lane along with Adam Chambers. Try watching the number of times he tracks back next time.

He is also the most creative player in the side and brings things under control if there is a poor pass from someone else.

We are lucky to have him.

[stefano123]

Whitney has to take large proportion of the blame today. Not all but certainly his fair share. His decision to include Flanagan unbalanced the team. He looked so far out of his depth (again, like he did at Swindon) it was uncomfortable to watch at times. The lad is technically very good, hence why I can imagine he is decent in training but his positioning and decision making in under match conditions is/ was very poor. To be fair to Whitney he did see his mistake and changed it at half time so I'll take that as a positive sign that he'll learn from his mistake.

Realistically, I think we need to prepare mentally for the playoffs, build momentum and restore confidence back to the levels we witnessed earlier in the season. Placing pressure on them to achieve automatic promotion at this stage might actually turn out to be most detrimental.

[saddler79]

Well done Andy you haven't disappointed. Exactly the expected reponse as he is one of the 'untouchables'. Glad you enjoyed his hard tackling, work rate and fluency he brought in linking our defence to attack today. Countless times he found useful space and played that killer pass today. Reminded me of that pre-christmas form and looked just like the sawyers we saw with the swagger away at Blackpool for example. If his performance made you content with the £20 in and petrol both ways then fair play to you.

Back to a touch of reality for a second. Sawyers' work rate isnt meant to be tracking back!! Its meant to be high up the pitch and hurting teams!! He has either been reading his own press or has a contract else where. Its that simple. We have been carrying him for about 4 months and its time to bench him.

I am a positive walsall fan and will never openly boo players. I LOVE to be proved wrong if it is for the good of the team. I have been one of the biggest critics of Adam Chambers in seasons gone by but am absolutely delighted by the way he is playing. Total revelation. HE is a player we are lucky to have!!

[stefano123]

Had to post up as I am sick of biting my lip with Sawyers. In my opinion this guy is one of the most naturally gifted players we have had in a long time. What is he doing?........wasting it!!! In games like today where everyone is struggling Sawyers could have the ability to make the difference. Since christmas he has just jogged around the pitch and just HID from any responsibility. Makes me feel really sorry for Flanagan. We all know the kid lacks confidence and to be plain about it is just not very good but he never hides and works hard!! I dont care if it gets me a heap of abuse but Sawyers should be dropped immediately until his attitude sorts itself out. He is a bad influence on this team.

We've got a big battle on now to secure a playoff spot but all is not lost yet!

\

Nonsense on stilts.

Romaine Sawyers was the hardest working Walsall player at Bramall Lane along with Adam Chambers. Try watching the number of times he tracks back next time.

He is also the most creative player in the side and brings things under control if there is a poor pass from someone else.

We are lucky to have him.

Sawyers is suffering from a lack of a second midfielder (a la Evans) who is comfortable enough to recieve the ball in deep lying areas. Early in the season either Evans or Sawyers would pick the ball up deep, while the other occupied the number 10 position thus stretching the opposition midfield, they'd then turn and look to play forward. This in turn created space in the midfield for whoever was in the advanced midfield role to recieve the ball and penetrate. It's now far too easy to mark Sawyers out of the game because the role he is now being asked to play is more rigid and because Chambers and Mantom (while good players in their own right) are reluctant to recieve the ball in deeper positions. Just think about how many times a central midfielder has recieved the ball from our centre halves since Evans left and, consequentially, how many times we've ended up playing a long ball from the back as a result.

It doesn't matter how creative you are if there's no space to play in. This isn't a Sawyers problem, or an issue that can be remedied by simply benching him and bring in someone else, this is a tactical problem any player being asked to do his job would face.

[Kevlar]

Poor team performance and a total lack of tactical ineptness. Sorry Jon but you can spin as much as you like, but you ain't fooled me!!

Well if the team has a "total lack of tactical ineptness" ..............then Jon Whitney HAS fooled you.


Having said that, I think we should have let O'Driscolls wife run the team ........................https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkCBVZHrstE

[Guest]

We didn't do a lot in these highlights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2tkNBLn1eg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[otiswfc]

A good day out ruined by the football very similar to our Wembley non appearance.
I was trying to be positive about the 2 week break more trying to convince myself it was a good thing but we looked like a team that hadn't played for 2 weeks and Sheffield United looked like a team that needed to get their midweek loss out their system.
We could still be playing now and wouldn't have scored we had nothing in the final third the only way we'd have won that game playing that way is if we had Billy Sharp up front but he's probably on 10 grand a week so that will never happen.
Bradshaw was isolated due to Sawyers roaming around the pitch he covered a lot of ground to be fair to him but I would have thought a forward player no:10 that's gone about 30 games since he last scored would be more in and around the box actually trying to do his main role as a player ie SCORE. Flanagan was poor but what does anyone expect he won't be a league 1 player for long unless he improves drastically.
The Sheffield United fans are the most quiet bunch I've ever seen 19,000? I've been to ground's with 900 fans making more noise.
I'll give them the benefit of the doubt though because they are cack and playing Walsall fc is probably the equivalent to them as us playing Scunthorpe.

[SaigonSaddler]

Well ... as they said in Predator 2 "cack 'appens"

Looked like 2 decent goals from their side though, but still a disappointing day.

This thread has also been blighted by one of the most persistent and indeed desperate trolling attacks I have ever seen, with post after post saying essentially the same thing over and over again. You really do have to question the reasoning behind it.

[Mazza01]

Had to post up as I am sick of biting my lip with Sawyers. In my opinion this guy is one of the most naturally gifted players we have had in a long time. What is he doing?........wasting it!!! In games like today where everyone is struggling Sawyers could have the ability to make the difference. Since christmas he has just jogged around the pitch and just HID from any responsibility. Makes me feel really sorry for Flanagan. We all know the kid lacks confidence and to be plain about it is just not very good but he never hides and works hard!! I dont care if it gets me a heap of abuse but Sawyers should be dropped immediately until his attitude sorts itself out. He is a bad influence on this team.

We've got a big battle on now to secure a playoff spot but all is not lost yet!

\

Nonsense on stilts.

Romaine Sawyers was the hardest working Walsall player at Bramall Lane along with Adam Chambers. Try watching the number of times he tracks back next time.

He is also the most creative player in the side and brings things under control if there is a poor pass from someone else.

We are lucky to have him.

Sawyers is suffering from a lack of a second midfielder (a la Evans) who is comfortable enough to recieve the ball in deep lying areas. Early in the season either Evans or Sawyers would pick the ball up deep, while the other occupied the number 10 position thus stretching the opposition midfield, they'd then turn and look to play forward. This in turn created space in the midfield for whoever was in the advanced midfield role to recieve the ball and penetrate. It's now far too easy to mark Sawyers out of the game because the role he is now being asked to play is more rigid and because Chambers and Mantom (while good players in their own right) are reluctant to recieve the ball in deeper positions. Just think about how many times a central midfielder has recieved the ball from our centre halves since Evans left and, consequentially, how many times we've ended up playing a long ball from the back as a result.

It doesn't matter how creative you are if there's no space to play in. This isn't a Sawyers problem, or an issue that can be remedied by simply benching him and bring in someone else, this is a tactical problem any player being asked to do his job would face.

As I said I'm Sawyers biggest fan but he was lazy there is no defending it!

First half he stood still, how many times did you see him actually break a sweat and try and get in behind , run a channel or get in the box? Tbh I didn't actually see him in the box all game. When was the last time he actually found himself in a dangerous area to have a shot?

when he drops deep he does see plenty of ball granted , it's a little bit like Wayne Rooney when he lost his legs he had to drop deep because he no longer had the pace to hold possession in dangerous areas.

Not sure Sir Ray would of put up with such a luxury.

[otiswfc]

Had to post up as I am sick of biting my lip with Sawyers. In my opinion this guy is one of the most naturally gifted players we have had in a long time. What is he doing?........wasting it!!! In games like today where everyone is struggling Sawyers could have the ability to make the difference. Since christmas he has just jogged around the pitch and just HID from any responsibility. Makes me feel really sorry for Flanagan. We all know the kid lacks confidence and to be plain about it is just not very good but he never hides and works hard!! I dont care if it gets me a heap of abuse but Sawyers should be dropped immediately until his attitude sorts itself out. He is a bad influence on this team.

We've got a big battle on now to secure a playoff spot but all is not lost yet!

\

Nonsense on stilts.

Romaine Sawyers was the hardest working Walsall player at Bramall Lane along with Adam Chambers. Try watching the number of times he tracks back next time.

He is also the most creative player in the side and brings things under control if there is a poor pass from someone else.

We are lucky to have him.

Sawyers is suffering from a lack of a second midfielder (a la Evans) who is comfortable enough to recieve the ball in deep lying areas. Early in the season either Evans or Sawyers would pick the ball up deep, while the other occupied the number 10 position thus stretching the opposition midfield, they'd then turn and look to play forward. This in turn created space in the midfield for whoever was in the advanced midfield role to recieve the ball and penetrate. It's now far too easy to mark Sawyers out of the game because the role he is now being asked to play is more rigid and because Chambers and Mantom (while good players in their own right) are reluctant to recieve the ball in deeper positions. Just think about how many times a central midfielder has recieved the ball from our centre halves since Evans left and, consequentially, how many times we've ended up playing a long ball from the back as a result.

It doesn't matter how creative you are if there's no space to play in. This isn't a Sawyers problem, or an issue that can be remedied by simply benching him and bring in someone else, this is a tactical problem any player being asked to do his job would face.

As I said I'm Sawyers biggest fan but he was lazy there is no defending it!

First half he stood still, how many times did you see him actually break a sweat and try and get in behind , run a channel or get in the box? Tbh I didn't actually see him in the box all game. When was the last time he actually found himself in a dangerous area to have a shot?

when he drops deep he does see plenty of ball granted , it's a little bit like Wayne Rooney when he lost his legs he had to drop deep because he no longer had the pace to hold possession in dangerous areas.

Not sure Sir Ray would of put up with such a luxury.

The difference between Rooney and Sawyers apart from the obvious universal gulf in actual ability is that even when Rooney drops into a deeper position he still has the ability to score out of nothing this season must be his worst due to injuries and Man Utd being inconsistent but his personal stats still stand 14 goals in 32 games
And 177 goals so far in his Man Utd career he'll be their leading goalscorer of all time.
Your right about Ray Graydon he would have benched Sawyers by now he binned player's like Brissett and Buckran for a lot less and in my opinion Buckran was a better player than Sawyers.

[Mazza01]

Had to post up as I am sick of biting my lip with Sawyers. In my opinion this guy is one of the most naturally gifted players we have had in a long time. What is he doing?........wasting it!!! In games like today where everyone is struggling Sawyers could have the ability to make the difference. Since christmas he has just jogged around the pitch and just HID from any responsibility. Makes me feel really sorry for Flanagan. We all know the kid lacks confidence and to be plain about it is just not very good but he never hides and works hard!! I dont care if it gets me a heap of abuse but Sawyers should be dropped immediately until his attitude sorts itself out. He is a bad influence on this team.

We've got a big battle on now to secure a playoff spot but all is not lost yet!

\

Nonsense on stilts.

Romaine Sawyers was the hardest working Walsall player at Bramall Lane along with Adam Chambers. Try watching the number of times he tracks back next time.

He is also the most creative player in the side and brings things under control if there is a poor pass from someone else.

We are lucky to have him.

Sawyers is suffering from a lack of a second midfielder (a la Evans) who is comfortable enough to recieve the ball in deep lying areas. Early in the season either Evans or Sawyers would pick the ball up deep, while the other occupied the number 10 position thus stretching the opposition midfield, they'd then turn and look to play forward. This in turn created space in the midfield for whoever was in the advanced midfield role to recieve the ball and penetrate. It's now far too easy to mark Sawyers out of the game because the role he is now being asked to play is more rigid and because Chambers and Mantom (while good players in their own right) are reluctant to recieve the ball in deeper positions. Just think about how many times a central midfielder has recieved the ball from our centre halves since Evans left and, consequentially, how many times we've ended up playing a long ball from the back as a result.

It doesn't matter how creative you are if there's no space to play in. This isn't a Sawyers problem, or an issue that can be remedied by simply benching him and bring in someone else, this is a tactical problem any player being asked to do his job would face.

As I said I'm Sawyers biggest fan but he was lazy there is no defending it!

First half he stood still, how many times did you see him actually break a sweat and try and get in behind , run a channel or get in the box? Tbh I didn't actually see him in the box all game. When was the last time he actually found himself in a dangerous area to have a shot?

when he drops deep he does see plenty of ball granted , it's a little bit like Wayne Rooney when he lost his legs he had to drop deep because he no longer had the pace to hold possession in dangerous areas.

Not sure Sir Ray would of put up with such a luxury.

The difference between Rooney and Sawyers apart from the obvious universal gulf in actual ability is that even when Rooney drops into a deeper position he still has the ability to score out of nothing this season must be his worst due to injuries and Man Utd being inconsistent but his personal stats still stand 14 goals in 32 games
And 177 goals so far in his Man Utd career he'll be their leading goalscorer of all time.
Your right about Ray Graydon he would have benched Sawyers by now he binned player's like Brissett and Buckran for a lot less and in my opinion Buckran was a better player than Sawyers.

Obviously I am aware of the gulf in class it's purely an example.

my point is Sawyers is young fit and fresh and should be willing to make these runs we talk about, Rooney drops deep because his body no longer allows him to do otherwise.

Also as we created zero chances yesterday the Sawyers position I.e the play maker comes into serious question.

[coop63]

Mazzas topic has a max of 5 quotes so I'm posting this as a reply.....


If we are all honest, Sawyers is, can be and should be, one of our biggest playmaking threats because he has both the ability and the pace to take players on - problem is he is lazy and anyone who disagrees is not being honest with themselves..

He gives the impression of a laid back flair player and that's fine if you do enough of the right things but he simply doesn't.. He ambles through long period of the game and seems uninterested.. I know he can't be involved in everything but when he is involved he should be creating play but he seems to do less and less of it as the season is progressing!

It's baffling really that he simply never shoots - even defenders have a dig now and then but he seems incapable of getting his head into shooting mode - it's unexplainable (in my mind anyway..)

UTS

[otiswfc]

Mazzas topic has a max of 5 quotes so I'm posting this as a reply.....


If we are all honest, Sawyers is, can be and should be, one of our biggest playmaking threats because he has both the ability and the pace to take players on - problem is he is lazy and anyone who disagrees is not being honest with themselves..

He gives the impression of a laid back flair player and that's fine if you do enough of the right things but he simply doesn't.. He ambles through long period of the game and seems uninterested.. I know he can't be involved in everything but when he is involved he should be creating play but he seems to do less and less of it as the season is progressing!

It's baffling really that he simply never shoots - even defenders have a dig now and then but he seems incapable of getting his head into shooting mode - it's unexplainable (in my mind anyway..)

UTS

It's not unexplainable to me as I took a load of stick on here for daring to say in pre season that Sawyers won't score 10 goals this season and here we are 8 games to go he's played in every game and got 6.
Sawyers literally hasn't got the basic ability to be able to strike a ball properly he scored that worldy at blackpool that must have been a fluke because he hasn't done anything like that since and before anyone dismisses this assessment of Sawyers Same as my prediction of his goals return next game just watch him in the warm up when they lay the ball off and strike into the goal from 8 yards he either scuffs the ball or it goes in the stand and that's under no pressure in the bloody warm up.
Before this starts sounding like me vs Sawyers again I will add it wasn't just Sawyers who had a bad game yesterday most of the player's need to assess their performance before the next game.