Bradford City (A) April 23rd, 3pm

[Cully]

I clapped them off because even though we were dire, we are still in 4th place. They deserve a little bit of respect even after that horror show of a performance. It doesn't send the best message if we only clap them off when things are going well and then abandon them when it isn't.

Clapping is a sign of appreciation for a job well done, why would you want to clap someone for performing badly. I have no idea what you mean by saying 'they deserve a little respect' - why? what for? They're professional footballers and they need to know how ordinary supporters feel about that performance and I don't care if they get the message that they were crap, they were. By the way, they've had their fair share of claps for being in 4th place and judging by your post they can feel pleased with themselves that they managed to drop only one place yesterday.

As a manager there is a time and place for everything and in my opinion yesterday it wasn't the right time to applaud.

[tinned]

I have applauded defeats in the past, some of them heavy defeats, but when it's been merited. Sometimes you can see the team have put in a shift and deserve our applause regardless of the result. Yesterday was not one of those days, it was a performance that required the fans made a point that it was an unacceptable performance. Sometimes a hard dose of reality can be more beneficial than this tendency to soft sopa them all the time.

[JonnyOwen]

I clapped them off because even though we were dire, we are still in 4th place. They deserve a little bit of respect even after that horror show of a performance. It doesn't send the best message if we only clap them off when things are going well and then abandon them when it isn't.

Clapping is a sign of appreciation for a job well done, why would you want to clap someone for performing badly. I have no idea what you mean by saying 'they deserve a little respect' - why? what for? They're professional footballers and they need to know how ordinary supporters feel about that performance and I don't care if they get the message that they were crap, they were. By the way, they've had their fair share of claps for being in 4th place and judging by your post they can feel pleased with themselves that they managed to drop only one place yesterday.

As a manager there is a time and place for everything and in my opinion yesterday it wasn't the right time to applaud.

Don't want to clap? Then don't. But clapping doesn't necessarily mean appreciation, it can mean whatever you want it to be mean. Appreciation, respect, happiness, sarcasm etc...

These players aren't stupid enough to not know that a 4 nil loss is a bad performance. It is just an effort to boost their morale and show a sign of support.

[Cully]

I clapped them off because even though we were dire, we are still in 4th place. They deserve a little bit of respect even after that horror show of a performance. It doesn't send the best message if we only clap them off when things are going well and then abandon them when it isn't.

Clapping is a sign of appreciation for a job well done, why would you want to clap someone for performing badly. I have no idea what you mean by saying 'they deserve a little respect' - why? what for? They're professional footballers and they need to know how ordinary supporters feel about that performance and I don't care if they get the message that they were crap, they were. By the way, they've had their fair share of claps for being in 4th place and judging by your post they can feel pleased with themselves that they managed to drop only one place yesterday.

As a manager there is a time and place for everything and in my opinion yesterday it wasn't the right time to applaud.

Don't want to clap? Then don't. But clapping doesn't necessarily mean appreciation, it can mean whatever you want it to be mean. Appreciation, respect, happiness, sarcasm etc...

These players aren't stupid enough to not know that a 4 nil loss is a bad performance. It is just an effort to boost their morale and show a sign of support.

Of course you can clap if you want, just wondering whether the players realised that you were clapping them for achieving 4th place.

[JonnyOwen]

I clapped them off because even though we were dire, we are still in 4th place. They deserve a little bit of respect even after that horror show of a performance. It doesn't send the best message if we only clap them off when things are going well and then abandon them when it isn't.

Clapping is a sign of appreciation for a job well done, why would you want to clap someone for performing badly. I have no idea what you mean by saying 'they deserve a little respect' - why? what for? They're professional footballers and they need to know how ordinary supporters feel about that performance and I don't care if they get the message that they were crap, they were. By the way, they've had their fair share of claps for being in 4th place and judging by your post they can feel pleased with themselves that they managed to drop only one place yesterday.

As a manager there is a time and place for everything and in my opinion yesterday it wasn't the right time to applaud.

Don't want to clap? Then don't. But clapping doesn't necessarily mean appreciation, it can mean whatever you want it to be mean. Appreciation, respect, happiness, sarcasm etc...

These players aren't stupid enough to not know that a 4 nil loss is a bad performance. It is just an effort to boost their morale and show a sign of support.

Of course you can clap if you want, just wondering whether the players realised that you were clapping them for achieving 4th place.

Not at all. You could see it on their faces.

[PT]

Of course you can clap if you want, just wondering whether the players realised that you were clapping them for achieving 4th place.

My own clapping was done in morse code. It read "t-h-a-t. W-a-s. S-h-I-t. B-u-t. I. S-t-i-l-l. L-o-v-e. Y-o-u."

Disappointingly I think only Jordan Cook and Andy Taylor got it. Footballers eh. :roll:

[Cully]

I clapped them off because even though we were dire, we are still in 4th place. They deserve a little bit of respect even after that horror show of a performance. It doesn't send the best message if we only clap them off when things are going well and then abandon them when it isn't.

Clapping is a sign of appreciation for a job well done, why would you want to clap someone for performing badly. I have no idea what you mean by saying 'they deserve a little respect' - why? what for? They're professional footballers and they need to know how ordinary supporters feel about that performance and I don't care if they get the message that they were crap, they were. By the way, they've had their fair share of claps for being in 4th place and judging by your post they can feel pleased with themselves that they managed to drop only one place yesterday.

As a manager there is a time and place for everything and in my opinion yesterday it wasn't the right time to applaud.

Don't want to clap? Then don't. But clapping doesn't necessarily mean appreciation, it can mean whatever you want it to be mean. Appreciation, respect, happiness, sarcasm etc...

These players aren't stupid enough to not know that a 4 nil loss is a bad performance. It is just an effort to boost their morale and show a sign of support.

Of course you can clap if you want, just wondering whether the players realised that you were clapping them for achieving 4th place.

Not at all. You could see it on their faces.

Waste of a clap then. Next time use subtitles and there can be no mistake.

ps No worries Jonny, we both want the same thing :D

[Walsallone]

having just got back from 4 wonderful days in the Lake District and visiting relatives 'up North I find that we are a team with no leaders,no "bottle", who play hoof ball and have a manager who is inept! Well the latter point may be right when I saw the selected team...ok Demetriou and Bradshaw are not fully fit But to play Henry out of position when clearly the lad was struggling in his best position against Swindon seems odd! The recall of Pennington was a blow also but surely Matt Preston alongside O'Connor and Downing would have been a useful ploy against Bradford and their hoof ball tactics.
We have some very good players here and we should play to their strengths so lets get behind the team and try and win 3 games....if only to have some form going into the play offs.

[Cully]

Of course you can clap if you want, just wondering whether the players realised that you were clapping them for achieving 4th place.

My own clapping was done in morse code. It read "t-h-a-t. W-a-s. S-h-I-t. B-u-t. I. S-t-i-l-l. L-o-v-e. Y-o-u."

Disappointingly I think only Jordan Cook and Andy Taylor got it. Footballers eh. :roll:

Nah, I don't believe you :D

[hullsaddler]

Of course you can clap if you want, just wondering whether the players realised that you were clapping them for achieving 4th place.

My own clapping was done in morse code. It read "t-h-a-t. W-a-s. S-h-I-t. B-u-t. I. S-t-i-l-l. L-o-v-e. Y-o-u."

Disappointingly I think only Jordan Cook and Andy Taylor got it. Footballers eh. :roll:

Nah, I don't believe you :D

The only appropriate clap at the end of yesterday's game would have been a slow-hand clap.

[Andy_Petterson]

Of course you can clap if you want, just wondering whether the players realised that you were clapping them for achieving 4th place.

My own clapping was done in morse code. It read "t-h-a-t. W-a-s. S-h-I-t. B-u-t. I. S-t-i-l-l. L-o-v-e. Y-o-u."

Disappointingly I think only Jordan Cook and Andy Taylor got it. Footballers eh. :roll:

Nah, I don't believe you :D

I can't help but notice our season has gone to pot ever since you wrote that post praising the performance against Bury

Cully Out. Period.

:arrow: :wink:

[Cully]

Of course you can clap if you want, just wondering whether the players realised that you were clapping them for achieving 4th place.

My own clapping was done in morse code. It read "t-h-a-t. W-a-s. S-h-I-t. B-u-t. I. S-t-i-l-l. L-o-v-e. Y-o-u."

Disappointingly I think only Jordan Cook and Andy Taylor got it. Footballers eh. :roll:

Nah, I don't believe you :D

I can't help but notice our season has gone to pot ever since you wrote that post praising the performance against Bury

Cully Out. Period.

:arrow: :wink:

:D

[reedswood sadler]

Whitney was right to say some players bottled it but that is just cover for the fact he selected wrong team and tactic of hoofball when we are best playing football on ground.
Most regular supporters would realise when saw team line up we were in trouble.
Henry in front of Taylor never works play him LB or leave on bench, if Bradshaw fit play him why leave top scorer out when struggling for goals. I thought it was just SOD who had thing against Morris he is the only one who is prepared to run at defence and shoot.

[belgiansaddler]

Tend not to post immediately after a disappointing performance and result and but although the venom of my disappointment has passed, the general disappointment hasn't. We can look at this 2 ways. Obviously we would have accepted our current situation at the start of the season, but I can't help feeling we are on the point of ballsing up one of those chances that come round once a decade a more.

The game plan appeared to be hold them for 60 minutes and then go forward. God knows how we got to half time at nil all but we did. If hiwula's shot had gone in it might have been different. But that was the only real chance we created from open play all match. We were lucky it was nil all at half time. Bradford were direct and annoyingly cynical. They came out and battered and bullied us. And fair play. It was an embarrassing compitulation in the second half. They could of had 6 pr 7. We had no response. Apart from trying to contain them I couldn't see what out tactics were. We used to be an effective counter attacking team, that's the game I thought we would play. But our counter attacking consisted of hoofing the ball up field to a massively isolated hiwula or more often out of play or a Bradford player.

Mantom and downing were shocking. But to be fair to them they were far from the only ones. Only players who can hold their heads held high after yesterday's shambles are o'connor and etheridge, both prevented it from being 7 or 8. I thought kin sella battled well and stuck to his task. Chambers was solid but can't run the midfield on his own, and yesterday mantom was shite.

Yes it's been beyond our expectations, but this could be the biggest missed chance in history. But we regroup, we go again. 4-0 against the Welsh scum will pick our spirits up. It looks increasingly unlikely.... But you never know. Walsall ay we :mrgreen:

[SoccerHQ]

Obviously massively disappointing. Thought we had done well to hold them to a goalless first half & who knows if Hiwula's shot had been an inch lower. They were much the stronger combative side. It was more of the same in the 2nd half but this time they scored the goals that their superiority deserved. I never normally leave early but I left with 7 or 8 minutes left as the attraction of getting a train home an hour earlier was overwhelming. Was waiting for the roar as a 5th went in as I walked away from the ground. Thought Mantom was a weakpoint & Forde was ineffective. I also am very strongly of the point of view on UTS that if Henry plays then he should be played at full back.
Think we are going to struggle in the play-offs. Desperately hope I'm wrong, I have been at 5 of the 6 games we have lost away from home in all competitions so perhaps I shouldn't go. I would have happily settled for where we are now at the start of season, but now feel it's going to be a 'what might have been season'. Perhaps momentum can be created over the last 3 games but I'm not expecting it. God I feel depressed at the moment.

Biggest thing for me is half the team will leave....Sawyers won't sign a new deal if Walsall remain a league one club, Bradshaw has half the championship after him and Henry will probably go aswell.

Seen at other local teams that losing so much quality in one go is near impossible to replace so this certainly represents a massive missed opportunity in my book considering Burton were the team to be hunted down.

Didn't shock me Bradford won, the ease of the scoreline did.

Bradford are a very very tough team to beat, particularly at home. I'd make them favourites to win the play offs tbh, strong at the back and got goals in them. Also have recent positive Wembley experience.

What interested me was that Phil Parkinson is normally an up and down 4-4-2 coach but looking at their team he changed to 4-5-1 with Hanson as the targetman and it seemed to work perfectly. Shows their strength of their squad, Hanson did well in the cups for them 3 years ago but hasn't been a regular for a long while for them.

Whitney seemed to approach this the same way as Sheffield United which was a disaster, don't think he should be manager next season which as I said at the top will be quite a difficult one I think.

[SoccerHQ]

15 mins into the game I thought oh cack we've lost this Bradford out battled and fought us from start to finish very very strange we've played the ball on the floor all season then wait for a massive important game and decide to start hoofing it up to the striker's, Downing was abysmal terrible performance as bad as taundry at Coventry and look what happened to him. I'm glad Whitney has been honest and basically said we were cack and "it wasn't good enough " but it doesn't excuse the performance, waving the pom poms about didn't work this time for Whitney perhaps it might work Tuesday night.

0-3 a little optimistic before kick off perhaps? :roll:

Downing's getting a load of abuse it seems now, all I'd say on that is he isn't the greatest defender in the world. However he's been a regular in this league for 4 seasons now and for the last 2 Walsall have been I think in top 5 defensive records.

Defence needs to be kept together for next season as no chance you're replacing all that quality that will be lost in attack on freebies and loans.

[SoccerHQ]

I clapped them off because even though we were dire, we are still in 4th place. They deserve a little bit of respect even after that horror show of a performance. It doesn't send the best message if we only clap them off when things are going well and then abandon them when it isn't.

Pretty much, wasn't AM slaughtering the fans after the Crewe away game? :lol:

[chunkster]

I clapped the team off after losing at bristol city last year. and i meant it :)

[JonnyOwen]

I clapped the team off after losing at bristol city last year. and i meant it :)

I did too :lol: :P

[Exile]

Disappointed, but if we were consistent to budget we'd be way below 4th place, so still happy in the context of the season. Walsall's a slut of a wife, but I'm cuck enough to stand by her!

[Leatherman]

Disappointed, but if we were consistent to budget we'd be way below 4th place, so still happy in the context of the season. Walsall's a slut of a wife, but I'm cuck enough to stand by her!

You sound like Smiley and his wife, Ann. :mrgreen:

[Leatherman]

That's the fat lady singing. No chance of automatic and the chances of us going up in the play-offs are very slim IMO.

:roll:

[canadiansaddler]

Believe, second place is ours a squeaky 3 v 2 win against Shrewsbury, 2 v 0 masterpiece vs the cod army and a nervy 1 nil win vs Vale in a good old fashioned kick me off the park Derby.

It's is Written

[nottmsaddler]

Easiest thing in the world to come up with the 'we're shite and I knew it would turn out like this' line.

We're fourth and if we win on Tuesday (big IF) then we're in with a shout. Two decent wins (2-0, 3-0) in next two home games gives us a chance. However poor we were on Saturday, nobody really thought we'd have a shot at automatic promotion with three games to go back at the start of August and it's been a big achievement whatever happens.

Yes, Saturday was bad and like Sheff Utd, I think the selection and mindset of holding on for a draw from the off was completely the wrong decision and Whitney will have to live (or not get the job FT) with that. BUT surely now, if at no other point this season, is the time to get behind one last push and see what we can do, even if its just reach the play offs with a bit of momentum,

Or do we just say 'we've lost four nil and bottled it, so lets give up, slag them off and look forward to another season in League 1?'

Fair play to those who are not giving up just yet.

[Sound_out]

Spoke to my Bradford City pal this morning for his take on the game and pretty much confirms what most people are saying on here. God awful were his words with nothing going forward. He was also critical of Whitney saying that the only player who looked half decent was Sawyers but Whitney would move him to a new position every 10 minutes.

[SoccerHQ]

Spoke to my Bradford City pal this morning for his take on the game and pretty much confirms what most people are saying on here. God awful were his words with nothing going forward. He was also critical of Whitney saying that the only player who looked half decent was Sawyers but Whitney would move him to a new position every 10 minutes.

Bet the 2013 Carling cup semi finals was a fun time to be alive.... :?

[Sound_out]

Spoke to my Bradford City pal this morning for his take on the game and pretty much confirms what most people are saying on here. God awful were his words with nothing going forward. He was also critical of Whitney saying that the only player who looked half decent was Sawyers but Whitney would move him to a new position every 10 minutes.

Bet the 2013 Carling cup semi finals was a fun time to be alive.... :?

Relevance? :?

[portlandbill]

[

Relevance? :?[/quote]
Saw the film. Quite unwatchable but won plenty of Oscars

[Ancient Moaner]

I clapped them off because even though we were dire, we are still in 4th place. They deserve a little bit of respect even after that horror show of a performance. It doesn't send the best message if we only clap them off when things are going well and then abandon them when it isn't.

Pretty much, wasn't AM slaughtering the fans after the Crewe away game? :lol:

Yes, I did, but at Crewe we did at least put in some effort, we just could not score against the Divisions worst, first relegated team! We did at least attack non stop, but with all the venom and finishing ability of 9 year olds! :oops:
Saturday was just cack, total and utter shite, the players should hold their heads in shame when such a great season suddenly comes to a grinding halt, cus the majority were 'already on the beach' and let Bradford humiliate us.
It's to be hoped that a vast number of changes are made to the team for Tuesday, and that we go at Shrewsbury from the off, if the lack of cohesion continues like it did at Bradford, it will be yet another 0-0 at 88 minutes and heart attack time!
:(

[Darth Vader]

A grand day on the beer

What match?