Wigan Athletic (A) 30th Sept, 3pm

[Pheasey_Saddler]

I've lost count of how many penalties we have already conceded this season.
Something is very wrong!

I think that's no. 6. 5 of them awarded away from home.

[Guest]

6 it is. :shock:

[Welsh_Saddler]

I've lost count of how many penalties we have already conceded this season.
Something is very wrong!

I think that's no. 6. 5 of them awarded away from home.

Yep ... Bury (2), Portsmouth, Oxford and Wigan Athletic away. Plymouth Argyle at home.

[Welsh_Saddler]

The 74th minute sees Wigan Athletic's 2nd yellow card ...... (Max Power, who's only been on the pitch for 7 minutes)

Walsall's 3rd substitution comes on 76 minutes ..... (Bakayoko replaces Tyler Roberts)

.... all to no avail - Full time result was 2-0. :evil:

[saddlertd]

It's time to start playing 2 up front and either playing 3-4-1-2 or 4-3-1-2 with Oztumer as the 1. Alternatively, we need to play 4-4-2 with Oztumer wide left. Ozzie is a good player but he's not winning games for us on his own and so we need to play a formation that suits the team and not one built around Ozzie. Our strength is our forward players: we must start playing Roberts and Agyei together up front, and going at teams - this should take the pressure off our defence which is definitely our weak link.

[PT]

2 highlights. I'm home at 5:30 and it was good to catch up with some good people.

Wigan are strong and organised. Nowt special but good enough to be right up there and certainly good enough to beat us.

Plenty of Whitney out chants which feels a bit harsh given recent opposition but it felt like we didn't really have a go until the last ten minutes when it was far far too late.

Will Grigg is still a Scunthorpe.

[hullsaddler]

83rd minute before we had a proper shot. We then completely dominated for the next 2 minutes!
Poor.
Wasn't that impressed with Wigan but they didn't need to do a great deal to be comfortable winners

[scott_powell]

That was cack.

[saddlersjse]

Review of the day:

POSITIVES
- I was home in 30 minutes
- It was only 2 when it should have been at least 4
- Oztumer
- Agyei had a go

NEGATIVES
- Another penalty
- Second best all over the park
- Sloppy passing and giving the ball away
- Long ball to a 5'4 bloke
- Long ball
- Hoooof
- Conceded roughly 63 throw ins
- No clean sheet AGAIN
- Two shots on goal
- Everything about Will Grigg
- There was a drummer
- My pie was rubbish and I had to eat it with a spoon because 2013 FA Cup winners and former Premier League outfit didn't have enough plastic forks to go around
- Their ground is about as 'generic multi-use arena' as it gets
- 24 quid to get in forced me to say something positive about MK Dons and their tenner-on-the-gate
- Whitney's general touchline body language and gestures

Didn't expect much and they will probably go up again as champions in the end - the only small ray of sunshine being that the Sloppies probably won't. But when they beat us next week, I expect things to turn nasty. Don't care if it was Wigan or West Ham we just lost to, seen enough of this manager now (won't be long before we reach the halfway point of his contract) to know that he won't take us anywhere but down.

[Ancient Moaner]

Just got back in too, Wigan showed the quality that will take them back into the Championship at the first attempt.
It was like shooting practice for them against a pub team. Absolut shite that Grigg scored both goals.
Should have been double figures, every time they attacked it looked as if they would score.
We only came good in the last ten minutes, by which time it was too late. Out attack was limp wristed, powder puff, and pathetic, no one prepared to have a shot a goal, in fact our first was a dribble past the post in the 85'th minute, greeted by a chant of "we've had a shot we've had a shot"
The Wigan fans were mocking our frailty by this stage.
Anyone who defends this dreadful display must be as they say round here "daft in't yed"
Our attacking prowess was disorganised and patchy, no real threat at all. And with Whitney in charge this won't improve, he has established a team with a losing mentality.
Other than that I had a day out....and had to raise a smile at a blackboard outside a pub in Hindley.. "Wigan's oldest husband day care centre" :lol: :lol:

[SaigonSaddler]

Oh right, back to the 'straight to the conference' bullshit talk from the usual suspect again.

:roll: :roll: FFS

[vorny]

Ended up arriving 10 minutes after kickoff, was at a cross country race in Cheshire and only left Winsford at 2; had to sit in the boot of the car for the journey up :roll: We looked pretty poor today, they deserved their win but didn't look anything special. Agyei livened up the match when he came on and had a few decent cracks at goal, he needs to be starting ahead of Ismail every game from now on.

Decent ground, but atmosphere ruined by that fecking drummer , who incidentally I saw with his drum on the way out - it had Wigan Athletic branding and seemed to be signed by all of one of their first teams from years gone by :lol:

[tinned]

That was complete and utter embarrassing shite. Their fans couldn't even get excited about them winning, it was too one way traffic to be enjoyable. At times they were treating us like a cat treats an injured bird, they were playing with us.

This bloke HAS to go now. Forget the odd performance/result he pulls out of the bag to save his skin. We are going NOWHERE with this idiot in charge, the quicker the deed is done the best, for all parties. I notice he didn't have the bollocks to even look in our direction at the final whistle, let alone approach us? :evil:

[SoccerHQ]

That was cack.

Yes it was.

As much as I realise Whitney is limited...is there really any need to shout him out at 2-0 down. A) The club are hardly going to sack him losing to a team who're likely to get automatic promotion at the end and b) the team have actually been on a decent run and shown enough this season to suggest they'll be well clear of the bottom 4.

Wigan were just better at both ends of the pitch, as simple as that. I was a bit disappointed in Tyler Roberts today, really struggled to get into the game. No idea why Agyei didn't start either, scored a belter in the week and was MOTM despite only being on ten minutes. Ismail didn't offer anything either.

[SaigonSaddler]

That was complete and utter embarrassing shite. Their fans couldn't even get excited about them winning, it was too one way traffic to be enjoyable. At times they were treating us like a cat treats an injured bird, they were playing with us.

This bloke HAS to go now. Forget the odd performance/result he pulls out of the bag to save his skin. We are going NOWHERE with this idiot in charge, the quicker the deed is done the best, for all parties. I notice he didn't have the bollocks to even look in our direction at the final whistle, let alone approach us? :evil:

Great, can't wait for the new manager, the players to immediately gel and the inevitable rise into the Championship! :!:

[Exile]

Didn't expect anything from this game. Didn't get anything. Situation normal.

[SaigonSaddler]

That was cack.

Yes it was.

As much as I realise Whitney is limited...is there really any need to shout him out at 2-0 down. A) The club are hardly going to sack him losing to a team who're likely to get automatic promotion at the end and b) the team have actually been on a decent run and shown enough this season to suggest they'll be well clear of the bottom 4.

Wigan were just better at both ends of the pitch, as simple as that. I was a bit disappointed in Tyler Roberts today, really struggled to get into the game. No idea why Agyei didn't start either, scored a belter in the week and was MOTM despite only being on ten minutes. Ismail didn't offer anything either.

I hope you're not attempting to infer that there's been a massive over-reaction across social media to this reverse of an improving, yet imperfect entertaining mid-table team to one of the promotion favourites on an impressive run of form! :shock: :cry:

[SoccerHQ]

That was cack.

Yes it was.

As much as I realise Whitney is limited...is there really any need to shout him out at 2-0 down. A) The club are hardly going to sack him losing to a team who're likely to get automatic promotion at the end and b) the team have actually been on a decent run and shown enough this season to suggest they'll be well clear of the bottom 4.

Wigan were just better at both ends of the pitch, as simple as that. I was a bit disappointed in Tyler Roberts today, really struggled to get into the game. No idea why Agyei didn't start either, scored a belter in the week and was MOTM despite only being on ten minutes. Ismail didn't offer anything either.

I hope you're attempting to infer that there's been a massive over-reaction across social media to this reverse of an improving, yet imperfect entertaining mid-table team to one of the promotion favourites on an impressive run of form! :shock: :cry:

Yeah Wigan have won all but one of their home games. I just see it like the defeat at Bolton last season, losing simply to a team that's too good for this division (although probably not good enough to step up a level as Bolton are finding).

If people want Whitney out chant it at 0-0. Might not help the team but they were piss poor regardless of any chanting today.

I've actually been more impressed with the team in spells this season than last.

Take the game at Oxford last week. Played them off the pitch for 70 minutes. Oxford went to Peterbrough today and won 4-1. Had that great comeback against Bradford who've won most of their games since.

Losing to probable champions really isn't the end of the world and Whitney certainly isn't going to get sacked anytime soon if these are the poor results.

[Bristol Fan]

No disgrace in losing 2 0 at Wigan but it was a pathetic performance. We were completely overrun all over the pitch, played with width which we didn’t utilise, kept giving the ball away, playing the usual hoof balls up to our five foot forward, no clue what to do when we fell behind, another shambles at the back leading to another penalty. Agyei had a go when he came on, that’s about the only positive.

Can’t believe I was stupid enough to go to another away game under Whitney. It will be my last.

[scott_powell]

That was cack.

Yes it was.

As much as I realise Whitney is limited...is there really any need to shout him out at 2-0 down. A) The club are hardly going to sack him losing to a team who're likely to get automatic promotion at the end and b) the team have actually been on a decent run and shown enough this season to suggest they'll be well clear of the bottom 4.

Wigan were just better at both ends of the pitch, as simple as that. I was a bit disappointed in Tyler Roberts today, really struggled to get into the game. No idea why Agyei didn't start either, scored a belter in the week and was MOTM despite only being on ten minutes. Ismail didn't offer anything either.

Shout him out? Yes, but not based on this result. He should not be our manager.

[SaigonSaddler]

Hearing a lot of this on various social media TBH ... Replace 'X-Box' with 'Wigan away'

[Guest]

Channel 5

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1yWD-15S21-cXd5aEVteV9zUmc/view?usp=drivesdk

[Walsall_Casual]

I expect us to challenge for a top six finish this season. If not, Whitney or Bonser must go, otherwise I'm finished. Mid-table nothingness or less (almost every season) is not acceptable.

Save your usual 'see yaaa' bullshit.

Simply not good enough.

Whitney Out!

[Sadsfan]

I agree. If we keep Whitney then we are settling for mediocrity, what possible reason would I want to keep shelling out £350 a year to something that has no ambition? If Whitney is still manager at the end of the season I'm not sure I'll be renewing, unless there is a dramatic upturn in our fortunes. I doubt that this will happen though as I can't really see how Whitney is improving as a manager.

[SaigonSaddler]

I expect us to challenge for a top six finish this season.

Based on what?

Realistically that isn't happening.

And unless the freehold issue is resolved it won't be happening anytime soon, no matter who the manager is.

[chunkster]

That was cack.

Yes it was.

As much as I realise Whitney is limited...is there really any need to shout him out at 2-0 down. A) The club are hardly going to sack him losing to a team who're likely to get automatic promotion at the end and b) the team have actually been on a decent run and shown enough this season to suggest they'll be well clear of the bottom 4.

Wigan were just better at both ends of the pitch, as simple as that. I was a bit disappointed in Tyler Roberts today, really struggled to get into the game. No idea why Agyei didn't start either, scored a belter in the week and was MOTM despite only being on ten minutes. Ismail didn't offer anything either.

[scott_powell]

No plan. No desire. AGAIN.

Yes Wigan are a better team but we showed absolutely nothing. It was like a training match for Wigan.

You paper over cracks and eventually that wall will crumble down. He needs to go, NOW.

[SoccerHQ]

I expect us to challenge for a top six finish this season. If not, Whitney or Bonser must go, otherwise I'm finished. Mid-table nothingness or less (almost every season) is not acceptable.

Save your usual 'see yaaa' bullshit.

Simply not good enough.

Whitney Out!

Against the better teams in the league the defence is nowhere near good enough. Surely all the lunges for penalties conceded gives the indication the defence struggles against pacey players?

Guthrie and Wilson are o.k defenders but not as good a combination of O'Connor-Downing were imo. Full backs o.k but again not in the class of Rico or Demetriou.

Gillespie flapping at crosses yesterday when seriously tested and he dosen't produce match winning saves like Etheridge used to do (first choice keeper for championship leaders).

Rest of the side is o.k if playing mid table/relegation stugglers.

Next week Agyei starting is a no brainer. Would go him and Roberts upfront, Ozzy still as number 10 and wheel Flo back in to midfield so 4-3-1-2. Ismail and Morris as options off the bench.

Top half this season would be a good finish. How many times have Walsall finished top half in last 10 seasons out of interest? If the club were serious about promotion the blunt truth is Roberts and Agyei would've been here for the opening day of the season.

[sid swifty]

Refreshing to hear JW say "we were beaten by the better team" no rubbish about positive's,learning curves,work ethics etc,etc,etc.I can live with that.

[The General]

Whitney now has a decent squad of players and numerous choices as to which formation and which players will get results.We will all have our own opinions and rightly or wrongly feel he has got it wrong particularly if we lose.I worry when he is quoted after the Wigan defeat as saying we did not contain them well enough.If that is the height of our ambition when we play the better sides then no wonder we don't win many.
Wether JW can sort out these issues will decide how long he is around.