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Wimbledon (h) - League - 13th March 2004

Reports and reaction from the 2003-04 season as Walsall finished 22nd (R) in Division 1
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Wimbledon (h) - League - 13th March 2004

Tue Dec 07, 2004 3:17 pm

By wfc_2uk (62.31.218.30) on Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 07:40 pm: Edit

I didnt think we played too bad today. I heard WM evbery walsall fan said we played crap even kearns and franksy said we was cack. Its about results now and NOT performances, we played quite well against Sunderland AND lost! Only 3 points is given for a win, you dont get rewarded any extra for having 500 shots on target.
Wacca saved one good shot apart from that nothing.
Bazeley had one of his better games.
Roper- Was exceptional
Ritchie- Confortable
Zigor- Poor coming forward didnt have to defend much.
Osborn- Poor
I think Andrews looked like he could replace Vinny.
Taylor- His worst game in a red shirt but battled well.
Birch didnt play to bad until half time, second half he was appalling.
Jorge- Ran his portugese legs off
Emblen- WHAT A TOP BLOKE. 110% again

The fans today really peed me off, we was 1-0 up, on course for winning for the first time in 3 months and start chanting "attack,attack,attack" some fans are hard to please. I dont agree with the booing off Birch and cheer when he goes off, I know hes low on confidence but we did the same to Byfield,Butler and Ricketts and now look at them. Give the guy a break hes in a WALSALL SHIRT.
3 more points tuesday.
A little question how olds Burley my old man said hes 30 i said he was 34.

By rushallsaddler (81.152.15.230) on Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 07:50 pm: Edit

32 - 33 in September!

Oh and by the way I thought we were dreadful today, against possibly one of the worst teams to ever visit the Bescot, agree about Emblen the only player on the pitch who gave a damn.
I hope we buck our ideas up on Tuesday or another defeat is on the cards.

By ANoS (81.131.232.207) on Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 08:15 pm: Edit

We got the points and that's all that matters I suppose, although the performance doesn't exactly fill me with confidence for the forthcoming games.

We've moved above a lot of other teams and got past the 40-point mark which is a bit of a boost, and looking at the mid-week fixtures, Watford and Derby have to play each other, as do Nottingham Forest and Burnley. So even if we lose/draw on Tuesday, the results can't really go too badly against us.

Easter is going to be a massive time for us, with Derby (a), Burnley (h) and Gillingham (a) in a row. Two wins would be nice!

By AFC Wimbledon (195.33.105.17) on Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 09:56 pm: Edit

Congrats on beating Wimbledon today. How many away supporters were there?

By techno (81.77.56.82) on Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 10:09 pm: Edit

I counted 74 but fair play to them having to watch ••••• like that week in and week out. At least they did try to make a bit of noise which is more than can be said for the quiet bescot faithfull again

By coxanddrummie (195.93.34.9) on Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 10:51 pm: Edit

I will make no comment other than to say that is the last game i will attend while Colin Lee is manager at Walsall football club. There are simply no words whatsoever to describe what i witnessed today.

By Stu (195.92.67.78) on Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 11:13 pm: Edit

Shut up Drummie, you were at St Andrews anyway.

I thought it was an adequate performance against a team that stuck 10 men behind the ball from the 1st second to the last second.

They came with a game plan to spoil and hold out for 0-0, as we did at West Ham. Trouble was they were ••••• and couldn't keep to it.

I thought we cruised along in 2nd gear without ever breaking sweat and without ever looking like conceding a goal.

I bet the stats will show we had 65% + of the possession.

Personally, with a tough game on Tuesday there was no point in running ourselves into the ground. Granted it wasn't great, but when you play against such a negative side then it'll never be a feast of goals.

Feel sorry for Birch. That lad looked like he was really developing before Xmas, today he was being knocked off the ball by a lad half his size. The crowd don't help, but he really does dig his own grave as he looks like he can't be arsed half the time.

By Sam Jones (195.92.168.172) on Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 11:25 pm: Edit

All that matters is that we beat Wimbledon and gained our first win of 2004 and three points on the board.

Still think we need 52 points to stop up.

Neil Emblen my Man of the Match, just a cool guy.

By Blobbyh (152.163.253.34) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 12:09 am: Edit

C&D good ridance!!!!!!!!!
you sad t*sser
were you at West Ham last week becuse this was the same senario but reversed.
The difference being we got the goal and the three points against a team we were expected to stuff - but who came with a game plan for damage limitation. Nothing else - just damage limitation.

3 points are all that matter - i'll say it one more time for the moaning w*nkers......
3 POINTS ARE ALL THAT MATTER!!!!!!!
NOW NAFF OFF!!!!!!

By Geoff Whiting (195.92.168.173) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 02:43 am: Edit

They came to avoid another heavy defeat and to nick a point if possible, surprising thing for me was they carried on the same even when they went one down - that coupled with a nervous performance from us - understandable in a "must win" situation - meant it was not at all pretty to watch.

But we achieved everything we needed - 3 points is all you can get from a game.

I wonder if the Hammers fans called for Pardew's head last week when they failed to see off little ol' Walsall - think about it - are there some double standards in some of our minds over this ?

By Crouch End Saddler (195.93.34.9) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 03:01 am: Edit

Wasn't at the game but have to say C&D if thats the amount of support you can come up with then I'm glad it's your last game. Perhaps you'll come back like the other glory hunters when we move on to greater things, or were you in the Franchise end like you say you were against Bradford? Any real supporters realise that the 3 points counted, or perhaps that had slipped your addled brain. Of course your godlike Cloughie (another booze soaked ex-alcoholic, like Merse) would have coached the team so well they would have won 100-0.
You really are a sorry old tosser. I dont mind you having different opinions to me but when you are so vehemently anti-Saddlers it makes me realise you are actually a Brummy tosser.
"F***in sh!!!!!te, Walsall notched their first win of the year, pushing them a few places up the table. I can't wait to grumble about it." Must be a right old giggle round your house,
3 points, loads more to play for, 3 points next week-end. F**kin tw*t.
Disappointed to hear the Home fans couldn't give the same backing as the lads got last week but then, when you've got glorygrabbers like C&D what do you expect.
Sh!!te.
That'll be my season ticket gone when Cocks and Cummie buys the club and turns it into the Walsall bufty 11.
UP THE SADDLERS AND LETS DO THE DOUBLE OVER LEEDS NExT SEASON (you'll be watching Shitnall Town will you Cocks and Cummie ?)

By Giza (81.133.73.88) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 11:24 am: Edit

Yes it was a poor game on our behalf, but three valuable points!!!

felt sorry for Birch but he has only himself to blame! Look at him when he was trying to get in the team working his ass off chasing everything! Now lazy and knows he's in the side cause of injuries.

Wimbledown played 4 5 1 and came to defend, playing a defender upfront to hold it up!!!

It's annoying seeing us struggle against a real poor team but we need to look at the bigger picture. We got the points we needed.

Also a lot of players out of position today Jorge playing sort of right wing, Taylor left ok he can play there in the reserves, but at this level is more ideal at centre mid. Emblen was playing off the front of birch. It all interchanged aswell. I've noticed lately we are playing a lot of football down the right and leaving the left un attended.

I think we will raise ourselves on tues against tractor boys. lets hope so eh!!!

Come on Lads!!!!

Lets get behind them ALL

By Neil Ravenscroft (82.37.184.186) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 11:31 am: Edit

The idea of the formation is to play 4 3 3 when we have the ball and move to 4 5 1 when they have it. To put it simply, you need mobile, intelligent forwards to do that. Jorge is, Birch ain't. It all went wrong when Jorge went off injured. All the same, we coud have been still playing now and it would still have been Wimbledon 0.

By Geordiesaddler (195.92.67.71) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 11:40 am: Edit

Whilst wearing Walsall colours I bumped into Pardew and his rag tag bunch of overpaid wanabees at Newcastle airport last night. Asked him if he'd travelled north without his "game plan". Advised him next time he spends 10 million squid of someones money he should remember his "game plan", also next time he goes to a "game" he should "plan" it. To be fair after a nervous grin he asked how we got on and said he hopes we stay up. so he's not so bad after all really.

By merson10 (81.131.13.216) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 01:53 pm: Edit

I thought we were poor second half yesterday due to a general lack of effort from all bar Roper and Emblen. Considering Birch is out of contract in the summer he wasnt really doing much about trying to secure a new deal. I believe he has got 4 goals this season having played up front/ on the wing for the majority of matches. Emblen, who is in and out and has played in defence/ holding midfield, now has 5 to his name. Yesterdays goal demonstrated the difference. It isnt a lack of skill on Birch's part but a lack of enthusiasm and determination. He would never have scored that goal because he wouldnt have bothered to close the player down. As long as he pulls on a Saddlers shirt I will continue to back him, but frankly that performance was unacceptable and he should be embarassed. Compare also the impact Fryatt made when he came on simply by putting himself about a bit.

Also a large section of the fans (certainly near me in the Purple Lower) should be embarrassed. They were booing and swearing at Colin Lee when Leitao was taken off, despite the fact he was clearly limping. I assume they would rather Birch had been taken off but the fact they couldnt see that Jorge was injured shows how little these so-called supporters know. It makes me really angry that we have a fight on to stay in the division and all some fans can do is nit-pick, boo and harp on about the Wolves.

By Harrison (195.93.34.9) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 04:02 pm: Edit

Well said Merson 10

By dler (217.137.168.136) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 05:14 pm: Edit

Nice anecdote Geordie. Of course, the only reason he wants us to stay up is because he thinks he'll manage to beat us next season with both teams in Div One.

By Magic Man Fan (213.1.45.10) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 05:16 pm: Edit

I know Merson10, it was clear that Jorge was limping!

I am happy with 3 points as has been said thats all that matters.

But, I don't care whether Wimbledon played 4-5-1 or 8-1-1 they were poor and even if they did come for a point they were awful and panicking at the back and we should have taken advantage of that more often. We did the same at West Ham becuase we have good defenders and we are capable of keeping a clean sheet but Wimbeledon weren't and we should have at least tried to improve our goal difference.

As Neil says 4-3-3 could have been really successful with more pacy strikers alongside Emblen. It would have been nice to play Fryatt from the start in that system but I suppose it was hard to drop Birch after last week.

I also felt sorry for him getting booed yesterday but I also feel its his own fault. You can't put in a great performance like he did at West Ham then follow it up with one like that. He's too inconsistent and his confidence will be shot after being constantly booed in the second half.

This is not a dig but I think Colin Lee should have bought him off earlier for Fryatt because the longer it went on the more embarrassing it became and the more his confidence will be ruined. I was ashamed to see so many people booing one of our own players tho.

I missed the radio before the game yesterday so don't know what happened with Wales. Was he injured or just dropped? Someone told me that that WM said that Samways was feeling unwell. Does this sound likely when we've just signed Andrews and Burley? I think vinny may be departing early.

By Exile (203.167.253.205) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 08:17 pm: Edit

A poor team performance with everyone in each other's way. When there were occasional moments of harmony it appeared as if everyone were trying to outdo each other individually, with no thought for their colleagues or the fans.

Some moments of sublime brilliance were generally undone by the sheer amateur scale of the whole.

Old, sad and past it, but with great memories.

I'm talking about the Meatloaf gig in Auckland last night, by the way. As for footie, in general I'll take three points however we can get them, and I was thinking, without even reading the posts above, that we were saving ourselves for more enthusiastic opponents. No point in getting injuries against the league's worst team when the squad is as thin as ours is in most areas (central midfield aside).

Mission accomplished lads, well done.

Cheers all,
Exile

By Neil Ravenscroft (82.37.184.186) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 08:26 pm: Edit

Samways had 'flu. Haven't heard about Wales. I personally think the 4 3 3 would work with any combination of Emblen/Jorge/Merson/Fryatt and, possibly, Wales, but still not convinced he's bright enough.

By SheffieldSaddler (195.93.34.9) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 09:43 pm: Edit

Merson10 - Exactly right. You know something I think some of our fans are the biggest bunch of d*ckheads I have ever come across. They have the intelligence and knowledge of football that could be written across Dummies 1mm brain area.
They honestly think CL wanted to take Jorge off! PATHETIC the lot of them.
Another total tw*t I came across was the one in the toilets who said "See we have signed another dingle" to which I replied "I could not give a f*ck who he used to play for, he is wearing a red jersey today", for some reason he seemed a bit astonished with my outburst. Just shows what a total bunch of d*ckheads I have to cope with even when going to p*ss my 6 pints of cafreys down the toilet.
Oh as for the match. Fryatt turned the Wimbledon player inside out every time while he was on, something Birch could not do all second half. Emblen was brilliant, and some people think he should go! We need utility men like this when we have a sh*t budget that we have. Oh, Pedro, he is still as sh*t as ever, and Zigors crossing is about as good as a pint of Brew xi, sh*t.
Well done to Andrews, a lot more to come from him I feel. Touch of class.

By PGtips (195.188.152.10) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 09:54 pm: Edit

It also occured to me that Vinny may now be off early however it seems Lawrence has had his contract paid up so perhaps not.

The 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 formation which CL likes so much seems to confuse some of our support. Jorge was not playing as an orthodox right winger as some callers to WM complained. He was on the right side of a three pronged attack which also required him to track back down the right hand side. Look at how well it worked on the occaison he won the ball on the edge of our box, accelerated upfield to recieve a throw in and ended up volleying just over (and punching the ground in his usual manner).

I watched the Bolton game on Sky before our match. They are the team CL models the formation on and they have played well using it every time I have seen them this season. They use Kevin Davies as the central forward to hold the ball up and bring his two supporting strikers into play. Emblem did this role superbly yesterday.

However when Merson came on he took up this role and Emblem drifted out to the left. Whether Merson asks to play here or not is not the issue for me. It is not his best position and he does not have the positional discipline to maintain it anyway. We ended up in a situation where crosses were coming into the box and everyone had drifted out leaving the box empty.

Merson must play behind a front two or even three. Bolton use Okocha in this way and he has been devestating this season. This may of course leave us with two old men (Merse and Emblem) stranded up front when we lose possession but Jorge, Fryatt and Wales have the legs to drop back. Birch should also but he is a frustratingly lazy indivual whose time has now come and gone. As we know from Butler and Ricketts once the boo boys are on your back there is no escape and the booing of Birch was the worst I've seen from a Walsll crowd for sometime.

Yesterday it was not as if Wimbledon were commiting men forward anyway - even when they were losing. Even if Birch, Emblem and Merse had been left up front we could have coped. CL knows the system he wants but the limitations of the players he has are preventing us getting the best out of it. And the lack of understanding of how it is supposed to work is alienating some of the support. Maybe he should consider a more conventional system if everyone is to pull together in the way mr Bonser has called for this week.

By Stu (195.92.67.208) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 10:17 pm: Edit

If it comes to having to change to a more 'conventional' formation, just because some fans are too soft to see what we are doing, then the bloke wants the bloody sack.

I hope to god he'd never do that. He is having to play a formation to suit the players we've got and I bet he regrets not moving for Ainsworth sooner as he has spoke often about our lack of pace and width.

But to change a formation just to suit the fans is a step too far I think.

Personally, I'd love to see Emblen playing with Leitao and Fryatt out wide. Fryatt's pace would be electrifying and really give a different option to get around the back of teams or just to cut in and run at teams.

By popperpancake (81.79.154.200) on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 11:50 pm: Edit

I don't really care how we play at the moment. We needed a win and that's all that mattered really. Sheff be consistent! Aranalde's crossing was poor yes, it was almost as bad as Osborn's corners! •••• game, good 3 points.

By redordead (81.131.234.136) on Monday, March 15, 2004 - 11:49 am: Edit

It was nice to see that even though Osborn had a bad game he didn't hide and as for Birch i thought his running was excelent first half and he put himself about a lot, it could have been he was knackered second half that he didn't chase as much. Did anybody here Danson yell at Jimmy to HURRY UP and then blow for full time...Pointless

By Saddlerchick (81.174.201.225) on Tuesday, March 16, 2004 - 11:50 am: Edit

Went to my first home game in ages against winbledon. Was hoping to see this Soler geezer, heard he was pacey, hopefully give us a bit of pace up front and feed off Merson so was a bit dissappointed. Thought it was a bit ominous when I could hear the players shouting over the noise of the crowd - but at least we won eh!

On a personnal note. Just want to say a big thank you to whoever rescued my scarf from the crossing on the West Bromwich Rd by Walstead rd. I stupidly had it stuffed into my coat pocket and it fell out, wont do that again. It was a scarf I made for my Mom years ago. She treasured it and it went to every game with her, home and away. Sadly she died suddenly shortly after the promotion game against Oldham in '99 (although we managed to get on the pitch with everyone else that day). If i'd have lost the scarf I just dont know what I'd have done. So many thanks again OK!

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