Gillingham (a) - League - 12th April 2004

[Andy]

By ken (194.6.9.129) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 06:23 pm: Edit

As a Saddler exiled in Kent I'll be the first who has been to the game to post probably.

Well i've seen some lack lustre performances this season , but that was the worst, utterly abject. With other results and our run in compared to others , we look clear favourites to go down now, and on the last 2 performances , at crunch time, we deserve it.

It could , and should, have been about 7-0. Never threatened, no shape , no passion , no leader , nothing. Decent following , but not a song it was that bad.

Without Walker who made 4 or 5 great saves , could have been 3-0 after 10 mins. Apart from that , again , only Emblen comes out with any credit at
all.

Thought before the game that we would need Roper , Emblen , Walker and Jorge in a game like that , Roper injured and Leitao bizarrely dropped . Bradbury was woeful , couldnt hold up a pair of trousers.

When you are outclassed and outfought at the same time against a team who have lost 5 on the trot , somethings badly wrong.

By David Potter (24.173.235.90) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 06:39 pm: Edit

After the Derby game I thought we had turned the corner.

What happens, we put in two woeful performances, one I witnessed, the other (thankfully) I didn't, to place us back in danger. We face a daunting trip to Norwich on Saturday - where we've never done well. The only chance of points will be the final game against Rotherham, because I can't see us getting anything from the Sheffield or Palace games.

Looking bleak!

By ken (194.6.9.129) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 07:08 pm: Edit

doesnt look like 51 points will be enough , we need something from the next 3 games , plus a win at home to rotherham . Could be goal difference- today did us no favours there either.

Anyone got a positive?

By Surrey Saddler (195.93.34.9) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 07:10 pm: Edit

If CL is going to Plymouth next season, he should do the decent thing now and leave at once. Then Bracewell and Halsall might(just might) get a result before it's too late. All this "is he going or is he staying" must be very unsettling for the players. There now seems a sort of inevitable feeling that he cannot turn it round. Let's face it, we were somewhat fortunate at Derby and at Preston for that matter. When was the last time we put in a good performance? A long time ago, I think. As I said above, today was dreadful- no fight (except for about 10 minutes after half time) and poor performances by Bradbury, Bazeley, Wright, Merson, Aranalde and Andrews. Only Emblen and Walker came out with real credit. Corica and Osborn were average- but that is not good enough at this stage of the season

By wfc_2uk (213.48.84.175) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 07:15 pm: Edit

we have gone stale, we are playing boring football, our managers too negative, we cant score, we cant defend, our chairmans broke, everyones fighting around us.
Apart from that WE ARE STAYING UP!


By Puzzled (81.152.12.130) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 07:41 pm: Edit

There are points that can be made in CL's favour BUT the quality of players he has brought to the club is abysmal. His final masterstroke is to field the worst selection of players available in these crucial last matches. Does anyone think Bradbury is better than Birch?

By Geordiesaddler (195.92.198.72) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 07:42 pm: Edit

Absolutely cr$p beyond belief today. It we play half as bad as that for the rest of the season we will go down for sure. Absolutely awful. Still its onley 340 to miles home. ho hum, shall I moan? Nah just get pissed and laid.

By Stu (195.92.67.67) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 07:47 pm: Edit

fudge abysmal...

I give Lee the benefit of the doubt due to the lack of resources. But today it was pure tactics that lost the game.

We made no effort to win the match from the 1st minute to the last. Kicked off with 4-5-1 with Merson playing off Bradbury, could have worked if we'd got the ball out wide and tried to get down the flank. However Mark Wright seems to think 1st team football is reminscent of 'touch rugby' whereby when an opposition players touches you, you give him the ball. I think my 90yr old partially sighted Grandad could win a tackle with him.

Bradbury got a bit of un-warranted stick bearing in mind he was completely isolated and Walker insisted on sticking up and unders at him, and any decent centre half will win 90% of those balls. Walker made 5/6 cracking saves, but I wish his distribution was quicker.

It was clear that we lacked any real pace, so the inspiring double substitution didn't involve either McSporran or Fryatt. Didn't quite get that.

For me, the last two matches have been played by a team who seem to know their manager is leaving sooner rather than later. If Bonser or Lee had just lied and said "No, he is staying" it might be different, but we (the fans), the media and now the players seem to recognise he is going and they're playing like it.

Today is one of the days where Lee needs to stand up and admit he got it wrong, big time. Forget players individual performances, even if they'd played well, fact is he still went looking for a 0-0 draw.

Mind you, one big difference today was a striker that Gillingham spent £100k on a few months back, Patrick Agyemang. You could get away with 4-5-1 if you had him up front, a bit of pace and strength, but Bradbury and no support...

Tosh, and now its back to the walls, blood, tears and snot time. I don't fancy Rotherham at home knowing whoever wins stops up and whoever loses is relying on other teams.

By hesgot to (81.79.47.89) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 07:57 pm: Edit

colin Lee out

By Slovaksaddler (62.7.142.45) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 07:58 pm: Edit

Thought Wakker was outstanding today. That says it all he conceded three and was head and shoulders above the rest for MOM.

On the positive side at least the season is likely to go to the wire. Can't beat the excitment.

No point in slagging the management, players though, we're stuck with what we've got. It doesn't appear there's much cash slushing around for extra wages let alone contract severances this late on in the season.

Here's hoping!

By hullsaddler (212.50.175.106) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 08:25 pm: Edit

Have always been convinced by Stu's arguments ( & even Sheff's) supporting CL up to now, but am now convinced that CL is tactically inept.I cannot believe having sung 'we are staying up' at Derby(& I am not a great singer),that we have imploded so spectaculary in the last 2 games.I depend heavily on WM commentary (& this board)for my opinions,as I dont get to all that many games,but I now feel totally pessimistic about the immediate future.I know Mick Kearns has to be diplomatic in his comments in commentary,but I feel that he believes that CL has lost the plot.
I disagree with the abuse that C&D etc have directed against CL,but it now sounds like CL is going through the motions with the team.
As soon as I saw that gillingham had lost 5 in a row,I was sure that we would not be taking the game to them
I dont think that he has been helped by Bonser's policies:will Ritchie play against Rotherham if we need a result?
I've read all the pessimism & now I'm convinced that we are going to drift back to Division 2 with a whimper not a bang.
Please let me be wrong.

By David Potter (24.173.235.90) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 08:27 pm: Edit

Geordie,

Your comittment, and long hours of travel are to be admired. I'm sorry you had to make such a long journey only to be let down by another inept performance.

This is the first time I've said this all season long, maybe it wouldn't such a bad thing to be relegated. We can re-group with new management, new players and go on from there. I'd love us to be in this division, but it painful watching us struggle year after year, without the proper investment.
When you struggle, the fans are on the backs of management, the board, the tea lady and each other!

The team may surprise us, but based on the last two outings, they certainly have given us anything to be positive about.

By SheffieldSaddler (195.93.34.9) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 08:40 pm: Edit

Hold on a minute. Why should it be left to CL to leave? If the board had any sense, business know how and customer responsibility they should come out and say that they either give the manager their full backing or they no longer think he is capable of doing the job.
Considering the board told CL NOT to play our current player of the season, no doubt CLs first name on the team sheat every week, what can you honestly expect the bloke to think.
Open your eyes people, the manager and the players of this club have low morale and complete in security due to the fact the people at the top have acted disgracefully.

By Exile (203.167.253.205) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 08:52 pm: Edit

IF the ever-increasing rumours about Lee and Plymouth are to be believed, he should go sooner rather than later. It looks as though he's got his mind on other things, as he's certainly not concentrating on the team right now.

Cheers all,
Exile

By Pedro (195.93.34.9) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 09:04 pm: Edit

Load of •••• apart from Walker and Embo

By SheffieldSaddler (195.93.34.9) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 09:20 pm: Edit

Pedro - Straight to the point as usual! Cheers mate!

By SheffieldSaddler (195.93.34.9) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 09:24 pm: Edit

Exile - That is my whole point. You cant have a situation where this is an acceptable situation under any circumstances.
If it is true, and CL has done a deal with Plymouth then the board of Walsall FC should have the guts and ACT on the situation.
Not leave the situation to cause complete unrest in the dressing room like it has done, this is in no doubt whatsoever.

By Mksadla (195.92.168.173) on Monday, April 12, 2004 - 11:35 pm: Edit

going down

By Fish (81.129.159.110) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 01:32 am: Edit

I'm with Stu on today's performance.

Forget slagging off individuals, once again the selection was wrong, the set up was wrong the balance was wrong - Lee got it totally wrong yet again.

And what does Lee do ? he blames the players and their attitude. I think that his constant attempts to shift the blame and avoid his responsibility are reprehensible.

I confess, I was beginning to have my doubts about Lee after Xmas, but I really lost it with him after the Ipswich match - the game where he sat on his hands and did absolutely nothing to at least attempt to bring us back in to the match. The very late substitutions in that game were an insult to everyone, just like the tactics today

I really cannot fathom, for the life of me why Lee would revert to a system that has failed us consistently throughout the season. Once again we were 'treated' to a display of cowardly negative football, that gave a completely out of form Gillingham team every opportunity to stuff us (actually, it's a bit like groundhog day).

It not just that they beat us so convincingly - Lee's negativity has for the impteenth time 'kick-started' someone else's season. We might rue giving Gillingam their lifeline.

What sticks in my mind today were the looks of incredulity on the faces of many of the 300 or so Saddlers when the teams were read out. I dont think anyone could quite believe it or understand what Lee was trying to do.

Those who spent good money to get to Gillingham were cheated by Lee, by his; stubbornesss? stupidity? ineptitude? panic? - you choose.(actually, feeling quite emotional earlier on, I might have added sabotage - but thought better of it).

I also got the feeling that some of the players looked really miserable and downcast before the game - Jorge and Jimmy particularly. You might suggest it's because they are aware something is going on, or the treatment of Ritchie, it could also be because they are equally p'd of with the constant tinkering of team and tactics.

Of Gillingham, I thought that they were yet another of those poorer First Division teams that looked OK going forward but, were poor at the back. In the 10 mins or so of the second half when we maintained some pressure (our only pressure of the game), I thought that they looked hopeless. How many more times will we not take the game to these poor, makeshift defenses. Surely Lee must see this ?

...and then there was Jimmy. I do not think that there is a better keeper in England at the moment. Despite everything, it is a priveledge to watch him play - three of his saves today were, I think the best I have ever seem from him. World Class.

But what next ? how are we going to get out of this mess? After today, I have real doubts whether Lee has the capability or stomach to see us home. If I owned the club, I would not trust him with the final handful of fixtures. I think that I would let Bracewell have a go, not least because 'have a go' is something that we desperately need to do.

...sadly, they're words that don't seem to appear in Colin's phrasebook.

By reading saddler (82.133.109.194) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 03:14 am: Edit

http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/sport/norw ... e_in.shtml

click on the phone in part one goto about 6 minutes and 20 seconds on your real player for about a 2 minutes and abit. Easy to say when your T.O.T.L but an important message for all.

By Exile (203.167.253.205) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 04:10 am: Edit

Reading - for those of us on work systems with a monitoring nanny that precludes our net independence, can you give us the gist of this?

Thanks,
Exile

By Ian Gittins (81.153.164.30) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 09:54 am: Edit

We were truly abject yesterday. Walker, Carbon, Emblen and Aranalde did OK, but otherwise we saw a team utterly stymied by their formation. When we played Preston, Merson proved exactly what he can (still) do playing in the hole with speedy players ahead of him to pass to. What on Earth CL thought he was achieving by playing Merson as a second, withdrawn forward behind the lumbering Bradbury I cannot imagine, especially as Bradbury hardly won a ball all day, sadly.

I don't totally buy that it was a negative team selection, mind. Burley was dropped and in came two "creative" players in Corica and Wright; Corica tried but it never quite happened for him, Wright just looked absurdly lightweight.

I was also puzzled by the half-time substitution. I'd have left Merson on (he'd had no chance of doing anything, in that first-half formation) and brought on Fryatt and/or McSporran to play up the middle and give Merse someone to aim at. Bradbury could have gone off, and Wright or Corica been sacrificed rather than Andrews. I'm not saying it would have worked, but it would have had more of a chance, surely.

That said, I still had no desire to join in with the neanderthal trolls telling Lee to f*** off as he exited at the end of the game. Reactions are exaggerated and memories short, and even if Colin does now go, it might behove us to remember that he's done an awful lot of good for this club. Now the season goes down to the wire and, let's face it, could easily go either way.

By coxanddrummie (195.93.34.9) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 10:13 am: Edit

What good is that you nit. Resorted us to a team of old men who can't even try. Use tactics that mirror a 4 year old girl. De motivates his own player.

Done great things ain't he.

By Ian Gittins (81.153.164.30) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 10:21 am: Edit

Cocksuck Dummy, there is nothing more sure than this: if Walsall, the team you "support", play badly while the school holidays are on, you will be haunting this board the next day like Banquo's ghost (are you doing English Lit GCSE this year)? One day, you will look back at your early-years behaviour and feel vaguely ridiculous.

Yesterday we played very poorly, yes. Sometimes it happens. It doesn't validate the preposterous and attention-seeking bilge you've been posting for months. And it's not the end of the world.

By SheffieldSaddler (82.38.185.114) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 10:37 am: Edit

Amazing isnt it. School Holidays we have more and more posts from Dummie!
What a pathetic, spotty teenager you must be.

By coxanddrummie (195.93.34.9) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 10:43 am: Edit

Perhaps if you had the same passion for the club as you obviously do for your dictionary then you will see that yesterdays performance quite clearly indicates the end of division 1.

Not that it matters to you though eh, it's not as if it's the end of Countdown though eh Ian. oh i didn't quite get the reply of what good Lee has done, are you still thinking?

By SheffieldSaddler (82.38.185.114) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 12:05 pm: Edit

Dummie - Ian has passion for the club, thats a FACT.
You dont - thats a FACT.
Anyone who wants their team to lose matches is not a TRUE supporter.
Is that simple enough for you to understand?

By Ian Gittins (81.153.164.30) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 12:18 pm: Edit

Drummie, three weeks ago people on this board were proclaiming with finality that we were "definitely down". Then we won a couple of games, and everything looked rosey. Now we are back in the mixer again. There will be more twists and turns until the season ends, and we still have a fighting chance (as long as we DO fight, that is) of staying up.

What has Lee done for us? Saved us from relegation in his first season, kept us up since, attracted quality players to the club, overseen a huge improvement in the infrastructure. Feel free to criticise, it's your forte, but also consider the possibility of giving credit where it is due, eh?

By Neil Ravenscroft (62.172.127.2) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 04:15 pm: Edit

Summed up by his absence after the wins against Derby and Preston. Too many people only want to come on here to criticise and are noticable by their absence when we win games. He's just the worst.

By Norman Fletcher (81.152.4.24) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 05:13 pm: Edit

Ian and Neil
Attracted quality players HA! HA! HA!
Are you the two remaining members of the 'Merson is God club'?
Lost a quality striker - Junior.
Captured - Dion Burton, Gary Walse and , last but not least, Lee Bradbury.
If Lee has been successful...God help us if he'd failed.
His record here is as mediocre as it has been everywhere he's gone.
If Lee goes this week the squad he's left us with is hardly evidence of him atracting "quality" players. Or do you disagree. Do you think we have "quality" players? If so, Who are they? and Why are we doing son badly?

By Fulton Mackay (81.153.164.30) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 05:53 pm: Edit

Slopping out duties for you tomorrow, Fletcher.

By Neil Ravenscroft (82.37.190.132) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 05:59 pm: Edit

Chris Almighty - the Junior myth reappears. HE WAS ALWAYS GOING TO GO TO WHOEVER GAVE HIM THE MOST MONEY. IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT LEE DID. I never mentioned the "quality players" anyway.

By David Potter (24.173.235.90) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 07:33 pm: Edit

Norman,

Have you (conveniently) forgotten Merson, Samways, Ritchie, O'Neill, Baird and Vincent?

We're doing badly because five of those six players are no longer playing for the club!

We're doing badly because we have no money to buy players due to our poor support!

We're doing badly because the expectations the fans placed on the team, has been very unrealistic!

By rugeley saddler (217.42.165.61) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 07:40 pm: Edit

I despair:

Fletcher what exactly would you have classified as success. 3 seasons in div 1 with a 4th on the cards for the first time in our history. Do you expect us to be in the play offs?

Over the last 3 years we have out performed teams with much larger budgets and average attendances.

I agree Merson hasn't lived up to expectations but that is not Colin Lee's fault. Yes he brought him in but who wouldn't have.

You state "Do you think we have "quality" players? If so, Who are they?- well I would suggest Walker, Emblen, Roper, Aranalde, Merson are all quality.

The most sucessful teams have achieved their sucess through stability. It is an embarassment that Walsall has had more managers than any other football league team, ever. Sureley this is a major factor in our lack of sucess historically.

I would say keep Lee even if we were relegated. If he leaves I wish him every success I for one will stand up and applaud him next season on his return to the Bescot.

By Exile (203.167.253.205) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 09:00 pm: Edit

Coxanddrummie - are you a living relative of Pygmalion. Anybody needing an explanation - just ask, but I'll leave him a few hours to think about it first

By SheffieldSaddler (195.93.34.9) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 09:00 pm: Edit

Norman - You are a idiot. On a massive scale.
In fact you are a complete pr*t.

By Norman Fletcher (81.152.4.24) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 09:31 pm: Edit

David Potty
Yes. It says so much for CL doesn't it. The only one still playing for us is Merson.
How this fact supports the argument that CL's special quality is his ability to get quality players is a little confusing.
Rugeley
Of the quality players you refer to CL only brought in Merson and Emblen. Excuse me but does anyone think Merson was a good use of our resources? No wonder Portsmouth paid £1,000,000 to be rid of him. A bit of a give away at the time I thought. That leaves Emblen. Mmmm he is good squad player and tries hard. But the way he was skinned for Gillingham's second said everything about his quality.
So it looks like the only quality in the team dates from pre CL days.
P.S. Tony Barton managed European Cup winners with a sqaud he inherited. Does this make him one of the great English managers?

By David Potter (24.173.235.90) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 10:04 pm: Edit

Norman,

It's not Lee's fault that those players, I mentioned, are no longer here, we couldn't afford
O'Neill, Baird, Ritchie and Vincent. Had they stayed with us, we wouldn't be having this conversation!

Lee's brought more quality here than anyone else previously, forget the bad loan signings, all managers have those, we were playing our best football of the season when GON and Baird were here.

Don't tell me you weren't excited when we signed Merson and Samways...we all were. Merson hasn't performed and needs brilliance around him to make him shine. Samways was immense up to a few weeks before his departure. Ritchie is one of the best defenders we've had for ages.

I have to ask you. What quality players did RG bring in when he was here?

By Exile (203.167.253.205) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 10:29 pm: Edit

Pygmalion - Greek myth about a man who fell so in love with a statue of a woman that his strength of feeling brought it to life.

I get the feeling that you think the same of your message board persona:

If only you were rich
If only you were attractive
If only you had 'toadies'
If only you were successful
If only you were witty

If only you could bring that to life, to take the place of the terrible duality you live.

Cheers all,
Exile

By LarryHaggler (81.136.244.59) on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 - 11:35 pm: Edit

Maybe if Merse was played in the position he has spent his illustrious career in we might of seen a more influencial player.
Glad you all think we have a great manager and quality players, I wonder why we are staring RELEGATION in the face.
All I want to remember from CL are those faithfull, laughable words 'Total Football', oh dear.

By Neil Ravenscroft (62.172.127.2) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 08:25 am: Edit

It was Merson, not Lee, in his press conference when he signed. Why do people feel the need to rewrite history?

By Ian Gittins (81.153.164.21) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 09:18 am: Edit

Because the same people, Neil, will fabricate or grasp at any evidence to support their petty and mean-spirited contention that we are going to hell in a hand-basket, and everybody - Bonser, Lee, Merson, Roy Whalley - is to blame. These are the same "supporters" who pronounce "We are down" when there are 4 games to go and we're not even in the relegation zone. Imagine their howls of outrage if the players or management took the same fatalistic tack!

No, instead they bawl abuse at the players as they leave the pitch at Gillingham and tell Colin Lee to "f*** off to Plymouth." Tremendous motivational technique, huh? Contrast that with the Portsmouth fans singing heartily as their team lost 6-1 to Arsenal a few weeks back.

If we go down, these boorish "fans" haven't just predicted our demise - they have helped to create it. And they are the ones who criticise us for a "lack of ambition". Sheesh.

By LarryHaggler (81.136.244.59) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 09:27 am: Edit

Neil, It was Merson who what, in the press confrence ?
I took the day off to watch it, and he never said why dont you play me up front for most of the season, cos I hate playin with my back to goal, as Merson stated after the pre season friendly when he was awful and we lost to Northampton.

By Stu (13.16.137.11) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 09:45 am: Edit

Larry,

If you remember the press, Lee then came out and said Merson had gone back on that and asked to play up front because he felt he couldn't have the impact in the middle after all.

Probably because he realised we didn't have Quashie/Stone/O'Neill to do the running for him.

I even dug back through the threads on this board to haul out the Press Release to show to Dave Roe, who'd said the same as you were saying.

By Neil Ravenscroft (62.172.127.2) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 09:46 am: Edit

The "total football" quote, as you well know.

By Geordiesaddler (193.195.190.230) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 10:03 am: Edit

So when we approached/made offers to but failed to sign (deep breath), ... Junior, Zdrilic, Asaba, Noel-Williams, Akinbiyi, Bothroyd, etc. etc. and were left with a 17 year old, Birch, and Leitao who would you have picked to play up front?
Merson scored 6 goals in his first 13 games before his problems caught up with him.
The "total football" thing came out in the press after the West Brom game and was certainly nothing to do with CL.

Ian, great point. Not only Pompey fans, take a look at the Gillingham fans on Monday. Firstly about 8,000 of them bothered to turn out to what must be one of their most unglamorous fixtures in the calendar. Despite being in on an awful run where they lost five in a row and could'nt score (or cross the half-way line vs WBA) they got behind the team from the first minute. They didn't turn on the players who were finishing woefully during the first 45 minutes - remember they had scored 12 goals in their previous 19 games - hardly entertaining. They also got behind the manager, dare I say recognising his achievements in previous seasons, and realising that the poor run had coincided with him being forced to get rid of their top scorer, and a crop of injuries and suspensions - sound familiar? Well done to them.

By coxanddrummie (195.93.34.9) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 10:22 am: Edit

Oh just shut up Gittins. You really do talk out yer arse don't you. There, hows that for a bit of straight talking instead of your tap dancing round the dictionary effort.

Firstly how the hell can you make a contrast between Portsmouth's fans suport against ARSENAL to ours against GILLINGHAM. Do you not think the teams sort of dent that pathetic arguement.

If you need another reason, Portsmouth were chasing the shadows of HENRY,VIERRA,PIRES. On Monday we were chasing AGYEMANG,HOPE and SPILLER.
Real comparison to made there, NOT.

Oh and for you to suggest that the Walsall supporters posting messages UpTheSaddlers.com have helped create our demise then you are more stupid than i thought.

You are one of these people that actually believe that what you say on here somehow translates to the pitch. Yer not only arrogant but stupid. If you want someone to blame how about pointing the finger at the manager and players instead of the old cop out of "its all down to the fans"

Grow up Gittins.

By Ian Gittins (81.153.164.21) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 10:44 am: Edit

There's something deeply bizarre, as a 41-year-old man, in being told to grow up by a particularly brattish schoolboy. But still...

I'm not suggesting the players' morale is dented by them poring daily over these boards, Drummie, although I'm sure they have a glance: it's human nature.

My point is that their resolve is hardly likely to be improved by being abused by their own fans as they leave the pitch, with Lee being told to perform a sharp exit to the West Country.

However, as there is little chance your mom would let you go all the way to Kent on your own, for once you are utterly blameless. Look, it's a nice sunny day. You're on holiday. Why not go and play ball in the park with your imaginary friend?

By SheffieldSaddler (82.38.185.114) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 10:48 am: Edit

Ian - Top post.

By LarryHaggler (81.136.244.59) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 10:56 am: Edit

I know your all mates fella's but sometimes you cant see the wood for the trees.
I bet you wonder why people class you as the 'happy clappers'

By Ian Gittins (81.153.164.21) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 11:08 am: Edit

Mr Ewing,

I've never met anybody off this board, and Sheff and I, in particular, have a history of run-ins and arguments (um, Iraq's going well, innit? ) It's certainly not a question of mates sticking together. Try to see it more this way: Any fool can support a winning team. When things are going badly is when fans show their true colours...

By coxanddrummie (195.93.34.9) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 11:58 am: Edit

Have you ever thought to yourself Gittins that good players actually respond to criticism. They see it as a personal slur on thier ability and see it as a chance to prove people wrong.

I could just imagine if someone of your ilk was a football manager. You wouldn't have any respect whatsoever. A one trick pony who is more inclined to go on a tree hugging session that telling players a few hard facts. You would have the tea lady walking all over you never mind yer own players

In fact with the qualities or lack of em that you have, how do you fany doing a few toady duties for me?

By Neil Ravenscroft (62.172.127.2) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 12:21 pm: Edit

Proof at last that he is a complete twerp who wouldn't know how to manage a proverbial in a brewery. No, people don't respond to criticism well, in fact they are completely demotivated by it, unless it's constructive. Shouting p1ss off back to the Wolves you useless Dingle is not, I repeat not, constructive in any way.

By Geordiesaddler (193.195.190.230) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 12:24 pm: Edit

Hmmmmmm Coxy, you want Ian to go on "Fany" duty....Wish you arrange this sort of thing privately because some of us come on here to talk about the Saddlers. Ian, looks like your wait for an internet chum could be about to end in bizarre style. If you open your eyes while he's got you hugging that tree you might be able to see the wood, just like Leary larry suggests.

By Ian Gittins (81.153.164.21) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 12:37 pm: Edit

I suddenly don't feel very well.

By coxanddrummie (195.93.34.9) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 12:40 pm: Edit

Put another N in fany Geordie and your almost there mate. I was gonna get Gittins to bang a few of my bitches (long list) so they can see the complete opposite alternative to my quality and not forgetting quantity of course that i have on a sexual scale.

To use a more direct analogy. He'd take em to the earths core then id ride em to space mountain.

By Geordiesaddler (193.195.190.230) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 12:51 pm: Edit

Aw cheers "mate", guess that makes you one of Larry's happy clappers.

By The girls in coxanddrummie's class (81.153.164.21) on Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - 12:56 pm: Edit

We're not giving Chipolata Boy a clap or, indeed, anything at all. He smells funny, and nobody else at school talks to him.