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Sheff Utd (h) - League - 24th April 2004

Reports and reaction from the 2003-04 season as Walsall finished 22nd (R) in Division 1
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Sheff Utd (h) - League - 24th April 2004

Tue Dec 07, 2004 3:27 pm

By reading saddler on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 04:31 pm: Edit

I am very impressed by our formation today must say... Not so that we are losing one nil and results aren't exactly going our way come MK f.c show the gills what you could of been made of.... it aint good. Un happy saddler

By no surrender on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 05:25 pm: Edit

it aint over till the fat lady sings.

By fatladydoesroyorbison on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 05:32 pm: Edit

It's over, it's over, it's OVER ..... IT'S OVER.

By PS on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 05:35 pm: Edit

Thank you, Colin Lee - apparently our 'most successful manager ever' according to some demented souls on this board - thank you for getting us in this mess.

By Oh Deary Me on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 05:35 pm: Edit

The fat lady already sang...... She was singing very loud and clear in January and February. Too many points given away Cardiff Home, Millwall Home, Forest Away etc.... Ones unltimate league position is achieved over the full season (before C&D gets his usual sarcastic comment in) AND WFC/CL did not put in the required effort earlier in the season and now the fruit (or lack of) is showing. Walsall will almost certainly go down, BUT I will cheer to last minute of the last game. We will have to hope that Bonser and the Board have the ambition/desrie to get us back up at the first attempt.

By Jorge14 on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 07:06 pm: Edit

Even as a "demented soul" who supported Colin Lee as our most successful manager, certainly since Christmas it is become of him that we are in this "mess" as you put it.

But is isn't JUST Lee's fault...

Merson has been poor for most of the season (out of position) apart from few moments of inspiration, before he went of to rehab.
Vinny left us in the lurch without our best midfielder.
Ritchie has shrunk since his Scotland game.
Roper has given away a couple of penalties this season which have cost us.
Zigor has cost us with erratic defending, and getting himself sent-off against Cardiff when they equalised in the last minute, with the move coming down our left.

That is just to pick on a few players. From the board down, and I include us as fans there, we have let the club as a whole down...

No one is blame free...but it is over now...well nearly...still, that means we have Blackpool and Brighton away next season...lets just hope the fixture calculator is kind to us. Anyone for August bank holiday is Brighton, Easter Bank Holiday in Blackpool?

By Jorge14 on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 07:13 pm: Edit

Today looked better...Europe in four seasons!!!

Jorge14 has spoken...

However, seriously, we started off very attack minded. We fought for every ball. Ropes was immense. Wacka made a good save. We were unlucky with the penalty.

On another day we would have won 2 or 3 - 1. Kenny made a great save half-way through the second half, there were a couple of goalmouth scrambles, and if Matty Fryatt had been more aware on a couple of occasion, he could have scored himself or set someone else up.

But it wasn't like watching Brazil by any means!!!

We didn't deserve to lose, but maybe a draw would have been the fair result, at least it would have kept us a bit further in contention.

I thought Matty Fryatt did excellently today, and how he didn't get man of the match I can't make out. He wasn't scared of the bigger defenders, and when Morgan put him in the dugout, it was Fryatt who got up first, with no fuss, wheras it took Morgan a while to get his senses together. He showed pace, which is the worst thing to play against. But he has got to fill out, and a season (or two) in Division Two could do him a lot of good.

Another positive display today, but as someone said to me today, how can a 5-0 defeat and a 1-0 defeat, lying in the bottom three be positive?

By sedgers on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 07:18 pm: Edit

to many negatives to come out of this game than positives im afraid.firstly if you are going to play fryatt and mcsporran you have to play it to their feet,secondly fryatt looked out of his depth bradbury was a lot better when he came on and i think fryatt should have gone instead of jermaine.also if u want to play attacking quick passing football why play bazeley who has been dire all year.roper needs to learn not to dive in,he is superb in the air but far to clumsy.looks like div 2 next year folks i think merson hasnt the experience for the job and if dk doesnt come then eho are we going to have???

By David Potter on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 07:34 pm: Edit

I'm normally an eternal optimist, but I really fear that we're down now.

Yes, we fought today, hard, but the problem that has plagued us all season long reared it's ugly head again today, we just can't finish!

I'm sorry, but I just can't see us surviving.
We've lost the last four, haven't scored and we're not getting any breaks from our fellow strugglers or the officials.

Great show by the fans today, you did your part.

There are many reasons for our demise this year, all of which have been discussed on here before.
We can all take a share of the blame, the fans, the board, the manager and the players. I for one, am tired of the constant struggle to stay in this division.
Let's face it, we're always going to battle survival without the proper funding.
We need to re-group and focus on the task at hand for life in division two. I don't like those last two words either, but we have to face reality!

By kevin on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 07:43 pm: Edit

Can't fault the effort.Thought McSporran looked to be the man most likely........but somehow we don't seem able to use his pace.
Wacker....man of the match? They're 'avin a larf.He's had busier days than this.

By Neil Ravenscroft on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 07:56 pm: Edit

With sedgers on this one - tactical naivity and a stupid tackle from Roper cost us (even if the decision to give it was dubious). It showed the need to have an "old head" if you go with Merson as manager, as the tactics did not match the formation, or vice versa, however you wish to say it. The plan seemed to be hit the front two early to exploit their pace, so the midfield was consistently htting the long ball. Trouble is, there was no one to hold it up, so it just came straight back. That's why we looked so much more dangerous when Bradbury came on and we should have then started expoliting McSporran's pace. Trouble is, it was McSporran he'd taken off. With those tactics, Bradbury should have started, with McSporran. Fryatt looked what he is, an inexperienced kid struggling with the big time.
(and where were Jorge and Zigor, by the way?).
Today was the perfect example of what I always say, passion ain't what wins you games, as there was plenty of committment in that one, it's having a plan and playing well to it.

By rakette on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 08:03 pm: Edit

Thanks alot Colin Lee. first half of the season was great. brilliant position on boxing day. just beaten cardiff away 1-0. couldnt get much better for me really. whats happened? How could we get in this mess? I think you all know the answer.

about today, Fryatt was excellent. just wish he had his chance abit earlier on in the season.

I fear that this could be us down but we all have to keep the faith!

I LOVE WALSALL AND ALWAYS WILL

By Neil Ravenscroft on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 08:09 pm: Edit

I know I watch different games sometimes, but Fryatt looked like a little boy lost today and he, not McSporran should have come off for Bradbury. He has great talent, but aint ready yet.

By kevin on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 08:10 pm: Edit

Neil,is that the start of your MERSON OUT campaign.

Message to Paul....play some bloody foreigners

By hullsaddler on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 09:02 pm: Edit

Well I felt depressed at the end but we can still get an unlikely result at palace next week & take it till the last game.We created opportunities in the 2nd half & with a bit of luck it could have been different.I thought we played with some passion,though the guy sat next to me who complained for 90 minutes wouldnt agree.Also thought that the atmosphere was really good.
How do you all put up with the dreadful 'Franksy'on WM? Lost reception at Derby but I would love to hear him apologising for rubbishing us & our chances, after the Rotherham game.
WE CAN STILL DO IT !!

By Neil Ravenscroft on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 09:16 pm: Edit

I still think Merson might be the right bloke, actually, but he just needs someone who knows what he's doing tactically with him, cos he didn't have a clue today.

By Surrey Saddler on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 09:20 pm: Edit

Thought we played with a lot of heart today and were unfortunate that we lost. Still 6 points to play for. If we get them we stay up. As Hull says WE CAN STILL DO IT.
Up the Saddlers!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!

By saddlerken on Saturday, April 24, 2004 - 11:47 pm: Edit

Bloody hell, if Merson didn't have a clue today, what on Earth can be the excuse for a so called experienced manager such as Lee, who has spent a whole season with this bunch of players?

How on Earth can we expect Merson to get anything from Norwich?

So he has ONE week to spend with the squad preparing for a pretty decent Sheff Utd team who are pushing for the playoffs!

If we want to talk about tactical naivety, try Forest away 2nd half, Reading 2nd half at home, Crewe 2nd half at home, derby at home, Burnley at home, Watford at home!!!!!!!!!!!

Neil, I understand what you say about passion not winning games, but if you get neither passion nor tactical know how under Lee then I would take at least some effort from the boys today because if we had the passion against any of the above opponents this season, then there is no way we would be in this position now.

BUGGER

By Neil Ravenscroft on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 12:04 am: Edit

I'm not denying that, if we'd played like that we'd have beaten Burnley and stuck more past Franchise, but, with a bit more nowse (and I'm not blaming Merson - he needs help), we'd have had three points today too. It doesn't stop the fact that, if he wanted to play that way, Bradbury should have started.

By Zebedee on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 12:21 am: Edit

Nowse? Nous!

By Cannock on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 01:28 am: Edit

Absolutely bang on SaddlerKen.

By kevin on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 01:55 am: Edit

Neil,how can you say, "he might be the right bloke,but needs help tactically".I would have thought that was a prime requisite.I would think Merson,with his experience,is as tactically aware as most.People can dress it up as much as they like,but,bottom line is,the players ain't good enough for this division,surely. Whose fault that is,however,is a different argument.

By bournemouthsaddler on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 07:11 am: Edit

Same old story,no goal scorer.Fryatt is probably the future but he aint ready yet.Fifteen goals from anyone and we would have been safe.Great effort though,trouble we know Palace will be awarded a pen for a foul on AJ.

By rakette on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 08:54 am: Edit

Couldn't of put it better myself saddlerken.

There is absolutely NO WAY anybody can even think of blaming merson! All I could of asked for yesterday was effort and they gave everything.

The negative tactics from COLIN LEE has put us where we are now. I have heard him speaking before the game on the radio and he would just say how dangerous the opposition are. who cares!!!! they should be worried about us! we are the home team, we should be getting at them, playing at a high tempo. I didnt see that with lee.

Before the burnley game he was saying they are very dangerous well they have conceded 40 goals away from home!!! So if that isn't a sign to attack then i dont know what is.

KEEP THE FAITH SADDLERS FANS

By Matt W on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 09:03 am: Edit

To be honest I think it will be a relief going down - I don't think I could take another season of watching 90 mintues where we muster up all of about 2 chances.

By Neil Ravenscroft on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 09:20 am: Edit

To raise a subect we might agree on, is McCloud a bigger cheat than Boeteng and Makellele? Answers on a postcard to the FA

By saddlerken on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 09:39 am: Edit

Yup, was when he was at Derby too. Warnock will improve his diving no doubt.

By Geordiesaddler on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 09:50 am: Edit

Yesterday goes to show that while its easy to talk about playing attacking football, the execution is something more problematic when you simply havn't got the players to do it (as Stu has been saying all season on here). We started yesterday with two rookie centre-forwards with one goal between them at this level, and we got nil - well big suprise. That's been the problem that has plaged the club all season. Can't believe people are still coming on here ranting and raving about Lee. In all honesty I'm nostalgic for our years of surviving at this level all ready. Remember it, savour it, and tell your grandkids about it because it might never happen again.

It goes like this, "and then something strange happened on the way to division 2, losing 1-0 at home to Barnsley with only ten men on the park we came back and won, then won at Forest, beat Stockport and went to Bramhall Lane and won in front of 20,000" hmmm nice romantic story, pity no-one wants to remember it.

Oh and for the record we were awful in the first half yesterday, almost as bad as anything I've seen this season. And I AM going to blame Merson, he's got an impossible job as manager, but his performance as a player yesterday was dire. That has been a big problem for us, as he found out himself yesterday. In order to pick himself he had to play 352, Bazeley as wing back???, McSporran as "the pacey player", Roper as anything other than a stopper. Like I say we havn't got the players to do it. Wrack played really well, how we have missed his energy, but the only other players who had a good game were the usual get stuck in merchants e.g. Osborn and Emblen - and that's we are in the bottom three.

By Pelsall Saddler on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 10:13 am: Edit

Like your middle paragraph, Geordie. I think that will be my abiding memory of the past few seasons.I just can't see a fairy tale ending this time.
Can't really add to what's been said, I thought the passion was there from the terraces yesterday, but the players - who I felt gave their all - are just not good enough.
My mate's thirteen year old son has only really known the "Good times" of the past few seasons. Now he'll find out what it's really like to support The Saddlers.

By Dave, burntwood on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 10:50 am: Edit

I am not an optimist. We will be relegated, so now the inquest begins, where do we apportion blame.
OWNER & BOARD
In a different world they would resign for presiding over the failings of the last 4 months.
The purse strings were tightened too soon & too tightly. I believe they thought we were safe at Xmas. Failed to act as CL was leading us to div. 2. He should have been shown the door following the home defeat to Watford. Relegation will probably cost half a million in lost gate receipts alone. we're already in deby, what happened to the good house keeping? Lets not pretend we will automatically do well next season, more then half the squad out of contract ( take a look at Grimsby, Sheff. Wed, Stockport, Oldham)
CL. I thought he was the man for the job untill February this year. I then began to look at the poor signing (Oakes, Burton, Petterson, Dinning, Wales, Burley) Poor team selection, inability to use substitutes & inept tactics, topped by the most boring football imaginable.
VINNY SAMWAYS. As any player let the club down so badly before?
PAUL MERSON. Now seen as our savior. Supporters have short memories. Most of his performances this
season have been below the standards of a 1st div. footballer, he goes AWOL at a crucial stage.
On the plus side he did seem to get the players behind him & tried to play attacking football.
SUPPORTERS. Poor numbers, lack of vocal support in some games & too easily on the backs of players i.e Birch, Lawrence.
I HAVE RENEWED MY SEASON TICKET.

By Fish on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 11:39 am: Edit

At the very least we know what we have to do now. For the first time this season we really do have to come from behind.

The odds are competely stacked against us, but I am satisfied that we will at the least give it a go...we have to beieve.

There was much to admire yesterday, and not much between us and a team apiring to the play-offs, but in truth, in the first half at least, we really didn't look like scoring. Full marks to Merson for trying to change things after the goal, something that Lee would probably not have done as early. I think that we looked better when Bradbury came on but although it was a toss up whether you took Fratt or McS off, I think Merson got it just about right.

Despite the much improved work-rate, pace and determination, Merse will have to work on the the passing and loss of possession. The amount of time the ball was given away cheaply was unacceptable. It has been all season, particulalry from throw-ins and set pieces.Yesterday, yet again we again saw too many aimless balls hoofed upfield that gave the front men no chance.

I also thought that the wingbacks performed poorly, Taylor IS one for the future, but he rarely got forward and his passing was pretty poor - Aranadle is a better option. I would say the same for Bazeley, but other than playing Wright in that position, I din't think that we have many options.

Wracky did well when he came on and added something (perhaps he's the answer). Hopefully with Jorge back in contention next week (he was injured according to the Pink) all may not be lost.

One thought (in reply to GS) about why we are in this posiiton. The bottom three clubs have scored the fewest goals in this division. It strikes me that not only Lee's tactical naivity but his failure to produce a striker have cost us dear.

OK, I hear people say, Bonser should have put his hand in his pocket - but look at the squad Lee assembled - it was completely unbalanced. Did he really need NINE midfielders ? There might not have been much or enough money, but what there was was not spent wiseley.

or Managed wisely ? for that matter. Samways seems have become something of a hate figure now, but for me, up to Xmas, he was our player of the season. None of his achievement has subsequently counted for anything following his walk out. But it should be remembered that there are two sides to every story, Samways is adamant that he did nothing wrong when he was publicly accused by Lee of going AWOL - a quality player lost and another nail in the coffin.

Anyway, expect the away performance of the season next Saturday (a surprise 1-0 to the Saddlers) and hopefully everything to play for against Rotherham.

By Geordiesaddler on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 01:05 pm: Edit

the reason we didn't have a striker was because none of the half a dozen or so we pursued wanted to come to a club that pays half as much wages as can be got at the likes of derby or stoke. the reason we had a decent striker last year was because lee brought junior in on loan as an untried foreigner and turned him into a decent first division goalscorer.

By Bristol Fan on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 06:10 pm: Edit

What surprises me is that Aranalde is arguably a far better wing-back than he is full-back, so I would have thought he was the natural choice yesterday. Bazeley isn't much good at either, but on balance perhaps Wright would be a better right wing-back. Wrack would be better still - maybe next week!

As Geordie alludes to, 3-5-2 doesn't suit Roper at all. It could be argued that in that system, Ritchie, Carbon and Emblen should be the three.

Fryatt and McSporran both show promise but playing both at once is too risky. Bradbury or Leitao alongside one of them (probably McSporran) is surely our best option at the moment.

I find it quite surprising that we're in this mess. I know we only narrowly avoided the drop in the last couple of seasons, but to me our squad this time round has been far better.

Of course, we've still got every chance of getting out of it. We've won games this season we weren't expected to. I don't want to be overly optimistic, but we still might do it. Don't give up yet!

By JPD on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 04:04 am: Edit

I agree with you about the squad Bristol. This on paper was the best squad ever assembled in Walsall shirts.
However it was too thin and comprised an above average number of players who couldn't be relied upon.
It was also unbalanced and in a game that you win by scoring more goals than the opposition the shortage of quality in the goalscoring department was a joke that we have all shared in for months.
Maybe we should have lost 4-1 to WBA on opening day so the weaknesses were more apparent earlier?
Always look at the top when a company is in trouble.
Bonser as the owner must shoulder the blame as really Lee wasn't performing. There's a fine line between 'interfering' and leaving your manager to handle all the football things and Bonser kept on his side of it.
Is there any other industry like this? I can't think of one.
As for the future, there's an old saying that "If you keep on doing what you keep on doing then you will keep on getting what you keep on getting"
In the event that we are relegated and we come back up in the next 5 years then there has to be a change at the top. Otherwise we will keep on getting what we keep on getting - scratting around for scraps and continuing our repuation for being on a shoestring.
Hopefully Lee actually put some solid development things in place before he left.
I liked his idea of us being like Arsenal.
Has that all gone by the wayside?
Now more than ever we need to plan for the future.

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