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Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Reports and reaction from the 2013-2014 season as Walsall finished 13th in League 1
latviancheese
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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 6:49 pm

bangsection wrote:
Graydon48 wrote:Didn't see why penalty was awarded but gather it was for a foul on Butler. Maybe Smith or Butler had a word with the referee at half time because he didn't give the most blatant penalty when their number 5 was all over Butler right in front of him.


Yep, in his post-match interview Clough was moaning that Dean Smith had been talking to the referee as the teams came off at the end of the first half - presumably about exactly that. Smith seems to be getting the hang of this management lark. Clough was apoplectic about the penalty decision, by the way. *Snigger*


Couldnt happen to a nicer bloke.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 6:57 pm

Awful first half, delightful second one. Really was a game of two halves.

Well taken penalty and well worked goal for Chambo. Really pleased for him as he deserves that first league goal.

Two other chances of note were a Taylor firecracker that fizzled just wide of the post from distance and a Julian Gray miss from a few yards that was the result of the best move of the game.

O'Donnell-8: Some good saves and he collected his crosses really well. Dealt with the abuse well too.
Butler-8: Solid as ever.
Downing-8: As with Butler.
Taylor-8: Didn't put a foot wrong.
Chambers (J)-9: Deserved his Motm. Nice goal coupled with the fact he again didn't put a foot wrong.
Chambers (A)-8: Solid as a rock.
Mantom-8: Picked up balls from everywhere on the pitch. Solid.
Lalkovic-7: Kept the ball well and had a good game. One thing I notice is that when he gets the ball he goes to the wings rather than going direct normally. All his goals have been scored when going direct. If he did this more then he could be in amongst the goals more often.
Baxendale-4: Why is he still in the team? He needs a rest or at least don't play him against direct and robust teams as he can't handle them. Hemmings needs to come in.
Sawyers-7: Not his best game partly due to a head injury but created some nice moves.
Hewitt-6: Some nice flick-ons and worked quite hard but you need someone who can hold his ground more (Westcarr) on against teams like Sheffield.

Subs:
Westcarr-9: Close runner up of Motm to be honest. Made such a difference when coming on along with a very well taken penalty.
Gray-7: Looked quite effective actually bar his miss.
Hemmings-7: Little time to impact but should start instead of Baxendale.

Onwards and Upwards! UTS!
Last edited by TheSwift on Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:01 pm

I thought Lalkovic had a rather quiet game, he struggled with the beefy challenges.

I thought Hewitt was very poor at times but i wouldnt be adverse to sticking with him with Westy out wide.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:08 pm

Also kudos goes to Andy Taylor for giving Brandy a right wollop with a tackle from which he conceded a foul. Had a good laugh at that :lol: .

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:19 pm

What a satisfying win that was. Our failure to come back from behind and win prior to today may well have proved a bit of a monkey in our backs before long, so it was great to lay that one to rest. Not only that, but we beat a side who were on a really strong run, and will undoubtedly take points off the other sides in and around the playoff places between now and the end of the season.

Smith might be able to take some credit for changing things at half time, but all he was really doing at that point was repairing the damage he'd done by not playing Westcarr from the start. Whether he's playing well or not, we spend longer in the opposition's half when Westcarr plays, and that in itself makes him a must-start. It was the right decision to take Baxendale out, as he'd had another game where pretty much every pass he played went to one of them.

The first 20 minutes looked like men against boys - just as it looked when we played Preston and Coventry earlier this season. They looked like they wanted it more than us, and we gave them nothing to worry about at the back. Hewitt's movement was woeful and I doubt their centre halves will have had an easier 45 minutes this season. Thankfully, we started finding Sawyers in space a lot more towards the end of the half, which at least stopped the bombardment our back four had been getting going into half time.

The second half was a complete turnaround, with Westcarr at the heart of pretty much everything we did going forward. Suddenly James Chambers kept finding acres of space wide on the right, Sawyers started pulling their midfield all over the place, and we attacked with some kind of purpose. I felt the penalty decision was a bit on the soft side, but Butler had been blatantly manhandled at every set piece up to then, so we were certainly due a decision in our favour.

From then on, we had fire in our bellies, the crowd were right behind the players, and we looked threatening every time we went forward. Chambers scored from the move of the match and could have had another, Taylor drilled one inches wide, and Lalkovic had a shot well saved. I still felt Hewitt looked way out of his depth but the rest of our attacking players did just about enough to compensate.

The way we ground things out towards the end was pleasing. This wasn't a Peterborough-esque display where we were so dominant that they didn't have an answer, but was a bit more of a battle - the sort of game we've had a tendency to drop points from previously. With other results going our way, we're in a really good position going into two more winnable games in a couple of weeks' time.

A good day (or 45 minutes) at the office. We still need another striker though.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:37 pm

That was very satisfying indeed. All credit to Smith for the half-time substitution and change in tactics. Taylor was only inches away from adding a third which would have meant both full-backs scoring in open play - tells you everything about the way Smith set the side up in the second half - getting around the sides and creating the space that had been strangled by them in the first half.

The move of the match was the one that ended in Gray just missing. What a goal that would have been.

I disagree with what people are saying about Hewitt. He doesn't have the touch or guile of Westcarr but what he does do is occupy centre-halves. He is busy and physical. Even if he doesn't quite win the ball, their centrehalves were only getting half or quarter contact which often meant we subsequently won possession. His industry earned space for sawyers et al to make hay, especially in the second half when Westcarr was on.

Love beating these - a great way to start 2014.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:42 pm

I thought sawyers was a class above anyone else on the pitch today with a genuine top division touch

Westcarr was better than bax in the wide position but Westcarr is better in the middle

I can't believe there is a better midfield triangle than chambers mantom and sawyers in this div and keeping these three fit and playing will be key to the playoffs

Hopefully not only have we won from being behind but the lads have shown that they now know how to overcome the big organised teams at home sheff played 5 at the back and 3 in front after going ahead but we worked out how to get round the back

Credit to smith to changing the personnel and tactics early on

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:46 pm

Cowshed wrote:I thought sawyers was a class above anyone else on the pitch today with a genuine top division touch

Westcarr was better than bax in the wide position but Westcarr is better in the middle

I can't believe there is a better midfield triangle than chambers mantom and sawyers in this div and keeping these three fit and playing will be key to the playoffs

Hopefully not only have we won from being behind but the lads have shown that they now know how to overcome the big organised teams at home sheff played 5 at the back and 3 in front after going ahead but we worked out how to get round the back

Credit to smith to changing the personnel and tactics early on


I wouldn't get too carried away. If we hadn't got the bit of luck with the penalty, it could have easily been another Preston/Bradford/Port Vale

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:48 pm

PT wrote:I disagree with what people are saying about Hewitt. He doesn't have the touch or guile of Westcarr but what he does do is occupy centre-halves. He is busy and physical. Even if he doesn't quite win the ball, their centrehalves were only getting half or quarter contact which often meant we subsequently won possession. His industry earned space for sawyers et al to make hay, especially in the second half when Westcarr was on.

Hewitt occupying centre halves limits us far too often though, because he seems happy to be marked. What Westcarr does so well when he plays up there is take centre halves into positions they don't want to find themselves in - mainly thanks to dropping 5-10 yards deeper to attract the pass to his feet. Hewitt's only movements today forced hopeful balls into the channels, which were invariably shepherded out for a goal kick.

It was a case of all's well that ends well today, but I don't think being busy and physical should be enough to keep a place in the team.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:49 pm

latviancheese wrote:Just a name. Craig Westcarr. Changed the game when he came on.

First half was shocking, conditions aside, we were terrible. Everyone had a 2/10 at this point.

Whatever Smith said at half time worked a treat, we closed them down, put the foot in and battled harder than a side thats made of 19 foot lumps. They won the battle in the end, just.

One incisive spell where we put our chances away, one totally correct penalty decision, and a twenty minute period of sexual defending(with a tad luck). We could have, should have scored another on the break. It was a proper game second half.

Febian Brandy confirmed his vile little man status by warming up infront of the lower tier, classy guy. Seeing Taylor put him on the deck made me smile with glee.

James Chambers, MOTM, by a mile.

Pleased to finally see some subs being used to effect, Gray was good when he came on amazed he missed from about 2 yards though :)

O Donnell loved hat win, but he's Wednesday ay he.

Superb time wasting with the substitution against a Clough side that tries to cheat everything. Sweet for us. Karma's a bitch.

UTS



If i was cynical I would have said he did that to create a distraction when Sheff Utd were attacking. Fortunately our fans were too bright to fall for it.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:56 pm

He loved it, kinda bloke who loves attention. He's a knob.

Smith certainly set up today for a tight match, we switched ends and first half all we did was keep the ball rather boringly. In the end switching ends was in our favour.

Second half is what i want to see at home. As mentioned earlier, marauding fullbacks mmmmmmmm, proper purposeful passing, and a bit of pace on the break.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:01 pm

great win after 1st half performance, j chambers motm without a doubt. as for the people going on about sawyers being motm were we at the same game today?? he was playing between the midfield and hewitt but the amount of times he was between defence and midfield was unreal leaving hewitt on his own vs 2 big centre halfs, we then proceeded (sawyers included) to launch balls up to our non exsistant 7ft striker. on top of that how much time does sawyers expect to get once he receives the ball in the middle of the pitch? I think about 3-4 times as much as he really has based on today although EVERY time he lost out he tried to win it back. I like sawyers but he infuriates me sometimes. he didnt play badly today, just not a motm performance, only bax fell into that catagory sadly. as much as I like him and want him to come good i dont think he will. I honestly hope I'm wrong but I just don't think he has enough of a physical presence on the pitch to command a starting place in the team. would be interesting to see westcarr place in that role more often, he is a wide mid/winger anyway but then comes the question of who is going to get the goals, come on deano 1 decent striker will bridge the gap to the playoffs.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:07 pm

BarnsleySaddler wrote:
sallian wrote:
BarnsleySaddler wrote:\at least the other teams are keeping us within sight of the playoffs!


You will do yourself less emotional pain if you come to terms now with idea that the play offs will not be happening.

just like the thought of an excuse for the wife so as to come back to watch a game!



It's a bit odd because anyone who thinks Walsall (having lost its 3 best attacking players in the summer) have a right to be challenging for the play-offs is very misguided.

Yet it is a credit to Deano that it is very possible we will finish top 6. I would say we are easily one of the top 6 teams in the division.

So I say just enjoy the season. I did with today's result :D

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:23 pm

Bostin.
Thought we would lose today - convinced when we went a goal down. Cap doffed to Smith and the team.
Six weeks ago it looked like only ghe last play off place was up for grabs-now there's two within sniffing distance.
Come on now Jeffrey, it's time to strengthen without having to bost the bank. It could be your best exit strategy?

UTFS.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:28 pm

For anyone who fancies listening to the least gracious, most bitter post-match interview ever given by a League One manager, here you go:

https://audioboo.fm/boos/1826558-sufc-manager-nigel-clough-on-walsall-defeat

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:39 pm

WFC_Rob wrote:For anyone who fancies listening to the least gracious, most bitter post-match interview ever given by a League One manager, here you go:

https://audioboo.fm/boos/1826558-sufc-manager-nigel-clough-on-walsall-defeat


Seems to have the same view as our fans on the first half. Clearly unhappy with the ref regarding the pen.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:53 pm

Any chance we can have a few more stayaways in 2014? Preferably the bellends who booed at half time.

Special mention to the young, chavvy lot who tried their best to start songs - keep it going.

Today was a perfect example why players should maybe look past the weekly wage. Flo and Brandy will never feature in Clough's, 7 foot, 442 team and should have signed for a team who suit their games. Not saying they should have signed for us necessarily but Sheff Utd - they've been long ball donkey's for years.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:05 pm

chestersaddler wrote:
WFC_Rob wrote:For anyone who fancies listening to the least gracious, most bitter post-match interview ever given by a League One manager, here you go:

https://audioboo.fm/boos/1826558-sufc-manager-nigel-clough-on-walsall-defeat


Seems to have the same view as our fans on the first half. Clearly unhappy with the ref regarding the pen.


It was a soft pen but Clough does his case no favours in that interview. he says he has looked at it and nobody is even appealing. And yet Paul Downing, who was the closest player to the incident appeals very vociferously. If upon watching it a few times again Clough says he can't see anyone appealing then he is either blind or a liar. Either way, he's made a nob out of himself and scoring the ref 3 out of 100 makes him look a bigger nob which will do him and his club no favours at all.

It was obvious that they had decided that Butler was essentially our only threat at set-pieces (true!) so sort to nullify that threat by doing a Skirtel on him. Several times in the first half the man marking Butler was just wrestling with no eye for the ball at all. The ref warned him twice (which the ref doesn't have to do, he could have allowed the ball to become live again and given pens) and I reckon the third, which was by no means worse than the first two, was essentially a "totting up" decision.

We had exactly the same at Wolves in the JPT. Downing was warned a couple of times then was penalised on the third occasion.

*Edit - just seen on a Sheff Utd forum one of their lot saying it was a pen and to ignore Clough. They had the best view in the house and puts Clough's nonsense into context.
Last edited by PT on Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:30 pm

Bear in mind that Clough's only MO is to yell abusive language at the officials all game, every game. He's probably used to getting things going his own way so throws his toys when a decision isn't in his (quote unquote big) team's favour. For other examples of this see Billy Davies, Steve Evans.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:46 pm

PT wrote:Several times in the first half the man marking Butler was just wrestling with no eye for the ball at all.


Actually it was all a big misunderstanding: Maguire kept thinking that Butler had some chicken stuck in his throat and was performing the Heimlich manoeuvre on him. Every time Butler came up for a corner Maguire thought it had happened again, so was just helping him out. Easy mistake to make.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:51 pm

kshammer wrote:Today was a perfect example why players should maybe look past the weekly wage. Flo and Brandy will never feature in Clough's, 7 foot, 442 team and should have signed for a team who suit their games. Not saying they should have signed for us necessarily but Sheff Utd - they've been long ball donkey's for years.


Yeah, couldn't believe the oafs they had at centre back and that Conor Coady (17) is the biggest Ug I've ever seen play centre midfield.

Agree with Flo partcularly. Feel really sorry for him, as he clearly wants to play football, which is why he left Stoke (out of one pan into the other I reckon). He would have been the ideal replacement for Baxter when they took him off, to be the playmaker and create for the team (baxter had been the focal point and great the first 20 mins or so) but they brought on another 'hard working' player instead. He could even go out on loan in Jan.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:53 pm

longdogs wrote:
PT wrote:Several times in the first half the man marking Butler was just wrestling with no eye for the ball at all.


Actually it was all a big misunderstanding: Maguire kept thinking that Butler had some chicken stuck in his throat and was performing the Heimlich manoeuvre on him. Every time Butler came up for a corner Maguire thought it had happened again, so was just helping him out. Easy mistake to make.


That Maguire = Chris Morgan

:?

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:55 pm

Wasn't Maguire number 5?

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:07 pm

Nigel Clough, what a detestable human being who's making a living off the back of his dad's reputation.

As for the game, first half was cack. We huffed and puffed and got no where.

Second half was much much better. When Westcarr came on we kept our formation up top which was what we failed to do first half. This allowed us to play wider rather than to try and force everything through the middle. Too many times in the first half Bax and Lalkovic were caught on the same wing leaving us no option to spread the play.

Credit to Smith for making the change.

O'Donnell - 8 - Improving with every game and looking even more confident.

J.Chambers - 10 - Didn't put a foot wrong all game, well taken goal. Fully deserved MOTM.
Downing - 8 - Typical Downing performance, calm and composed.
Butler - 9 - should've had three penalties at least, but the one will do. Lead from the back.
Taylor - 8 - Mr Consistent as consistent as ever. Unlucky not to add a third.

Mantom - 8 - bossed the midfield second half, tireless performance
A.Chambers - 7 - Quiet by his standards but was by no means poor

Baxendale - 4 - I've said it before and I will again, square peg, round hole.
Sawyers - 9 - everything went through him, immense. Just pipped to MOTM by JC.
Lalkovic - 7 - Not a bad performance but I do wish he'd stick to his wing!

Hewitt - 7 - I think people are being over critical of him. Did a job upfront and gave us a focal point. Too often he was left isolated by himself up against two thuggish centre halves because of a lack of support.

SUBS
Westcarr - 8 - Changed the game in our favour.
Gray & Hemmkngs - 7 - neither did anything wrong but didn't have a lot of time to make much of an impact.


Great to finally come from behind and the lads showed great spirit to do so. The referee was awful. Too many baffling decisions and how we didn't have at least three more penalties for Butler and Downing being wrestled every corner I will never know.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Wed Jan 01, 2014 11:56 pm

kshammer wrote:
Today was a perfect example why players should maybe look past the weekly wage. Flo and Brandy will never feature in Clough's, 7 foot, 442 team and should have signed for a team who suit their games. Not saying they should have signed for us necessarily but Sheff Utd - they've been long ball donkey's for years.


To be fair to Flo & Brandy, they both bought tickets for David Weir's silky passing football Premier League Express. Remember that? It lasted all of 13 games before he was binned. Now they've got Clough overseeing the kind of grinding, attritional football that would have his old man spinning in his grave.

Changing the philosophy of a club takes time - summat that we know a little bit about. But because the Blades am mossive, time is something they can't afford.

Kick! Hoof! Grapple! Punt!

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Thu Jan 02, 2014 12:07 am

Once again we choose to kick the 'wrong' way and then fail to take any advantage from the prevailing conditions (the wind in this case, setting sun twice previously) with too many overhit long balls in the first half.

Always felt we'd do better kicking into the wind, and so it proved.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Thu Jan 02, 2014 2:43 am

To be fair Sheff Utd looked quite good until they scored. They got the ball wide and put it in the box. They let us off by sitting back as soon as they had scored, i reckon the way we were playing first half they could have scored again no problems.

After they scored they reverted to 19 foot long ball, hoof crap. I mean time wasting in the 40th minute ffs!

Nigel Clough is a bitter knob, they wouldnt have won that game without the penalty decision because they were rubbish. You can see why Derby sacked him.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Thu Jan 02, 2014 9:28 am

Great win, fully deserved over the 90mins.

Must admin I feared the worst when we went 1-0 down, but with the amount of possession we have, even when we are playing poorly it only takes one flash of inspiration to score.

Luckily we got the penalty, and deservedly so, their no5 had been all over Butler in the first half, so it was probably the ref trying to even it up. After that, their heads dropped and we took advantage with some fantastic wing back play, both from Chambers and Taylor.

On the subject of Chambers - he's terrific, up there for player of the season for me. I like Purkiss, but we miss Chambers when he's not there.

Also, loved the gamesmanship of putting the wrong number up for the first substitution, at which point Hewitt walked all the way over to the other side of the pitch, only for the number to be corrected, and guess who needed to come off? Hewitt.

7th going in to January and in real touching distance of the playoffs - We need to strengthen to push on - but will we?

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Thu Jan 02, 2014 10:32 am

philthesaddler wrote:Also, loved the gamesmanship of putting the wrong number up for the first substitution, at which point Hewitt walked all the way over to the other side of the pitch, only for the number to be corrected, and guess who needed to come off? Hewitt.

The gamesmanship yesterday was top drawer. Westcarr telling one of the ballboys to sit back down when he went to retrieve the ball made me laugh, as did the way Westcarr went down when that ball was kicked at him towards the end.

It's nice to see a Walsall team and manager that has the nouse to use a bit of gamesmanship now and again.

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Re: Sheffield Utd (H) League One, Wed Jan 1st 3pm

Thu Jan 02, 2014 11:39 am

Loved it when the referee had given them a free kick just inside their half and the ball went to O'Donnell on the edge of his area. He just picked it up and waited for one of their players to come collect it

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