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MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Reports and reaction from the 2013-2014 season as Walsall finished 13th in League 1
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SaddlerSteve
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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:35 pm

Deciding to hoof it in the air at every opportunity didn't help either especially when the wind was against us in the 1st half.
Then in the 2nd half we've got the wind with us and a 6ft striker on but all the crosses failed to get higher than 1ft off the ground.

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SaddlerSteve
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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:39 pm

sallian wrote:
SaddlerSteve wrote:
BarnsleySaddler wrote:We have a penalty and missed but to little to late.


His penalty was abysmal.


They should have a penalty taking policy of only allowing hard driven shots, training drill....keep the ball below the bar....much more reliable method than placing. At leat a driven shot has a chance of rebound or keeper struggling to hold it....also is better to move the ball faster in bad weather as a keeper struggles to lauch off from his feet.

Deano should enforce this.

We have a little guy taking a tame weak penalty, now a big guy taking a tame weak penalty.

Maybe just get the goal keeper to take it and tell him to pretend he is taking a goalkick....but connect with the ball a little higher :)


There wasn't anything wrong with him placing it, just where he placed it.
I had a bad feeling as soon as he hogged the ball and insisted he was taking it.
I turned to my uncle and said he won't score this.
He'd been hogging the ball since he came on.

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boringteacher
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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:40 pm

JonnyOwen wrote:Don't think that game could of gone much worse.

- Bad Performance
- Terrible Weather
- Referee's were shocking
- Player sent off
- No defenders on the bench
- Missed a penalty
- Izale McLeod being the cock that he is
- No decisions our way
- RB playing CB, CM playing RB and a CF/CAM playing CM
- MK Dons fans are happy
- I can't feel my toes
- Peterborough winning
- Losing 6th place

The only positive was conceding the 3rd so early, meaning that I am glugging a life-saving mega-brandy 20 minutes before normal.

We were absolutely completely and utterly gash in the first half. Deservedly 2 down at half time, the ref lost his rag when he sent Butler off, you could see it in his face. I suspect that Butler had suggested that McCheat had dived (unsure myself), but lets face it, we have got super Fab in the team so we do live in a well glazed house and will probably benefit at some point this season. The sending off was only harsh in that refs are so fudge inconsistent when it comes to fouls in the area - Butler was the last man.

One of those days, but my gripe today was with Deano - if Taylor and Chambers were fit why the fudge didn't he play them! Two of the top full backs in the league, why play their reserves? It showed in the defence today.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:41 pm

One positive today is that Ngoo actually looked quite good, Hemmings esc penalty aside.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:50 pm

listen no need to over analyze it was a bad day at the office all round the lads worked there socks off, we will beat peterborough

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:13 pm

I was under the impression denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity was only a one match ban?

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:21 pm

The Mongs' manager, Karl Robinson, has come in for a lot of abuse on this board, this week. Well, today, he had the last laugh. It hurts me to say this but he out-thought, out-organised and out-planned Smith and O'Kelly. When we played into a gale-force wind, in the first half, we still played a high defensive line with a flat back-four. As a consequence, McLeod was able to use his second biggest asset, his pace, to open us up on many occasions. It was only a matter of time before he scored. Our defence lacks pace (as do most of the team) at the best of times. Surely in such conditions you deny fast opponents room between the defensive line and the penalty area and, more importantly, make sure that one centre-back drops off to cover the challenging centre-back? We were frequently split open like a hot knife through melting butter.

Remarkably, McLeod managed to remain vertical for most of the game although he did revert to his preferred horizontal orientation for the penalty. I have not yet seen a replay of Butler's challenge but it looked a penalty in real time and, as Butler was the last man, he had to go for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity (which it was). This should earn him a one-match ban. I cannot imagine what went through Butler's mind when he made that tackle. Here we had McLeod, one of the most notorious divers in League One, who will go to ground at the slightest passing breath of wind, running at speed into our penalty-area and Butler just lunges into him. What an idiot! He made the referee's decision an easy one - and to think that Butler is a regular referee himself!

Mongs played exactly the right tactics with the wind at their backs. They defended in depth and used the pace of McLeod and Powell to catch our defence open and flat-footed. Did we do the same? Not on your life! Admittedly, we only had 10 players in the second half but instead of pushing Brandy (or possibly even Lalkovic), our only two quick players, on to the shoulders of their central defenders, both were kept out wide and had little impact. We had two on-target goal attempts in the whole match - Downing's header in the first half and Ngoo's weakly-hit shot in the second.

I have to say (and I'm choking as I type this) that McLeod had an excellent game today which just goes to show what a good player that he could be if he cut out his cheating. Two fine goals (first one looked very close to offside) and won a penalty (correctly, for a change).

The sponsors made Mantom man-of-the-match. I would struggle to name any of them. I suppose that O'Donnell made the fewest mistakes. Smith and O'Kelly have made huge progress as a management team but I still think that their collective "Achilles Heel" is in substitutions - sometimes the wrong ones and usually too late in the game. Westcarr and Sawyers deserved to come off. The former was dreadful (sorry to annoy the legion of Westcarr lovers on UTS) and the latter merely decorated the game and little influence on it. Brandy should have stayed on and been used differently.

Let's hope that we can bounce back on Friday.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:40 pm

onwards and upwards eh,the problem is we the fans expect sexy football week in week out. this result might be the catalyst to drive us on, 16 games left what will be will be but its been a better season than I expected. uts

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:40 pm

O'Donnell - Poor kicking despite the wind
Purkiss - Average
Benning - Willing but poor decisions
Butler - Looked off the pace
Downing - Given a torrid time by McLeod, slow on the turn.
Mantom - Needed to command more
Chambers - Off the pace
Brandy - Tried hard, was closely marked
Lalcovic - Utterly useless. Can't cross, runs into blind alleys. Drop him
Sawyers - His game is about touch and not pace, therefore he needs to bulk up and get more physical.
Westcarr - Didn't put himself about. He is better served as a support player, not lone striker.
Ngoo - Rangy, put himself about. Woeful penalty.
Featherstone - Think he deserves a chance in place of Chambers.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:44 pm

Bad day at the office.

Ref and his assistants were dreadful, but despite that I don't think they affected the result.

As Ped says, it was puzzling that we played such a high line in these conditions and with a player like McLeod in the side. They sliced us open a few times before they scored, and did so again for the penalty. Not 100% sure if it was a foul cos butler played the ball, but the ref might have thought he impeded McLeod before he played the ball. If it was a foul, then he had to be sent off.

Too many poor performances today - Sawyers, Llalkovic, Westcarr, Purkiss, and Downing all looked as if they rather be tucked up warm with a cuppa, and their first touch was dreadful most of the time.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 7:04 pm

got what we deserved today, dongs were far more hungry for it. the officials were poor ( the first goal looked yards offside) but to be honest we could have been 3 or 4 down by that point. the back four were pedestrian and i lost count of the times they carved us open. l like benning when going forward but you have to be a defender first and foremost! saywers looks a bit of a luxury at the moment, he is creative on his day but needs to roll up his sleeves, too many players were knocked off the ball too easily today! thoroughly miserable afternoon, blowing a gale freezing cold and got drenched at the end. i suppose if your going to miss a penalty it may as well be with a couple of minutes left when your 2-0 down.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 7:05 pm

WE NEED A STRIKER!!!

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 7:49 pm

Our defence had the worst display this season (at home anyway). Ace of divers McLeod outclassed Downing and Butler up until the point he was brought down by Butler. It was a definate penalty but I am not sure it was a sending off offence. O'Donnell made a great save when McLeod turned both Downing and Butler at the same time.

Benning and Lalkovich seem to want to cover the same ground on the left going forward. They had a fall out in the first half which is hardly conducive to good teamwork. Benning has done well since he has come in, but hasn't done enough to usurp Taylor from the left back position. Expect Taylor to be back for the next game.

Sawyers played some neat football but the game demanded scrappers due to the weather and certainly after Butler went off. He was too light-weight. I would have pushed Mantom or Chambers into Sawyersposition and brought on Featherstone for him much earlier.

Ngoo doesn't lack in confidence but he needs a few more games to understand the Walsall way. He carried the ball for too long (selfish?) when passing sooner would have been the better option. He could have run onto the return pass facing towrds the goal. I admired his willingness to take the the penalty - afterall he did win it after first nearly getting garroted by his own shirt after some MK oaf swung from it and then getting hacked down seconds later - but maybe he should have left it for Lalkovich. I hope doesn't think he is the 'big I am' because he has come from Liverpool. He certainly cheesed of Lalkovich so I hope is not cheesing everyone else off aswell. He did leave Yeovil before his loan spell was due to end. Was it an attitude issue? I hope not. I would like him to start next time at the expense of Sawyers.

Nice to see McQuilken get an outing. Feel really sorry for him as he hasn't much of a chance to impress. Played some nice neat simple passes that went straight to Walsall feet. Something that was sadly lacking today, where there seemed to be too much hoofball.

Hopefully, this abysmal display was a one-off - influenced by the weather, questionable officiating and a collective bad day at the office.

Finally, It really got my pip with the number of people who got up and left at 70 minutes. Truly embarrassing. Maybe todays game got them a Wolves ticket. :roll:

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 7:51 pm

funk_hits_the_fan wrote:WE NEED A STRIKER!!!


We'd need to create chances first. We didn't today. We didn't do anything right, in area of the pitch today.

Move on. Win at Peterborough.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 8:28 pm

Pedagogue is spot on in his analysis.

I texted Bangsection at half-time to say Robinson 2 - 0 Smith. We'd lost the game before a ball was kicked as a result of the way the two managers set up their respective teams.

Sawyers has looked leggy for weeks, why Smith didn't start with N'Goo is a mystery to me, but it wasn't just personnel it was also shape and tactics that meant that Robinson got it right and Smith got it horribly wrong. On top of that, a lot of our players didn't turn up today, it wasn't a Harlem Globe Trotters type of day and I do sometimes think that our lads think that they are the footballing equivalent. A really really bad day at the office.

I'd ordinarily say well done to the other team too, but can't as it is them. But on the day, the best team won by a scoreline that reflected their superiority and the better manager on the day also won.

Really disappointed to see N'goo and Lalkovic wrestling each other for the ball when we got the pen. Our success is based upon our united spirit and seeing a Chelsea player and Liverpool player wearing our colours squabbling like little kids left a sour taste on a sour day.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 8:55 pm

got what we deserved.

weather was atrocious but they adapted better than us and they looked more hungry.
ref missed a blatant elbow by one of there players on brandy in the 2nd half.

There 1st goal looked offside from where i was sitting. :evil:
2nd did not look a penalty to me :mrgreen:
and the 3rd was the defence were very flat.

bring on the posh

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 9:06 pm

First goal looked bang onside to me. Perfectly timed run on to the end of a delightful through ball and a cheeky finish.
The penalty was stone wall. What was Butler thinking!?
Third goal, superb ball between the two centre halves and excellently finished by McLeod.

No complaints about the result, we failed to cope with the weather. Even with dominating possession in the second half, we created nothing of note. It wasn't helped by the fact both Brandy and Lalkovic failed to stick to their wings making us very narrow.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 9:07 pm

Since when has a bad day at the office become the cliche of choice here?
It was a crap performance on the pitch - seeing McLeod take our central defence to pieces was embarrassing.
The only outfield player who looked remotely interested in competing with the Mongs was Brandy.
Laikovic and Sawyers both badly need a rest.
What makes today's shambles worse is that we had previously put in a good performance against Swindon yet still contrived to throw away two points through wasteful finishing.
Karl Robinson may be a complete knob but he did a number on Smith today.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 9:16 pm

Pedagogue is spot on smith was taught a lesson today

Also agree with pt about the team spirit not good to see Milan shouting at Benning on the left side during the first half.

Benning, purkiss, brandy and now ngoo is a significant number of team changes and to an extent the team spirit will be affected but we need to use the squad with the number of games coming up especially in March interesting to see if the team spirit can be maintained

Thought purkiss did well today and when he moved into the centre I would leave him in there whilst butler is out

I'm sure this will be the worst it gets and I'm still optimistic about the run in

leics_saddler
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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 10:08 pm

This is the trouble with a young team and a young manager.
(and no, I didn't need to be there to see it)

There are certain things you don't do against certain players.
We've been naive in the extreme today to play into McLeod's hands.
He shouldn't have been allowed to have a 1 on 1 in the first place.
Secondly, a player of Butler's experience shouldn't even be thinking about that sort of challenge against him.

It's no good bleating on about the officials or him falling over.
He's been doing it since the year dot, we all know the score.
It's a pity, but there you go.

Next week is a different sort of threat - far more physical.
They've seen us football them to death.
There's no way they'll let us do that at their place in a bog in February.
Over to you Deano....

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 11:18 pm

Its football it happens, your cack some weeks.

I aint worried, still dont think we will finish top 6 but im not really bothered.

Maybe one or two changes might freshen it up though. We are starting to become a little predictable.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 11:22 pm

After today's performance I think certain individuals will have played their last game for Walsall Football Club and I was disappointed that Deano didn't come out and say as much after the match.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sat Feb 08, 2014 11:51 pm

I couldn't go today as I was back in from work too late to make the game, but bangsection - that comment I presume, isn't just off the back of the performance.

If so,

A) Who
B) Why

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JonnyOwen
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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sun Feb 09, 2014 12:14 am

Yep, I wonder who too.

Edit: Wait, I just got it. Major Whoooooooooooooooosh.

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DonningtonSaddler
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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sun Feb 09, 2014 12:20 am

Sadders wrote:I couldn't go today as I was back in from work too late to make the game, but bangsection - that comment I presume, isn't just off the back of the performance.

If so,

A) Who
B) Why


This may help.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news ... -poor-show

Big Dave wfc
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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:24 am

just one of them days were we wouldnt score if we were still playing, felt a bit sorry for benning, hes been in decent form and wasnt helped yesterday by milan who is so maverick and gives him no shield for most the game, westcarr was on a hiding to nothing, you could see after 20 mins he needed more support, sawyers for a big lad hasnt got enough fight in him which is a shame cause there is undoubted talent there, think ngoo has to start at posh with westcarr behind him, milan needs to shape himself up maybe put him to the bench for a game and give hemmings ago.

still think we are in with a fighting chance and i believe even if we dont make play offs the season has been terrific and a top 9/8 finish is a good job well done for very much a team still learning. not to disheartened at all.

uts

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sun Feb 09, 2014 11:01 am

Looking at the table 3 points today would have put us in a great position.Now Peterborough is a mus t win 12 pointer.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sun Feb 09, 2014 12:50 pm

Big Dave wfc wrote:just one of them days were we wouldnt score if we were still playing, felt a bit sorry for benning, hes been in decent form and wasnt helped yesterday by milan who is so maverick and gives him no shield for most the game, westcarr was on a hiding to nothing, you could see after 20 mins he needed more support, sawyers for a big lad hasnt got enough fight in him which is a shame cause there is undoubted talent there, think ngoo has to start at posh with westcarr behind him, milan needs to shape himself up maybe put him to the bench for a game and give hemmings ago.

still think we are in with a fighting chance and i believe even if we dont make play offs the season has been terrific and a top 9/8 finish is a good job well done for very much a team still learning. not to disheartened at all.

uts


Disagree, I would rather stick with Milan no matter how poor he can be on an off day. Hemming's has had so many chances in 18 months to show us what he can do and his good games can be counted on one hand. A pretty expensive bench warmer considering the wages he earns and what he's given back in terms of performances.

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sun Feb 09, 2014 1:59 pm

bangsection wrote:After today's performance I think certain individuals will have played their last game for Walsall Football Club and I was disappointed that Deano didn't come out and say as much after the match.


Strange to hear such an "anger and frustration" response from someone like yourself! :? , We all know that we do not have a squad big enough to take such momentous reprisals against a team that had "a bad day" in terrible conditions. Supporting Gurole Worsul has been this frustrating for as long as I can remember!

Keep Calm an carry on supporting 'em, remember it was only a couple of weeks ago we won 5-1 at Notts County, who today demolished a Very good Coventry side (albeit with a couple of good new recruits) and we were disappointed that we didn't score more!

Football is a funny old game, look at Arsenal yesterday...we'll bounce back, and you never know we might just make a trip to Wembley come early May!

UTS always

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Re: MK Dons (H) League One Sat 8th Feb, 3pm

Sun Feb 09, 2014 2:22 pm

Ancient Moaner wrote:
bangsection wrote:After today's performance I think certain individuals will have played their last game for Walsall Football Club and I was disappointed that Deano didn't come out and say as much after the match.


Strange to hear such an "anger and frustration" response from someone like yourself! :? , We all know that we do not have a squad big enough to take such momentous reprisals against a team that had "a bad day" in terrible conditions. Supporting Gurole Worsul has been this frustrating for as long as I can remember!

Keep Calm an carry on supporting 'em, remember it was only a couple of weeks ago we won 5-1 at Notts County, who today demolished a Very good Coventry side (albeit with a couple of good new recruits) and we were disappointed that we didn't score more!

Football is a funny old game, look at Arsenal yesterday...we'll bounce back, and you never know we might just make a trip to Wembley come early May!

UTS always


If you want to borrow a net, Bangy, let me know. Yours must be bulging full by now :D

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