Rochdale Away

[Sadders]

4 down.

Stick this under the 'off night' for everyone, management, reliable players normally, an injury list and Dale who are a good bet to steal 6th place currently. They put 5 past Crewe, 4 away at Crawley. The big question for Smith is, when can he get Mantom - Cook - Chambers - Bradshaw - Manset - Forde all on the pitch and all fit. That's what will define this season.

Strange result for Burton.

O'Connor sounds like he has been completely abysmal.

[Sadsfan]

Butler og, glad he returned to shore up the defence! :lol:

[BarnsleySaddler]

Butler`s got in on the act, trouble is wrong end now 0-4 down.

[wednesburysaddler]

im not there but i am going with my mate to gills saturday
we maybe the only 2 there!!!

this been coming for a while maybe this will force some changes of some sort
i look forward to the excuses tonight

[boringteacher]

complete and utter barclays

[IHTC.]

barclays

[deldras]

loffable :oops:

[BathSaddler]

In a bit of positive news, Alex Nicholls scores tonight for Exeter.

[stig231]

Men against boys no doubt and the injury list just gets longer and longer.

A club like ours is in no position to have 4 key players out and expect to get something from a match like this.

Eh? An away game at a team promoted into our league, who haven't won a home game this season.

Last time I looked it was Rochdale, not Real Rochdale.

Adam Chambers and Bradshaw I'll give you, although Bradshaw has been replaced tonight by Manset who Smith spent the best of a month chasing to get.

This is still Smith's first choice back 4 and goalie though.

[IHTC.]

This will be a 4 or 5 page thread I can tell.

Depends if Rochdale stop scoring and we stop saying ffs :lol:

[paddy]

I think the fat lady's clearing her throat. Surely smith doesn't have long left?

Every other team seems to be sacking there manager after losing 6 or 7 games

[yoda]

We shouldn't expect anything from Rochdale away? Jesus, that's a depressing line of thought.

[m&m]

Only Bradshaw of the summer signings is up to L1 level football.
The untouchable one has got it all wrong.

[Sadders]

Very poop. This is the 3rd time Dale have scored 4 this season, the best in the football league. They have momentum and we clearly haven't got off the coach, have got injuries all over the show and our normally good defence has had an off night - O'Connor in particular who has sounded pathetic. We move on. Some horror results around for teams tonight. Burton, Sheffield United, Dons, Hartlepool, Cambridge, Bournemouth.

Everyone needs to get behind the team. Saturday showed us how we can perform and I can forgive games like tonight easily as a one off, it's not like we concede 4 goals regularly is it? It's been a 6 game tally for about 2 years. If we start conceding goals all over the shop with a fit team, then fine - Smith can go.

Any fan that enjoyed Saturday and is calling for Smith out now after another 2 INJURIES were added to his list then you are clueless and I'd like to purchase you a season ticket down the custard bowl in the hope you don't surface on here again.

[stig231]

4 down.

Stick this under the 'off night' for everyone, management, reliable players normally, an injury list and Dale who are a good bet to steal 6th place currently. They put 5 past Crewe, 4 away at Crawley. The big question for Smith is, when can he get Mantom - Cook - Chambers - Bradshaw - Manset - Forde all on the pitch and all fit. That's what will define this season.

Strange result for Burton.

O'Connor sounds like he has been completely abysmal.

Cant ever see Smith picking all those when fit, Sawyers will start and he signed Cook as a striker not a wide player

Not sure O'Connor been that bad from the commentary , Downing has been at fault/skinned for at least 2 of the goals but as O'Connor seems to be the defensive boo boy at the moment its all his fault then!

[yoda]

Is it a UTS rule to call someone a name for having a different view to yourself? Why has everyone that doesn't think the same got to be 'an idiot' or 'clueless' or 'a wolves fan'?

I'm all for Smith but I don't feel the need to be so oppressive about it.

[TheSwift]

4 down.

Stick this under the 'off night' for everyone, management, reliable players normally, an injury list and Dale who are a good bet to steal 6th place currently. They put 5 past Crewe, 4 away at Crawley. The big question for Smith is, when can he get Mantom - Cook - Chambers - Bradshaw - Manset - Forde all on the pitch and all fit. That's what will define this season.

Strange result for Burton.

O'Connor sounds like he has been completely abysmal.

Cant ever see Smith picking all those when fit, Sawyers will start and he signed Cook as a striker not a wide player

Not sure O'Connor been that bad from the commentary , Downing has been at fault/skinned for at least 2 of the goals but as O'Connor seems to be the defensive boo boy at the moment its all his fault then!

Despite this, it lists Cook as a Midfielder on the OS. I would hope Smith has/will have a u turn on the decision to sign him as striker.

[BathSaddler]

Men against boys no doubt and the injury list just gets longer and longer.

A club like ours is in no position to have 4 key players out and expect to get something from a match like this.

Eh? An away game at a team promoted into our league, who haven't won a home game this season.

Last time I looked it was Rochdale, not Real Rochdale.

Adam Chambers and Bradshaw I'll give you, although Bradshaw has been replaced tonight by Manset who Smith spent the best of a month chasing to get.

This is still Smith's first choice back 4 and goalie though.

Rochdale have had some decent results, and score goals. One look at our line up tonight in midfield and upfront and it does not take Nostradamus to see that we were going to struggle to get the ball and be outmuscled in midfield. No disrespect to the likes of Clifford and Flanagan, who are decent footballers, but they were always going to find it difficult tonight.

[IHTC.]

Is it a UTS rule to call someone a name for having a different view to yourself? Why has everyone that doesn't think the same got to be 'an idiot' or 'clueless' or 'a wolves fan'?

I'm all for Smith but I don't feel the need to be an oppressive douche about it.

Yes especially if they are losing the argument.

[BathSaddler]

We shouldn't expect anything from Rochdale away? Jesus, that's a depressing line of thought.

Rochdale are pretty decent this season to be fair. But yes, it is a depressing line of thought.

[IHTC.]

Very poop. This is the 3rd time Dale have scored 4 this season, the best in the football league. They have momentum and we clearly haven't got off the coach, have got injuries all over the show and our normally good defence has had an off night - O'Connor in particular who has sounded pathetic. We move on. Some horror results around for teams tonight. Burton, Sheffield United, Dons, Hartlepool, Cambridge, Bournemouth.

Everyone needs to get behind the team. Saturday showed us how we can perform and I can forgive games like tonight easily as a one off, it's not like we concede 4 goals regularly is it? It's been a 6 game tally for about 2 years. If we start conceding goals all over the shop with a fit team, then fine - Smith can go.

Any fan that enjoyed Saturday and is calling for Smith out now after another 2 INJURIES were added to his list then you are clueless and I'd like to purchase you a season ticket down the custard bowl in the hope you don't surface on here again.

Why is the Sheff United score a horror result?

[Sadders]

Is it a UTS rule to call someone a name for having a different view to yourself? Why has everyone that doesn't think the same got to be 'an idiot' or 'clueless' or 'a wolves fan'?

I'm all for Smith but I don't feel the need to be so oppressive about it.

There's plenty worse to be called. The modern day football fan is a fickle fan. SMITH IN after we beat Preston and 3 days later, we lose to a team away from home who have momentum, have scored 4 and 5 already away from home this season on a strange set of results for a Tuesday, gain 2 injuries to key and vital players and it's SMITH OUT - FAT LADY IS SINGING - MY WORD SMITHS SIGNED NON LEAGUE PLAYERS.

Bullshit hysteria and it winds me up. Smith isn't a managerial genius after Saturday and then handed his P45 3 days later.

That wasn't aimed at you Yoda, just the general consensus.

[Sadders]

Very poop. This is the 3rd time Dale have scored 4 this season, the best in the football league. They have momentum and we clearly haven't got off the coach, have got injuries all over the show and our normally good defence has had an off night - O'Connor in particular who has sounded pathetic. We move on. Some horror results around for teams tonight. Burton, Sheffield United, Dons, Hartlepool, Cambridge, Bournemouth.

Everyone needs to get behind the team. Saturday showed us how we can perform and I can forgive games like tonight easily as a one off, it's not like we concede 4 goals regularly is it? It's been a 6 game tally for about 2 years. If we start conceding goals all over the shop with a fit team, then fine - Smith can go.

Any fan that enjoyed Saturday and is calling for Smith out now after another 2 INJURIES were added to his list then you are clueless and I'd like to purchase you a season ticket down the custard bowl in the hope you don't surface on here again.

Why is the Sheff United score a horror result?

They were 2-0 down with 5 minutes left.

Awaits a cocky response on they won because they can score or something along those lines....

Yeah, they also have a fit squad, were playing a poo side and a manager who can spend £4k a week on centre backs and loan them out.... just in advance.

[yoda]

I've noticed it for a while, but I thought you were implying anyone that wanted Smith out (a reasonable view even though i dont agree) should never return to a Walsall forum which I found quite alarming.

I guess your right, its probably an ongoing thing that I've missed.

[m&m]

Sorry can't agree with you Sadders.
Saturday was some light relief but as it proves only papering over the cracks.

[Sadders]

I've noticed it for a while, but I thought you were implying anyone that wanted Smith out (a reasonable view even though i dont agree) should never return to a Walsall forum which I found quite alarming.

I guess your right, its probably an ongoing thing that I've missed.

Nope, people who pay the money can have any opinion they like, it's one of the great things about this country. However, when people are lapping up the love on Saturday evening, but demanding Smith out 3 days later - it truly riles me. If the situation wasn't annoying enough, the opposition are actually A) Decent and B) We had another 2 KEY injuries, not just Morris or Kinsella - KEY. Put it into another persecptive. If I offered you Friday night - a 4-0 home defeat to Preston without Bradshaw and Chambers, then a 3-1 win at Dale 3 days later - would everyone have taken it? Definetely IMO.

Point from Gillingham on Saturday and it's been a satisfactory week, at least.

[Sadsfan]

4 points from 9? A less than 50% return, is that really that great? I said well done to SMith on Saturday after the win - but I don't think anyone said that Smith should still stay, it was just a good performance, and we did well without Chambers in the second half and no-one was bemoaning the loss of him then.

[m&m]

I've noticed it for a while, but I thought you were implying anyone that wanted Smith out (a reasonable view even though i dont agree) should never return to a Walsall forum which I found quite alarming.

I guess your right, its probably an ongoing thing that I've missed.

Nope, people who pay the money can have any opinion they like, it's one of the great things about this country. However, when people are lapping up the love on Saturday evening, but demanding Smith out 3 days later - it truly riles me. If the situation wasn't annoying enough, the opposition are actually A) Decent and B) We had another 2 KEY injuries, not just Morris or Kinsella - KEY. Put it into another persecptive. If I offered you Friday night - a 4-0 home defeat to Preston without Bradshaw and Chambers, then a 3-1 win at Dale 3 days later - would everyone have taken it? Definetely IMO.

Point from Gillingham on Saturday and it's been a satisfactory week, at least.

Just out of interest Sadders at what point will you be calling for the untouchable ones head? Another 5 winless games? ten? More?

[stig231]

Sadders, I'm all for your 'everyone needs to get behind the team' mentality but they have to give us something to get behind. On Saturday they did, so we got behind them.

Ok the result may have been a one off tonight but the performance isn't. It is happening far too often. We go one down and we look beat, teams have sussed that now cos they are pretty sure we ain't gonna score twice.

Honestly, how many good performances have we had this season? and then go back to January? It is not many.

Just because you enjoyed Saturday doesn't mean you can't call for Smith out , but I can see exactly where they are coming from.

Personally, I think he has earned the right to a few more games at least and Saturday showed that there is potential in this team/squad and I think we will improve when our injured players become fit. But this seems an increasingly optimistic view after performances like tonight.

Mick Kearns in commentary said we are trying to play a football match and they are trying to win a football match and that seems to sum us up more and more under Smith.

Smith has been manager for 3 and half years, got to be getting on for nearly 200 games. He aint a rookie any more.

[Sadders]

From Preston at home, Gills and Dale away. 4 points is a perfectly good return, perfectly realistic.

We are Walsall, not Arsenal. We've overachieved on tiny crowds with a cack budget. We've been here since 06/07 - bigger and better teams have gone down. Eventually the old 'budget pyramid' comes into effect and gets everyone. Seriously. Add injuries into that and we have even less of a chance.

m&m.

Smith has until Christmas for me, UNLESS we start losing by 3 or 4 each week or get cast adrift by say 5-8 or more points. I'd be more open to giving him longer if the injury list doesn't improve. Just to clarify, was it the Ricoh we conceded 4 or more at last? So yeah, almost 2 years ago. Hardly a defensive sinking ship crisis is it? Look at Carlisle, Northampton, Bristol Rovers, Hartlepool etc - all similar clubs to us, probably with bigger or slightly bigger budgets than us.

It can always be much, much worse and it very realistically can be.


Questions to the Smith out bunch.

1) Who comes in and does better at this point? Injuries? Small budget left? Months until the transfer window?

2) If Smith leaves and we change philosophy - what happens to the current squad? We can't get rid of them.

3) If Smith leave does Butler want to stay? Does Taylor want to be here? He signed Bradshaw and he's been great to Mantom...


Grass is rarely greener on the other side in Football...ask Butler, Brandy, Cuvelier, Grigg themselves.