Rochdale (H) League One, 2 Jan 3pm

[coop63]

Simply hopeless all over the pitch today....

It was like watching a training game between two totally unmatched sides - they must have thought it felt like it too the way we played

Outplayed
Outclassed
Outfought
Outthought

Out Whitney - nuff said

[coop63]

When your midfield is a left winger playing on the right, and central midfielder playing on the left and a right back playing in the middle what do we expect.

Jackson is a waste of space, with his back to goal he is terrible. We need to play to his strengths but when you set up with the midfield above where are the all for him to run onto going to come from? Ahh yes our creative force is sat on the bench!

Am I the only one who thinks Laird can't defend?

Our best player currently is Osborne and he can't manage more than 3 games in a row.

Whitney has bought players to play in Smith's formation realised that they don't work and is shoe horning them into a different formation.

He thought Bakayoko never lost a header all match, Christ he must have had his eyes closed! This is what 2017 will look a lot like down the Banks's unless changes are made, be that squad and/or management.

Oh and Frank Moussa......words fail me!

Agree with every point bar the one about Laird - he can defend but needs some quality around him for it to be effective - there lies the problem, we simply don't have the quality needed to play against well organised sides like Rochdale.. they simply outplayed us today and at times looked to have 2 or 3 more players on the pitch than us..

I'm afraid JW is talking poo again and needs a reality check before he opens his mouth

[Cowshed]

Whitney on wm - apparantley the new phrase for hoofball is ' beat the press''

Love it

Gulf in class was on the benches between Keith hill and Whitney

Oh and what has Jackson got on whitney

[Walsallone]

We were well beaten by a very good ,competent team. Our best move of the season was marred by the worst miss of the season. If that had been scored who knows what would have happened. I thought McCarthy played well and would give some credit to the Centre Backs but the rest were very poor. I would have made more changes to start with to give us some fresh legs which we really needed in the second half. Poor use of the substitutes didn't help either but some times you have to admit the opposition were better.
The next 2 weeks are crucial and lets hope we use the window well. UTS

[Walsallone]

Also sorry even I cannot be positive AM about today!!!!

[Ancient Moaner]

Also sorry even I cannot be positive AM about today!!!!

I know mate, it can get pretty bad watching this lot. My last two matches were away at Rochdale & Fleetwood, I like many, came away looking for a razor blade (safety of course :lol: ) with which to slit my wrists.

Sorry to admit that my pre season belief that this would be a good season, with a good squad, have been well and truly shot down in flames!

I probably will go to Bury, cus it's only half an hour uptheroadabit, but truly can't be arsed any longer to make the effort to watch 'em at the Bezza. Copy and paste that sentiment and you have a drop in attendances that may well prompt Bonser to act in time for next season.

[m&m]

After a few hours to reflect today's performance was abysmal. I agree with those who said we lost to the better side but we created nothing in the second half whilst losing the game.
Up against a coach as good as Keith Hill JW is clueless.
I can only remember one save the keeper made from a poor Flo effort in the first half?
Having been hammered by them a few weeks earlier he learnt nothing for the return game.
We simply are not good enough. So much for JWs big impact signings with special mention to Fat Franck who after his lack of effort today should never wear the shirt again.
We missed Osbourne today and hope he's back for Sheff Utd.
If I were JB I certainly would not give JW the 8 to 8.5 hundred K that is in the kitty to spend if you believe the clubs pledge on transfer fees.

[reedswood sadler]

Simply hopeless all over the pitch today....

It was like watching a training game between two totally unmatched sides - they must have thought it felt like it too the way we played

Outplayed
Outclassed
Outfought
Outthought

Out Whitney - nuff said

Post sums up the match in a few words not a lot more to say.
We are a side who (on paper )a talented squad playing utter rubbish led by a manager with no ideas and living in la la land, according t JW our plan was working a plan what plan??

[King Crimson]

Terrible.

Why play two up front with two largely defensive midfielders behind them?

Edwards is hopeless. Truly hopeless.

I disagree that Rochdale are a good side. They're functional at this level, but really nothing special. But today that calibre of side was more than enough to win the game comfortably.

Not the best £23 I've ever spent.

[SoccerHQ]

Including today they've won 7/8 league one games going back to early November.

Edit:

Infact going back to September 17th they've won 14/18. :shock: Haven't drawn a game since 10th September.

All here:

http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd ... bs=results

[coop63]

Terrible.

Why play two up front with two largely defensive midfielders behind them?

Edwards is hopeless. Truly hopeless.

I disagree that Rochdale are a good side. They're functional at this level, but really nothing special. But today that calibre of side was more than enough to win the game comfortably.

Not the best £23 I've ever spent.

Sorry KC but have to disagree about Rochdale, yes they are effective or functional as you put it (very bloody effective today!) but their results this season surely reflect that they ARE a good team against what they are playing week in week out..

They are strong, well set up and ran rings around us all over the pitch today - I'd love to see stats on how many of their passes failed to connect to a Dale player - they looked excellent at winning and keeping possession... we on the other hand weren't!

[saddlertd]

We were well beaten by a good Rochdale side. The difference between the two teams was massive: The "Dale" looked well-balanced, pressed as a team, played a lot of dangerous crosses into our box and carried a goal threat - we were the exact opposite, totally inept. Etheridge flapped at the cross for the first goal, Moussa was at fault (twice) for the second goal and he did naff all when he came on. Bakajoko was powderpuff and hardly won a header and his Miss in the first half was comical. I'm not sure what Jackson adds and he shouldn't be in the side in place of Ozzy. We need 3 players and quick: a dominant centre-half, a goal scorer and a decent winger. If we could offload Moussa, Jackson and Toner then that would be good. Perhaps it's time to give Makris a go: move Bakajoko wide left and play Makris through the middle - he can't do any worse.

[Bristol Fan]

It was very dispiriting because even though in general play we didn't seem that bad, we created so little and they could have scored more. I guess it could have been different (well, it obviously would have been different) if Bakayoko had scored that chance, but I would imagine we'd still have lost.

Everything is wrong. Defending set pieces we left their tallest player, their biggest aerial threat, Calvin Andrew, unmarked at the far post, with this utterly bizarre hand-holding routine we did. We're playing a flat 4-4-2 with a right-footed player on the left of midfield and a left-footed player on the right, meaning that even if they by some miracle beat the defender they can't cross it, so the only possibility of getting the ball to the strikers is lumping it up or looking for a killer through-ball. And the player most likely to find a killer through-ball is sitting on the bench. The two in the centre of midfield are just destroyers but now we're playing with no number 10 they've not got that pass on, so all they can do is hit it backwards or to one of the "wingers" who aren't really wingers. When we've got the ball at the back, the two strikers are standing a foot from each other, so when Bakayoko flicks it on (which happens quite often) it goes harmlessly away from any of our players.

It's awful. I've never seen us play this badly before when we've had a squad of this quality. Can't really be bothered to go to matches now, it's so irritating watching us be so clueless.

[SoccerHQ]

Funny game Football....that Baka miss was truly terrible, similar to the Morris one at Swindon.

He scores that, it's 1-0.

12 times I think Walsall have taken the lead in games this season in the league.

Yet to lose.

[Guest]

Winless in five home games...

https://youtu.be/S04xKpXvZq4

[canadiansaddler]

Hereford v Evesham Attendance 4402

Walsall v Rochdale Attendance 4667

Says a lot

[Whitters]

Thanks for that guest.
Fine margins innit?
You'd hope Baka wouldn't miss a chance like that ever again in his career.
You'd hope the defence wouldn't faff around like that ever again either.

[Guest]

Thanks for that guest.
Fine margins innit?
You'd hope Baka wouldn't miss a chance like that ever again in his career.
You'd hope the defence wouldn't faff around like that ever again either.

You're welcome.

Yes, you would think Baka just might have scored from that position, and our 'new, improved' defence should indeed have done better. Unfortunately, I can see it happening again.

[scott_powell]

Past caring. Whitney needs to go. fudge fraud of a manager.

[WFC_Rob]

the only possibility of getting the ball to the strikers is lumping it up or looking for a killer through-ball. And the player most likely to find a killer through-ball is sitting on the bench. The two in the centre of midfield are just destroyers but now we're playing with no number 10 they've not got that pass on, so all they can do is hit it backwards or to one of the "wingers" who aren't really wingers. When we've got the ball at the back, the two strikers are standing a foot from each other, so when Bakayoko flicks it on (which happens quite often) it goes harmlessly away from any of our players.

Yes, this pretty much sums up where the problems lie. It's almost as though Whitney's inability to choose between Bakayoko and Jackson as his central striker means everything else has collapsed behind. There's no link between the back four and the front two because everything across the middle is set up to stop the opposition and very little else.

I don't agree with your earlier comment that we didn't seem that bad in general play though. I thought we were woeful on the ball and every pass seemed rushed. Yes, that was partly due to how good Rochdale are at pressing, but nobody even tried to put their foot on the ball and pick a pass until Oztumer came on, which meant it felt like one-way traffic from the second their first goal went in.

[Ancient Moaner]

It was very dispiriting because even though in general play we didn't seem that bad, we created so little and they could have scored more. I guess it could have been different (well, it obviously would have been different) if Bakayoko had scored that chance, but I would imagine we'd still have lost.

Everything is wrong. Defending set pieces we left their tallest player, their biggest aerial threat, Calvin Andrew, unmarked at the far post, with this utterly bizarre hand-holding routine we did. We're playing a flat 4-4-2 with a right-footed player on the left of midfield and a left-footed player on the right, meaning that even if they by some miracle beat the defender they can't cross it, so the only possibility of getting the ball to the strikers is lumping it up or looking for a killer through-ball. And the player most likely to find a killer through-ball is sitting on the bench. The two in the centre of midfield are just destroyers but now we're playing with no number 10 they've not got that pass on, so all they can do is hit it backwards or to one of the "wingers" who aren't really wingers. When we've got the ball at the back, the two strikers are standing a foot from each other, so when Bakayoko flicks it on (which happens quite often) it goes harmlessly away from any of our players.

It's awful. I've never seen us play this badly before when we've had a squad of this quality. Can't really be bothered to go to matches now, it's so irritating watching us be so clueless.

Therein lies the rub, how many more of us (as I mentioned previously) are thinking similarly? Yesterday probably less than 4K home support, bearing witness to utter ineptness, does this dirge make any of us want to come back again?
Quite honestly I can forsee the home match against the Blades being a duplicate of the match at Bury where there were more away supporters in the stadium than home! :?
Feel sure that the board are not daft (well they shouldn't be, but who knows?) they are businessmen, and will realise sooner or later that this utter dirge on the pitch, supposedly portrayed as football, will see gates fall away drastically. Are we to see gates of the faithful 3K again quite soon?
Bonser should take a long hard look at Whitney's position. We may, hopefully, escape relegation this season, but should we have to continue to witness such an appalling imitation of our beloved game being played out by crud in our holy Walsall shirts, by players who couldn't care a damn, just because weem Worsul and that's the way it is? :roll:

[Barren Flak]

Turgid.

A complete lack of swift composure anywhere on the pitch yesterday. Playing passes to offside positions, panic in front of goal, playing crosses without looking up, caught in possession in promising spaces.

Forward play needs better coaching and guidance.

And a plan, other than that to try and nullify the opposition's main threats, may help.