Match Thread - Walsall (A)

Quoted from grimps

Over the last 10-15 years we’ve always been late singing players in the close season

Could explain why we have been excrement for last 10-15 years, can't we sign footballers instead of singers FFS

Quoted from grimps

Over the last 10-15 years we’ve always been late singing players in the close season

This is probably because the club where penny pinching as usual and wont sign players untill the last minute to save wages . And that costs us points from lack of fitness and of playing together

We’re well undercooked fitness wise and that showed today as the mid field where chasing most of the game.

Good stuff.....

The lads worked hard and never gave up I don’t think anyone had a shocker but indeed nobody stood out.

Bad stuff.....

From dead ball situations really clueless, in the last 3rd we looked very weak.

Walsall looked just about ready for the first league game we looked like we where ready to play the first pre season friendly versus decent opposition.

We can’t afford one but we desperately need a ball player in mid field and a proper number 10.

Seen enough to tell me we’ll not really struggle but it will be a really mixed bag week in week out.

UTM!!

Not sure I was watching the same game.  Not much to write home about.  The midfield was practically absent.  Edwards did well the first half but in the second he just kept running the ball into touch.  Matt Green was having a good game but then was substituted - I really couldn't work that out.  Where's Max Wright?

I don't like the fitness excuse.  The team knew when the season would start.  Besides that a soldier doesn't compromise on his fitness because there's no war. The players are paid to keep fit. Morecambe looked fitter than us and so did Walsall.  They have had the same limitations as we had.  It's simply not good enough.

I really hate myself for saying this but I don’t give a fook about this season. First game of the season I’m there . Doesn’t matter where . I’m there . Not this year . Didn’t even look at the score till half time. Bit gutted to see Walsall had scored but not that bothered like usual . Was hoping we’d get the equaliser but not that bothered we didn’t.
Football without fans is just sh.ite  . We are football and without fans it’s just a non event .

Quoted from Mayaman

Not sure I was watching the same game.  Not much to write home about.  The midfield was practically absent.  Edwards did well the first half but in the second he just kept running the ball into touch.  Matt Green was having a good game but then was substituted - I really couldn't work that out.  Where's Max Wright?

I don't like the fitness excuse.  The team knew when the season would start.  Besides that a soldier doesn't compromise on his fitness because there's no war. The players are paid to keep fit. Morecambe looked fitter than us and so did Walsall.  They have had the same limitations as we had.  It's simply not good enough.

Injured, could be out for a couple of months according to IH.

I thought we looked terrible. Could be a long boring season in lower mid-table (14th-18th). We definitely need a younger, more mobile striker with experience.

Don't know what match people were watching but I find it hard to draw many positives from that,passing was awful,mid field lightweight and overrun ,there was no join up plan of attack,very lucky to only concede one.Badly missed Hansen,going to be a very long season,we need experienced mid fielder who can win the ball and create attacks.Think it is going to be a very long season.

It may only be the first game but it was hard to find a positive, we hit the post in the last minute but other than that it wasn’t great.

My worry is, how long are we going to bleat on about not being fit, having a fragmented pre season and the like? By the time we’re up to speed we’ll have been cut adrift...

Every other club has been in a similar situation, yet they all seemed to cope. I’d say Walsall and Morecambe both seemed to have a consistent level of fitness throughout the match whereas we were dead on our feet after an hour. Again, we’ve heard snippets to suggest that players brought in are still a long way from the first team, why is that? We brought on a 15 year old lad when we were chasing the game. Fair play to the lad but are we in danger of killing him off too?

The negativity and acceptance and excuse making is symptomatic of the leadership of the club. We hear nothing positive and that begins to cascade. I believe 100% the playing staff want to win but blaming a lack of fitness can’t simply be the excuse for a few weeks.

We lacked any idea up front and the bright spark up there was taken off. Scannell looks decent, the centre half pairing wasn’t excrement but even as someone who is often critical of Waterfall can see that he and Pollock are a much better pairing.

We can moan about a ball playing midi fielder but aside from Embleton and Nolan I’m not sure we’ve had one for a while.

This season is gonna be odd to say the least and we can’t predict what will happen. Some are saying they’re not bothered, that’s fine but does that mean you’re happy to finish bottom and go out of the league back in to the abyss? Just being happy we exist isn’t enough. The season has started and we have to take it serious.

Next week won’t be easy either, let’s hope they put the hours and effort in in training and come up with a plan, something that appeared to be lacking yesterday.

Not bothered