Let's talk about the Walsall game

[scawsby steve]

   Could anyone honestly say they could see that before their win in the FA cup last week, and we actually have supporters who are not bothered.

We had 1200 fans at Grimsby who were definitely bothered, because that was a league game.

Priorities.

[selby]

  Well we have no excuse now with all the big players we have been missing back by the looks of things, a new manager and new tactical masters at the head.
  Let's hope for better things, Steve we have different priorities I see every competitive game as important as the next whatever the competition, and seeing as the club constantly put forward that they don't project cup finances in the budget, I see them as a free hit and extra revenue for better players, and when your preferences over the last two seasons have resulted in us in division 2, paying out wages to managers and coaches no longer with the club but under contract still, we could do with a bit of extra coin don't you think, and the same players not good enough to keep us in division 1  are the same players constantly getting beaten in cup football unless I am mistaken.

[NickDRFC]

Sorry to interrupt the negativity but team news is in - looks like we’re playing 4 at the back tonight, and rare starts for Woltman & Clayton.

Mitchell
Knoyle
Maxwell
Anderson
Williams
Clayton
Biggins
Close
Rowe
Woltman
Miller

[Chris Black come back]

Walsall haven’t scored more than 1 goal in an away league game this season and on only 1 occasion in the last 14 months have they scored more than 1 league goal away from home. If we score, the stats say we are very highly unlikely to lose. However, we lost last time out to an absolutely appalling side, so who knows.

[Upton Rover]

Walsall haven’t scored more than 1 goal in an away league game this season and on only 1 occasion in the last 14 months have they scored more than 1 league goal away from home. If we score, the stats say we are very highly unlikely to lose. However, we lost last time out to an absolutely appalling side, so who knows.

Got to get a shot on target to score

[since-1969]

I wonder is watching paint dry is more exciting?

[Chris Black come back]

It’s now 20 league games this season and 3 clean sheets. We concede in 85pc of league games. Same story, total inability to keep a clean sheet and put ourselves on back foot always.

In those 20 league games we have only taken the lead on 6 occasions. That’s 70pc of games where we don’t take the initiative.

Almost always concede, rarely score first. Soft touch, easy points. 

[Butchers Red]

Ro Shaun - shockingly bad for both goals I'm afraid.

[Chris Black come back]

Walsall haven’t scored more than 1 goal in an away league game this season and on only 1 occasion in the last 14 months have they scored more than 1 league goal away from home. If we score, the stats say we are very highly unlikely to lose. However, we lost last time out to an absolutely appalling side, so who knows.

That’s only the second time in 26 away league games that Walsall has managed to score more than 1 goal. We are an embarrassing soft touch.

[bpoolrover]

Unfortunately it’s showing once again we should have got a manager that knows what he is doing, the team he picked tonight was nothing short of a joke

[since-1969]

Ro Shaun - shockingly bad for both goals I'm afraid.

it indicative of the way Rovers have been playing . Too slow in possession , clueless tactically when trying to create opportunities. Just not good enough even for L2 .

[Chris Black come back]

I don’t know what the cause of this is, as it dates back long before Schofield. We have had an appalling defensive unit for over two seasons now. Time and again they inflict problems on themselves, lose concentration and just general f**kwittery. This is not about the rest of the team not helping them, this is just ingrained and entrenched rank bad defending from a truly terrible defensive unit, over last four managers now.

[roverstillidie91]

Unfortunately it’s showing once again we should have got a manager that knows what he is doing, the team he picked tonight was nothing short of a joke

In his defence he has come just shy of half way through the season and hasn't had the opportunity to add any additions to the team.

It is fair to say that any new players would have to make some sort of impact and that they would go straight into the first 11.

[roverstillidie91]

I don’t know what the cause of this is, as it dates back long before Schofield. We have had an appalling defensive unit for over two seasons now. Time and again they inflict problems on themselves, lose concentration and just general f**kwittery. This is not about the rest of the team not helping them, this is just ingrained and entrenched rank bad defending from a truly terrible defensive unit, over last four managers now.

Well pointed out we have been on the decline since DM left, DS needs time to try and rebuild.

It would be nice to try and force our way back into League One but looks unlikely at the moment, for each additional season in L2 it will be harder to get out.

Especially with Wrexham inevitably getting out of the NL

[swain_drfc]

I don’t know what the cause of this is, as it dates back long before Schofield. We have had an appalling defensive unit for over two seasons now. Time and again they inflict problems on themselves, lose concentration and just general f**kwittery. This is not about the rest of the team not helping them, this is just ingrained and entrenched rank bad defending from a truly terrible defensive unit, over last four managers now.

The cause is the board. They are are the one consistent throughout and they are the ones that hire staff into the club that are cheap and basically useless.

[bpoolrover]

There is no defence playing maxwell left midfield and leaving hurst out, he has took the little pace we have in the team and left it on the bench, woltman has had 2 decent half since he got here, just play Tommy Rowe behind Miller

[since-1969]

Unfortunately it’s showing once again we should have got a manager that knows what he is doing, the team he picked tonight was nothing short of a joke

Performances most weeks from the squad have looked lethargic and without desire to compete and results don’t lie !!

[Chris Black come back]

God only knows how we solve this but we’ve got such a car crash of a squad. A load of very old players, and a mish mash of lads only united by an ability to show any fight or desire to take on and dominate opponents.

[StocksArmy]

Personally id like answers as to how Ro Shaun Williams gets a shirt. Up there with the worst ive seen at the club.

[Chris Black come back]

Only second time Walsall have won away from home in league in 18 games. Their first away league win since 6 August.

[Pside]

Appalling again tonight. Team selection baffling.  Ro Shaun being RO Shaun. No intensity. No guts. No determination. No idea. Probably write this season off as I think we need too many player (that we won’t get) in Jan to turn this around

[eastender]

Donavan Daniels won't have an easier game all season.

[Chris Black come back]

Zooming out from this typically poor performance, look at what has happened the last few seasons.

We’ve gone from League One promotion contenders where our managers were deemed to be desirable by bigger clubs so they left us, to now where we are in a frankly worrying situation of cycling through managers regularly having to sack them due to terrible results, to now playing as absolute also rans in League Two, the lowest professional tier.

How has it come to this? We’ve blinked and gone from League One respectability to an unstable mess in League Two, in only a few short seasons.

[Chris Black come back]

And we’ve been bypassed and embarrassed by clubs with resources not materially different to our own - Rotherham, Peterborough, Lincoln, to name a few. We’ve pissed away a lot of money on absolute rubbish and are now bang average mid-table League Two, playing largely bad football and with pretty much no saleable assets.

[Chris Black come back]

Final point, I’ve no idea whether Schofield is the guy to turn this around as he’s not been here nearly long enough.

However, he has an absolutely massive job on his hands as this club and this team is in a death spiral of making exactly the same mistakes and demonstrating the exact same weaknesses whoever is the manager - total lack of fight, desire or backbone, absolutely risible defensive unit, zero dynamism or pace, and a general willingness to accept mediocrity and defeat with a shrug of the shoulders.

These all appear to be engrained in the club as whoever is in charge we see the same dross again and again.

[since-1969]

Zooming out from this typically poor performance, look at what has happened the last few seasons.

We’ve gone from League One promotion contenders where our managers were deemed to be desirable by bigger clubs so they left us, to now where we are in a frankly worrying situation of cycling through managers regularly having to sack them due to terrible results, to now playing as absolute also rans in League Two, the lowest professional tier.

How has it come to this? We’ve blinked and gone from League One respectability to an unstable mess in League Two, in only a few short seasons.

Our decline over recent seasons has been debated so many times on here that it’s now become just become a casual conversation like talking about the weather ! Everybody knows it’s raining but just hope it’s sunnier tomorrow!

[Branton Red]

I'm afraid questions must start to be asked in regards to the manager.

5 at the back and 1 lonesome, isolated centre forward is not working.

The players are simply not good enough to play the slow tempo, patient, possession football he seems to be instructing.

I had hoped the 2 week break would mean a reassessment of approach, tactics and formation.

I was encouraged at the teamsheet as it suggested a move to 4 at the back, but no not the case and our most creative player is wasted at left centre-half.

In the end it was same old; same old with no attempt to change things to cause them problems till we were behind in the game.

Yes he's inherited poor players, but the tactical approach is poor as well.

[Padge_DRFC]

Zooming out from this typically poor performance, look at what has happened the last few seasons.

We’ve gone from League One promotion contenders where our managers were deemed to be desirable by bigger clubs so they left us, to now where we are in a frankly worrying situation of cycling through managers regularly having to sack them due to terrible results, to now playing as absolute also rans in League Two, the lowest professional tier.

How has it come to this? We’ve blinked and gone from League One respectability to an unstable mess in League Two, in only a few short seasons.

Our decline over recent seasons has been debated so many times on here that it’s now become just become a casual conversation like talking about the weather ! Everybody knows it’s raining but just hope it’s sunnier tomorrow!

Losing football matches and playing crap has become normal and expected. Real shame everything John Ryan did has been chucked away.

[since-1969]

Zooming out from this typically poor performance, look at what has happened the last few seasons.

We’ve gone from League One promotion contenders where our managers were deemed to be desirable by bigger clubs so they left us, to now where we are in a frankly worrying situation of cycling through managers regularly having to sack them due to terrible results, to now playing as absolute also rans in League Two, the lowest professional tier.

How has it come to this? We’ve blinked and gone from League One respectability to an unstable mess in League Two, in only a few short seasons.

Our decline over recent seasons has been debated so many times on here that it’s now become just become a casual conversation like talking about the weather ! Everybody knows it’s raining but just hope it’s sunnier tomorrow!

Losing football matches and playing crap has become normal and expected. Real shame everything John Ryan did has been chucked away.

100% true !!

[bobbymax]

Personally id like answers as to how Ro Shaun Williams gets a shirt. Up there with the worst ive seen at the club.

Suffice to say, if that useless so-and-so is on the teamsheet for the next home game, I'm walking straight back out. He's an absolute liability and has been since day one!