❔Score, scorers and attendance predictions v Walsall [H] 09.12.2023 [EFL L2]

[drillerpie]

Well that was a really worrying performance, by some distance the worst of the season, putting the 10 man Sutton one aside. Walsall were absolute sh!te, they should have been put to bed in the first 45.

No attacking fluidity, constantly kicking it out under little pressure, other than Jones all our good attacking players might as well have stayed at home.

And the substitutions were dire. Why are we giving minutes to Gosling, we’ve got youth lads who are better than him. And JOB for that matter, time he retired.

Harsh on JoB I think, he was crap today but generally has been decent since he has been starting games. He does try difficult passes of a forward persuasion more often than the other midfielders.

What Gosling brings or is supposed to bring is a mystery. Hopefully there will be a revelation after 10 games like with Bostock, but it's not looking great.

[drillerpie]

I'm also bound to say, if Tiernan Brooks is ever going to get his chance in the first team then now is the moment, because Stone and Slocombe as senior keepers are offering no reason to keep him out.

That is a good point.

[jackal2]

PS. Richard Brindley - come in No.2, your time is up.

[maddogslater]

Baffled by the multi subs, just made us into a disjointed rabble and lost us any chance of salvaging anything from the game.
More worrying is player's ranting at each other and Stone letting that first effort in.

[Thordardaughter]

Baffled by the multi subs, just made us into a disjointed rabble and lost us any chance of salvaging anything from the game.
More worrying is player's ranting at each other and Stone letting that first effort in.

Yes it appeared like Luke had told them to just run around. Not much structure before the subs came on an even less once they were on.

[Davy500]

Multiple subs tells me - LW knew something had to be changed - but in reality had no ide what Plan B was - so just made multiple subs in the hope something would work - it didnt

[durhampie]

Multiple subs tells me - LW knew something had to be changed - but in reality had no ide what Plan B was - so just made multiple subs in the hope something would work - it didnt

Clueless, i think is the answer to that one. He talks a brilliant story, but thats as far as it gets... There is so much wrong at the moment with the team, beginning with keeper, the defence, unnecessary substitutions, and taking the wrong players off... We no longer seem to have a midfield capable of providing decent balls to Macca. All we seem to be concerned about is passing backwards and causing mayhem in our own area... We are shoehorning players into positions that they are not capable of doing.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

I will defend the team and the players generally but the result today was really disappointing and based on the second half performance we got what we deserved as we simply were not good enough all over the park.

The second half today was the worst performance in at least 18 months for me and the standards were nowhere near the level of the Notts County that we have all come to know and love under LW.

It was another game like Shrewsbury where Walsall did not look any better than us but once again it was our own poor performance rather than how well Walsall played that cost us the game.

The first half we had some chances and going in 1-0 up at half time at home gave us something to build on in the second half. All it needed was that second goal and we probably could have gone on and won it.

I don’t know if it’s me but when we concede we seem to concede again not long after. It’s like it knocks us and then we struggle and then get knocked again and it all becomes chaotic.

Walsall didn’t create that much and we didn’t either. I can’t think of a quieter half that we have had where we lacked intensity, concentration and focus and creatively inthe final third. All through the side there were mistakes in passing and dangerous moments at the back where we were getting ourselves into trouble and causing nervy moments.

We miss Matty Palmer massively in my opinion. and now he’s not in the side it shows what he brings and how irreplaceable he is. He is the engine and heart of midfield and sprays the ball everywhere.

The substitutions made little difference and neither offered anything or affected the game enough to make something happen or find a way through. I felt we played too safe and maybe confidence is a little low but it needed more bite, hunger and aggression.

I also felt Walsall were more streetwise and pressed us well which forced us long at times but their defence kept tidying up.

This may seem like the unpalatable truth only time will tell but I don’t expect January to be the magic bullet. It never is mid season. We may have to face facts here and accept we might be like Stockport this season. If we can finish in the top seven for me that would be success. Then learn from this season and make the additions in the summer when there is more choice available. We are not too far off but we are slightly out of tune at the moment.

[The_Don_ORiordan]

Sorry I wasn't around to start a match thread today and nobody else appears to have done so. I don't know whether it might be a good idea to re-title this one to be the match thread for future search friendliness?

We didn’t play a game today so no match thread suits it.

[optipez]

They were cr@p, we were truly awful.

We really were bad today. We've no energy in midfield, I don't date either keeper, a clean sheet looks a forlorn wish, we created very little for the forwards and we stopped playing football.
No positives from today, we were just a very poor team and we're drifting.
I don't bla!me the manager, we need a couple of midfielders who aren't in the sunset of their careers and a keeper.