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

[SwalePie]

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?

[jackal2]

The definitely didn’t, every time Bostock goes off we get worse.

Yes. With Palmer missing we simply have to keep Bostock on the park. He's got a presence about him that no other midfielder in our squad possesses. O'Brien or Gosling alongside Bostock would have been okay, but not a complete changeover.

I thought we were okay going in 1-0 at half-time; not a great performance but a goal and a clean sheet in difficult conditions wasn't bad.

Second half, once Walsall got their goal, we fell apart, and Luke Williams made the worst substitions he's made in any game since taking over. Bostock and Crowley - even under par -are our most creative players and the best chance we had of getting back in front - no way we should be taking them off - and as for playing Morias in midfield, what was that about? No disrespect to Junior who did his best in difficult circumstances, but I think the Head Coach had a rare brain fart today.

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.

[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.

[Davy500]

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?

Well you did not miss much today Swale

[durhampie]

Crowley was simply outmuscled and Nemane was fairly static.

Nemane should have been one to go off, he is a waste of of a shirt. And why on earth LW took Macari off is a complete mystery, he was one of our better performers.. But he may not have been here long enough to be in the favoured click.
I'm afraid Williams has lost the plot, his team selections are baffling, his tactics no longer work at this level, but he still persist with them, his substitutions always seem to have a negative effect on our play instead of improving the performance. We need to stop hoping that Gosling eventually comes good, since his arrival he has been crap.
Morias is another one who wouldn't get many games in a local pub team.. You have to feel sorry for Macca, he gets no service whatsoever. I wouldnt be surprised at some point if he tells Williams to stick his backpedalling tactics up his jacksy..

[Thordardaughter]

Nemane should have been one to go off, he is a waste of of a shirt. And why on earth LW took Macari off is a complete mystery, he was one of our better performers.. But he may not have been here long enough to be in the favoured click.
I'm afraid Williams has lost the plot, his team selections are baffling, his tactics no longer work at this level, but he still persist with them, his substitutions always seem to have a negative effect on our play instead of improving the performance. We need to stop hoping that Gosling eventually comes good, since his arrival he has been crap.
Morias is another one who wouldn't get many games in a local pub team.. You have to feel sorry for Macca, he gets no service whatsoever. I wouldnt be surprised at some point if he tells Williams to stick his backpedalling tactics up his jacksy..

So many times today Macca was making a run and was totally ignored for the ball to go backwards.
Cmon Notts even Man City look for a runner occasionally !

[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.

[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