Took watching again to really sink in what an incredible goal that is by Holmes his best so far I reckon. He's moving and leaning backwards on a pretty quick drop and hits it perfectly
Pretty sure most attempts would either completely sky it or not get any power on it
Are we manly enough? Especially without Pearce in the side. We're pretty decent technically, but are we lacking a bit of athleticism and effort sometimes (especially after 30 mins!)?
I just don't understand how we just change after 30 minutes. Couldn't watch the game yesterday but it sounds like we did the same as we've done a few times this season. Dominated for 30 and then did a 180 degree flip. Why? And, at the end, we held the lead for all of about 20 seconds wasn't it! You just couldn't make that up. Is there just not a discipline on the field? Are they all a bunch of mavericks doing their own thing? It's up to you Robbo to rein this in as I feel we have the nucleus of a good team but we keep self imploding.
It's ironic that we've been banging on about the lack of strikers but it's the defence that is letting us down. But, it's not the defence really, it's the whole team.
Seeing the goals I am less critical of the second - just a good goal really and bad luck it went top bins. But 1st was worrying as defending was rubbish, as was the fact they were the better team after a promising start.
We play some stunning attacking football at times - but we haven't got the defensive aspect of the midfield in place. Robbo has built his castle on sand.
At half time, The Valley: That fat guy waddling and shouting at us, as if we in the Covered End are recalricant children. It is not funny to set up a child with a ball, try a cheap shot, then waddle off with an Essex bird holding a clipboard.
What on Earth are we doing? In the 1980s, when I was exiled at university in Birmingham, I watched us play – and win – at Villa, Brum City, and Wolves. I went to Shrewsbury and watched Killer murder the old sod in the coracle, paddling away down the Severn to catch his balls.
At home to Bury last week, we dicked around for 30 minutes, terrified. After you, Claude. Oh no, let's give it to Khasi, sweeping defensively from right to left – and nothing at the end of it. Son of Poyet, playing Sunday football and running a bar in Cyprus. Fosu is a spark – then trips over the ball at the crucial moment.
In the Midlands, Walsall were an absolute joke. Yet, last week Bury drew at The Valley. We are powder-puffs. At St Andrews, Birmingham, in 1986, against Leeds, we were magnificent. The play-off final. Free kick: stadium falls silent. Steve Gritt deceived Leeds. Accurate cross – watch the way we gulled the opponents on the edge of their box during the trajectory – to leave space for our defender running for the header.
Look at us now! Those dreary shadows shuffling in the defensive nether regions at The Valley. “It's our throw!” No it isn't. Then they all troop off for water: “What do I do now, boss?” Bogged down with dim confusion.
Our defenders are fragile, our midfielders are vapid – and our striker is isolated. Magennis is a superb player: tough, and aggressive. Wins headers, nods down for his partner – who is absent. Magennis sprints to the corner, closing down the defender. Younger players like Hanlan and Umerhah will learn.
Wigan played superbly a fortnight ago. Brushed aside Forster-Caskey; simply looked over DaSilva. Precise, carefully weighted balls up the channels, passes intuitive to strikers – instantly controlled, turned and shot low. Our men struggle, stretched: improvising buskers, hoofing kicks in the third division.
Karl Robinson relegated his team – MK Dons – below even us. Sacked. We hired him.
We play some stunning attacking football at times - but we haven't got the defensive aspect of the midfield in place. Robbo has built his castle on sand.
I think the players are there to be more solid, it's the setup that needs a tweak. JFC and Kashi both cover plenty of ground and have both made important defensive contributions in games I have seen, but both are asked to cover too much ground by the system.
With the two wingers pushed so high, the central midfield pair have to cover the entire width of the pitch, plus JFC is expected to get forwards and provide a goal threat. It leaves us very vulnerable on the break - Kashi has often got dragged out wide to help the fullback but if we are not able to cut out the cross then we are left with no one in the middle to track runners, especially if JFC has got caught up field by an interception and we have seen a few goals conceded to unmarked players 6 to 12 yards from our goal. The problem is not helped by the fact Kashi can be a bit prone to ball watching - he is positionally excellent when the play is in front of him and he can step into passing lanes and make interceptions, but turn him a round and players are often able to lose his attention and run off him.
It's not a problem the whole time we are able to press high and win the ball back quickly (as we did consistently second half vs Bury), but when we are not dominating possession and the back line gets pushed deeper the gaps between the lines just get too big.
I'm broadly in favour of what KR is trying to do as I think it is very entertaining to watch, particularly when it is working and we are in full flow, but he needs to develop a bit more tactical pragmatism in the quest for results over beautiful football.
I think we look ok most of the time defensively, but we always have a mistake in us! Must be because we have defensive players that switch off sometimes.
I think we're missing Crofts. An experienced CDM to bring on. Has a bit of grit and fight about him. Would help with defensive frailties and help us see out games.
I think we're missing Crofts. An experienced CDM to bring on. Has a bit of grit and fight about him. Would help with defensive frailties and help us see out games.
We’re possibly missing a player like Crofts, but not Crofts himself because I don’t think he was the real deal. We need an athlete in the middle of the park.
First half excellent first thirty minutes should of been 2-0 up after Magennis hit post at 1-0. Walsall came into game after half hour and scored before half time after some pressure.
Second half we were not at races at all. Walsall deserved to be in front the small lad in middle of park for them ran game. We score from our only shot on target second half and what a cracking volley from Holmes it was two mins from end and Walsall deservedly equalised straight from kick off but we did not touch ball from the kick off.
Disappointing performance but I will take the point.
Small lad in the middle would be ex Charlton apprentice and Dulwich Hamlet maestro, the Turkish Messi, i think.
I just don't understand how we just change after 30 minutes. Couldn't watch the game yesterday but it sounds like we did the same as we've done a few times this season. Dominated for 30 and then did a 180 degree flip. Why? And, at the end, we held the lead for all of about 20 seconds wasn't it! You just couldn't make that up. Is there just not a discipline on the field? Are they all a bunch of mavericks doing their own thing? It's up to you Robbo to rein this in as I feel we have the nucleus of a good team but we keep self imploding.
It's ironic that we've been banging on about the lack of strikers but it's the defence that is letting us down. But, it's not the defence really, it's the whole team.
We need a striker- it's as simple as that. Magennis is immobile and not in the least predatory . A proper forward would get stacks of goals in this team. I don't wish to slag Magennis off - he's going his best and he is scoring .
Robinson says 'we should have been out of sight' but by all accounts the only other real chance before they equalised was a Magennis effort, so does he count being 2-0 up as being out of sight. He talks so much crap it makes it easy to dislike him.
Clarke had a good shot that was saved well too.
Wallsall hit a low, hard shot a yard or two wide with Amos beaten all ends up after about 2 mins and their striker trod on the ball when through on goal spurning a great chance both before we scored our first. Robinson talks shit.
We play some stunning attacking football at times - but we haven't got the defensive aspect of the midfield in place. Robbo has built his castle on sand.
I think the players are there to be more solid, it's the setup that needs a tweak. JFC and Kashi both cover plenty of ground and have both made important defensive contributions in games I have seen, but both are asked to cover too much ground by the system.
With the two wingers pushed so high, the central midfield pair have to cover the entire width of the pitch, plus JFC is expected to get forwards and provide a goal threat. It leaves us very vulnerable on the break - Kashi has often got dragged out wide to help the fullback but if we are not able to cut out the cross then we are left with no one in the middle to track runners, especially if JFC has got caught up field by an interception and we have seen a few goals conceded to unmarked players 6 to 12 yards from our goal. The problem is not helped by the fact Kashi can be a bit prone to ball watching - he is positionally excellent when the play is in front of him and he can step into passing lanes and make interceptions, but turn him a round and players are often able to lose his attention and run off him.
It's not a problem the whole time we are able to press high and win the ball back quickly (as we did consistently second half vs Bury), but when we are not dominating possession and the back line gets pushed deeper the gaps between the lines just get too big.
I'm broadly in favour of what KR is trying to do as I think it is very entertaining to watch, particularly when it is working and we are in full flow, but he needs to develop a bit more tactical pragmatism in the quest for results over beautiful football.
I think this is a good point and the issue generally is when we get pushed back a bit.
Robinson talking more cliche bullshit , Walsall battered us for 70 mins and were by far more deserving of the win
Why doesn't he just come out and say we didn't press fast enough ,we didn't pass quick enough ,we got pulled out of shape constantly because even though we played 5 in midfield my tippy tappy bullshit gives us good stats but either because I don't tell them too or they are unable to move the ball fast enough using this passing style we are ineffective,
Sorry to those that travelled
But Holmes scored a Worldy so we go again sat and try and change things with hopefully Marshall and reeves playing a part
Nothing will change with KR and RD at the helm. I keep being told about how attractive our football is but being the Arsenal of L1 seems a bit pointless if we can't win games.
Comments
We're pretty decent technically, but are we lacking a bit of athleticism and effort sometimes (especially after 30 mins!)?
It's ironic that we've been banging on about the lack of strikers but it's the defence that is letting us down. But, it's not the defence really, it's the whole team.
We play some stunning attacking football at times - but we haven't got the defensive aspect of the midfield in place.
Robbo has built his castle on sand.
We might even be clear of the relegation zone by a whopping 12 points.
What on Earth are we doing? In the 1980s, when I was exiled at university in Birmingham, I watched us play – and win – at Villa, Brum City, and Wolves. I went to Shrewsbury and watched Killer murder the old sod in the coracle, paddling away down the Severn to catch his balls.
At home to Bury last week, we dicked around for 30 minutes, terrified. After you, Claude. Oh no, let's give it to Khasi, sweeping defensively from right to left – and nothing at the end of it. Son of Poyet, playing Sunday football and running a bar in Cyprus. Fosu is a spark – then trips over the ball at the crucial moment.
In the Midlands, Walsall were an absolute joke. Yet, last week Bury drew at The Valley. We are powder-puffs. At St Andrews, Birmingham, in 1986, against Leeds, we were magnificent. The play-off final. Free kick: stadium falls silent. Steve Gritt deceived Leeds. Accurate cross – watch the way we gulled the opponents on the edge of their box during the trajectory – to leave space for our defender running for the header.
Look at us now! Those dreary shadows shuffling in the defensive nether regions at The Valley. “It's our throw!” No it isn't. Then they all troop off for water: “What do I do now, boss?” Bogged down with dim confusion.
Our defenders are fragile, our midfielders are vapid – and our striker is isolated. Magennis is a superb player: tough, and aggressive. Wins headers, nods down for his partner – who is absent. Magennis sprints to the corner, closing down the defender. Younger players like Hanlan and Umerhah will learn.
Wigan played superbly a fortnight ago. Brushed aside Forster-Caskey; simply looked over DaSilva. Precise, carefully weighted balls up the channels, passes intuitive to strikers – instantly controlled, turned and shot low. Our men struggle, stretched: improvising buskers, hoofing kicks in the third division.
Karl Robinson relegated his team – MK Dons – below even us. Sacked. We hired him.
With the two wingers pushed so high, the central midfield pair have to cover the entire width of the pitch, plus JFC is expected to get forwards and provide a goal threat. It leaves us very vulnerable on the break - Kashi has often got dragged out wide to help the fullback but if we are not able to cut out the cross then we are left with no one in the middle to track runners, especially if JFC has got caught up field by an interception and we have seen a few goals conceded to unmarked players 6 to 12 yards from our goal. The problem is not helped by the fact Kashi can be a bit prone to ball watching - he is positionally excellent when the play is in front of him and he can step into passing lanes and make interceptions, but turn him a round and players are often able to lose his attention and run off him.
It's not a problem the whole time we are able to press high and win the ball back quickly (as we did consistently second half vs Bury), but when we are not dominating possession and the back line gets pushed deeper the gaps between the lines just get too big.
I'm broadly in favour of what KR is trying to do as I think it is very entertaining to watch, particularly when it is working and we are in full flow, but he needs to develop a bit more tactical pragmatism in the quest for results over beautiful football.
Was lovely
Why doesn't he just come out and say we didn't press fast enough ,we didn't pass quick enough ,we got pulled out of shape constantly because even though we played 5 in midfield my tippy tappy bullshit gives us good stats but either because I don't tell them too or they are unable to move the ball fast enough using this passing style we are ineffective,
Sorry to those that travelled
But Holmes scored a Worldy so we go again sat and try and change things with hopefully Marshall and reeves playing a part
Yours sincerely
Karl
I bet Holmes really regrets staying....