All credit for the start they had but we are getting worryingly bad as the season goes on. The teamwork seems to have disappeared and what we’re currently left with are a team of individuals with little identity or way of playing.
There are positives. Roberts is decent, hopefully Martin will be, Dobbo (albeit he was off it tonight), and theres raw talent in Ferrier and Ismael.
Devlin, Leahy and Guthrie are honest pros but a defence with all three regularly in it will struggle at this level. Osbourne is near finished for me - injuries have caught up and he moves like an old man at times. Cook is still a non league striker who hopefully will improve, but I’m not sure hell ever be mobile enough, spends most of the game walking around.
Going three at the back has been mentioned as an option and id agree we need to try something different. I’d want my best talent in any team from now on and that would include Fitzwater. Get Ismael in as someone who can carry the ball and try and give Dobbo a partner who can let him push on at times. We’re way too easy to play against.
I thought Devlin was excellent this evening as was our Goalie. Other than those two we were poor especially in midfield. Dobson has lost form but we have no one to bring in although I do wonder if a Kinsella/Ronan midfield duo would work for a match or two whilst Dobson gets his form back. As others have said it was midfield where were outplayed tonight not helped by playing a striker on the right wing.
We are also missing Fitzwater at CB as Martin is clearly not match fit. This is a real test for Dean as when confidence goes with a young team it takes some getting back. UTS
Unfortunately we have some conference players in this side and form is temporary, class is permanent. Problem tonight was the midfield, Ginelly isn’t good enough, he offers nothing in one on one situations and his quality on the ball is lacking. Osbourne and Dobson are off the pace, it’s all too slow which means by the time the ball has moved across the pitch to the opposite wing the opposition has also shifted across. Gordon tried hard and I believe he can be a decent player for us with games under his belt but as a winger he needed to cover our full back or press their and he was in no mans land in the middle. I actually think ferrier needs to come out for a few games, his form his dropping while the arrogance and need to show boat and be theatrical is getting worse and is a detrement to the team. Keates needs to go back to the basics of what worked for him but add in players with league 1 experience into the team. The likes of Morris (who I rate) and Zeli despite being off form can change games with moments in games. Kinsella deserves a place for the way he added a little more pace and enthusiasm into the middle.
Devlin is error prone. He made less tonight and made some important blocks and put in some good tackles. I’d have made him man of the match with a seven out of ten.
But do I think he will make a good living out of football? I very much doubt it to be honest. Somewhere between the fourth tier and the conference or the Scottish first/second division.
He’s a great fella and an honest player. Would love him to succeed and prove some of us wrong.
Anyone know when Chambers is fit again? Obviously a lot want Edwards back but sounds like he’s some way off.
I know Chambers is ancient but he can at least anticipate opposition attacks and dosen’t dive recklessly and give away penalties. Him being fit in the next week and giving Osbourne a proper breather would be a good thing I think.
Agree that midfield is the issue. We’ve lost intensity since the start of the season, we’re not closing the ball down or pressing the opposition and we’re starting to get punished.
Burton and Charlton both had players across that the team that take 1-2 touches, pass then move. At the moment it’s taking us about 3-4 touches to work out what we want to do with the ball, by which time the opportunity to pass is off or we’ve been tacked/closed down.
Chambers injury is getting be a bit of a mystery as is Fitzwaters . If only we had a local newspaper that covered Walsall awhich could give us some news instead of constantly interviewing players who tell us how good they are!!! It would also be interesting to know how Edwards and Roberts are getting on.
Not hitting the panic button yet, but it is a bit worrying that our self-belief and form has nosedived just when we are hitting a particularly tough set of fixtures - 7 of our next 9 opponents are currently in the top half of the table …
In fact, If we get less than 3 points out of the next 3 games, then our fabulous start will have settled into a mid-season points total that is actually less than Whitless’ tally at the same stage last season.
Scary.
The E and S reported on Sept 8th that Chambers would be out for at least 10 weeks following surgery on a broken foot. So if that’s still the case he should be a couple of weeks away, but an update would be good.
Charlton were decent, but 7-8 weeks ago we would have given them a proper game. Burton are probably the best team (or at least the best performers) to visit this season.
Look forward to seeing what Sunderland are all about…
Thanks…I didn’t see that but I was trying to make the point that there is little news in the local paper. Its mostly opinions either of players or pundits.
John Ward on WM said Fitz was back in training, wasn’t sure he’d be ready for Coventry but would expect him back for Fleetwood. Apparently Guthrie was at fault for 2nd goal so seems an obvious change for me.
I think that’s the most disappointing thing in the recent poor run. Luton, Burton and Charlton are all good teams who’ll finish in the top 6 or just off it yet all three have barely broken sweat to win the games.
Compare it to Barnsley away who will probably finish above all three of them and that was a proper battling performance. That aspect seems to have been lost from the playing side for whatever reasons.
