Crewe Alexandra (A) May 3rd, 3pm

Why is he waxing lyrical about Crewe? Since coming back into the league they have had two mid table finishes and lost in the playoff final. Wonder if Crewe fans think they are punching above their weight and are happy?

There’s always a good compass on this stuff.

ā€œWhat would sir Ray say/do?ā€

His first season our expectations were so low that we’d have been dead happy with say 12th.

But we got into a great position and he/we never let up. There were disappointments sure, but we dusted ourselves off and went again. There were leaders all over the pitch, there was a way of playing that wasn’t too pretty at times but every player in that team was crystal clear on their job/role/function. And if standards dropped, my word they knew. From the seemingly petty dress code, dissent to officials or not doing their job to the requisite standard, each player knew and we all knew too.

Different times and I’m not sure the modern player would take to all of the rules. But what they can buy into is a dead clear ethos and clarity around role and responsibility. I’m not sure Ray would have any truck with the ā€œwe’d have taken this before the seasonā€ or ā€œlots would swap placesā€. Because like all good leaders if he had a glimpse of a higher standard or capability he’d drive a new benchmark with not much tolerance for slipping back. Importantly he also had four or five real leaders who’d enforce those standards.

Dosh and Nichol weren’t altogether dissimilar.

You get the impression that Sadler has a group of senior players. His group. His guys. Trouble is, his group aren’t very good at football. His lieutenants aren’t capable of leading on the pitch regardless of how great they are ā€œto have around the placeā€. Daniels is no Viveash, Comley no O’Connor, and ever Jamma is no Rammell/Wilson. You get the impression that we deal in cliche and quasi corporate motto rather than passion and desire.

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I think he keeps saying it because until it’s mathematically not possible, then we’re still in a ok position that 20 other teams would want to be in and he’s not going to openly say yeah we’ve got no chance now.

Obviously the position we were in, it’s terrible it’s come to this.

Trust me, I’m as angry and deflated as everyone else with what’s happend since January, especially over the last month where it’s hit me mentally seeing us slip away.

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Apart from Wheatley the only current Walsall player who could be relied on to score goals like these, is Danny Johnson.

You’re forgetting context.

But you know fine well, if it becomes so, it will be ā€œfocus on the positivesā€ of being in the play-offs…and if we lose there, it will be ā€œfocus on the progressā€ā€¦rinse and repeat.
You learn nothing in life by not addressing problems. If we hadn’t had such a terrible collapse last season there wouldn’t have been any progress - even ā€œincrementalā€ what progress there has been is literally comparing one Sadler collapse with another.
Here’s a thought, maybe if Sadler and the wider Walsall FC football management team had spent some time addressing and analysing the causes of last season’s failure to reach the play-offs with an alarming drop-off at the key time, rather than focussing on how wonderful the journey had been and the perceived progress, they might have learnt something that would have been really useful in preventing it happening again!! ie now, with knobs on.

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Mat Sadler ā€œwe’re not victims we’re fighters ā€œ
To that exact point I would have said
ā€œThe victims are the long suffering fans ā€œ
Unfortunately yet more sanitised pointless nonsense.
He sounds more like a politician than a football manager.

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This past week it’s like being a condemned man in his cell counting down the days to the execution date, unrealistically hoping for a miraculous reprieve. :confused:

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From the Gareth Southgate school of media-friendly boredom

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A repeat of final day of 2016 I think.

A shock comfortable 0-2 win but all in vain as Bradford get the win they need.

The back 3 needs to stop now

Time for 4-4-2.
Get some wide overloads.
Levi running in behind.

Simkin

McEntee Williams Allen Gordon

Adomah Chang Hall Asimwee

Levi Matt

Let’s not beat around the bush here. I wasn’t the greatest fan of dicky dosh’s style of football but there’s no way we would have been in this position after the first half of the season. Real quality would have been bought in and we would have win the league. Anyway here’s hoping for a miracle tomorrow ( it shouldn’t affect our decision to get rid of the head coach even if we go up imo)

I think Sadler’s arrogance in sticking with the same players and tactics gives little credit to opposition coaches. They have our number! Lee Bell will be no different. Organised, disciplined and compact. Exactly how Artell and Holloway sorted their teams out. Swindon played it brilliantly, press Stirk and both wing backs. The ball goes to the back 3, who lump it up to Jamma with a 50/50 chance of retaining possession. EFL2 CB’s love a battle, facing up the pitch with someone who picks up the second ball. If I can see this, what are the analysts being paid for?

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A lack of talking about going for the win. It’s all guarded from him. Lots of empty stuff. This lack of leadership, lack of winning mentality from him has seeped down through the squad and is why we find ourselves where we are from the position we were in.

We’ll lose tomorrow and not once in that game will we look like going up.

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Yeah, it will be great if we do pull it off, but it’s been soured for sure.

It might make me a misery guts, but I can’t brush off being almost the worst team in the league for half a season by winning (or even drawing!) one game.

I’ll he happy, but it will be more releif than joy. And I’ll still be Sadler out :sweat_smile:

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I just can’t work out how or why you are so vocally negative about Wheatley - given he’s had such limited opportunity in the squad

Stoke fans seem to think Lowe is unusable at their level yet look what he did here

You need context if you’re gonna be so obviously against the lad and he hasn’t had the chance to prove what he can (or can’t) do at this level

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Come on Coop keep up, :wink: he’s been vocally negative since the dawn of UTS, about everything WFC.
Although only allegedly if you believe @Belphegor that he’s also @moaningoldgit and @ancientmoaner.

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That is proper waffle @Locky :joy::joy::joy:

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Oh yes, banging.

Quality post :index_pointing_at_the_viewer:

Its going to a be hard, hard game. They are well organised, with a great manager and set of lads. They will be up for the fight to prove a point. We need to be us, front foot football, being brave. Hopefully we play our centre half in midfield and keep with the dynamic 70 year old attack. What can go wrong. Will be there… 6 nil to the saddlers, all pointless as Bradford win