L 2-0 vs Mansfield Town (A) - League Two - Sat 15th Jan, 3pm

Do you think Fullerton has an influence in that thought process of the staff?

We’ve missed out on his best years if you ask me if we had him 2-3 years ago (and he has floated around this league for many years it’s not inconceivable to say we could have) he’d have been brilliant as he’s shown glimpses of this season he’s well seasoned he’s cute with what he does and he riles the opposition up every team needs one in my opinion and it’s a shame he’s almost past it now.

While I understand the sentiment of the post, I reckon I and most fans would tick all five of those requirements :smiley:

I would caveat it with an addition to the list of I would be blowing out my arse after 5 minutes, but that seems to be fine for Ward :joy:

1 Like

How disappointing has Ward been someone said he’d played 30 games for Ipswich up and down a wing last season can’t see that myself and I’m only saying what I’ve seen nothing implies to me that he can do that and it’s only one season on.

1 Like

All I’m saying @WeYamTheMods is that the supporters know a good deal and there seems to be a stubbornness about some of the team selection and formations.

I listened to 5-live yesterday and they were talking about how players go out on loan. Andy Reid coaches Forest u23s and he was talking about the due diligence. One of the arguments was how formations should be fairly consistent so I get Taylor’s stance about forming an identity. However, Reid talked about how one club did a PowerPoint presentation talking about how loan players are treated, where they fit into the first-team picture and basically how it was more about ‘player welfare’ than position in the table.

It appeared light-years away from the media stuff the club send out to supporters. Do they ever get watched back? Surely a two minute video could be done in a part of the ground which has better sound and less noise in the background.

For example, McKirdy, O’Hare, Knibbs, Archer and even Ramsey have all been mentioned by WFC fans when they were at the Villa. All of them would instantly improve our starting eleven. Players seem to go to Swindon, Cheltenham, anywhere but Walsall! It’s not good enough in my opinion and I find it a bit patronising from the club to think that the supporters are all ‘passion’ and don’t have any footballing understanding.

1 Like

Stealing his wage, he knows his legs have gone.

He made a career out of being solid and dependable for Wolves and Burnley. I’m amazed at how shite he is considering the levels he has played at.

He obviously didn’t have to use his brain, because he has the footballing nouse of a three legged rhino.

3 Likes

There’s plenty of goals conceded from his side of the pitch too Scunthorpe on that Tuesday night springs to mind as they were the poorest side I’ve ever seen infact it was Alfie Beeston so I believe who scored the equaliser a midfielder because they didn’t have a striker in their squad that night.

I heard that and thought it was interesting. The Club was Lincoln City. Like you, I was struck by how different it seems to our own approach.

As a side issue, I think Andy Reid is one of the better and more articulate pundits.

1 Like

I thin I was more downbeat yesterday than after any other game this season. Not really because of the performance - we were playing the best team in the league and we could have won - but because, even for someone who keeps hoping, we have fallen apart.

In the game itself, agree that Kinsella should have played but we did look much more dangerous going forward - the front 4 all had average to decent games, although not so the two subs who came on. The main problem was at the back, where we did not have Monthe’s bulk to cope with their forwards. It was no coincidence that Clough changed in the second half to have two big forwards and started the long throws. Leak was generally OK, given his recent lack of games but Menayese was awful and almost gave away 2 goals.

But with Taylor leaving we have only one centre back. I have thought well of Taylor but how can he let that happen? Even delaying Taylor’s departure would have helped, all the more after Monthe’s suspension. And we have no real striker; Miller looks as if he will never score again and is wholly unsuited to be the lone man upfront.

Another season gone and thank goodness we have a few points in the bag.

2 Likes

Good point on McKirdy, doing well for a Swindon team in top 3.

He was gettable at both Carlisle and Vale but get the feeling club would’ve just dismissed him due to bad attitude.

I mentioned Archer end of last season given he was on loan at Solihull.

Don’t forget though Pomlett says the club have “good relations” with Villa though!

1 Like

Dean Smith got it. No one else has since really in terms of loans although Whitney got some decent ones. I think however that was still riding the Smith momentum and the good reputation Walsall had created to wider football world in those times as playing the right way and treating loan players well.

To me it’s telling Taylor was managing at Spurs youth level and yet none of their under 23s have followed. I doubt it’s because Taylor is unlikeable, more I reckon club won’t pay loan fees required or Spurs don’t feel their youths will improve here.

Bet if Taylor had gone somewhere like Forest Green or Swindon last summer 2-3 talented ones would’ve followed him.

2 Likes

McKirdy might be a bit irritating (just ask the Vale goalie who got sent off kung-fu kicking him in the chest to give away a needless penalty!) but we have players at our club (one wearing the captain’s armband) who have not exactly covered themselves in glory over their career. We have another serving a lengthy ban for something that he denies, granted, but it doesn’t look great.

I get the impression that Conor is hard work to manage too, in terms of man-management and ‘sulky ego’. Got sent off against us for Orient trying to take on Big Daddy Scarr! :joy:

2 Likes

Understandably. Phillips looks a poorer player than he did when he first came, and Rushworth is still good, but not in the sparkling form of his first few weeks. And Barnsley seemingly aren’t interested in MIller, but if they were, what would they think of the way we are using him, and of his scoring drought. Another who looked a far better player initially than he does after a few months here.
You’re right, it’s an area we’ve been worse in since Smith left. I hoped it would improve with the new management structure, but so far…

1 Like

Or maybe the club (Spurs) forbade him from doing loan deals of players he earlier coached. Not to steal some unearthed gems for example. So I can fully understand why no one from Spurs aca followed him.

Would be a bit odd that.

Bit different but Steve Cooper managed England at under 20s level and then moved to Swansea and basically got half of that squad on loan from various clubs…Brewster, Guehi and Connor Gallagher so not sure why Spurs would forbid a reasonably promising player from linking up with Taylor again to gain league experience.

A few years back they used to regularly loan 2-3 players to Stevenage, mainly due to proximity (same with Colchester getting loads who came through at Ipswich) and Harry Kane had his first ever loan at Leyton Orient (think his first ever goal was at Bescot).

Only positive perhaps for next season is Brighton should be impressed by how Rushworth has developed so they’d likely be o.k with a decent young striker coming here for next season perhaps.

I don’t know under what conditions MT left Spurs, so every explanation can have some truth. Or not. For me it’s not a problem, that no players from this club appeared in this season or next ones. Financial penalty can be quite hefty in that case.

Thing is with the loan scenario is that we have a track record of loaning players and treating them poorly look at the lads from Blues we had for example.Clubs will steer clear if they know we don’t look after their players.

1 Like

Yes and no, we have a track record of signing the cheapest loan players on the market and when it turns out their crap they don’t get a game :rofl:

4 Likes

Our star left back puts his assessment on it!!! :roll_eyes::roll_eyes:

Some good points by Joe Edwards again.

“Otis Khan – who the club have been trying to get tied down to a new deal in recent weeks – was not in the matchday squad, with Taylor later insisting it was due to illness.”

Joe Edwards doesn’t sound entirely convinced by MT’s explanation.

3 Likes