Paul Merson autobiography

Fair play to you mate for getting the help! Takes balls that!

4 Likes

All the best with it mate

3 Likes

Nowhere because of Virtual Soccer Academy? He didn’t want Merson gone, but perhaps it wasn’t for Merson’s sake.

3 Likes

Thankyou, had no choice really, my head was not buried but came to the point where 60-80hrs awk for 18months to keep my above water was just taking it’s toll and something had to give.

Thanks Buddy

1 Like

Good luck mate. I’ve had family members who have had struggles.

1 Like

You really wonder what on Earth Bonser was thinking:

Puts Merson in temporary charge, questionable decision. Then gives him the job permanently despite relegation, an even more questionable decision. Then keeps him on despite being lucky not to get relegated again, even more questionable!

For all Merson’s shortcomings as a manager, it really was Bonser who royally messed things up.

The points you made are obviously all good. On that particular score though the end of that season when we got Joachim and Surman in, Merson stumbled upon a system that worked. It is right up there with some of the best football I have ever seen Walsall play, we rocketed up the table. More by luck than design no doubt and the extra quality of Joachim and Surman being key, but it would have been difficult for Bonser to sack Merson at that point at least.

2 Likes

Thanks Pal

Good luck👊

1 Like

Best of luck to you pal.

1 Like

Have you ever seen or been given an insight in to the figures for this

Struggle to see how this was big money

It was all timing at the time. Might have been great. Wasn’t.

Good luck @SirKennethArthurDodd . Takes balls to recognise and deal with an addiction.
Fingers crossed for you.

9 Likes

Didn’t we win our last 5 games playing that 4-5-1 system with Joachim as the 1. We actually had some decent players in that team - far better than we’ve had over the last 3 seasons!

1 Like

Yes, and then won the first 2 of the next season.

Southend last minute equaliser prevented an eighth successive win which I think would have been a club record.

We were very good the end of that season. I can remember us playing Hull, who were going for the title, off the park. 3-0 ,I think. Joachim hat-trick?Then Walsall started making noises towards the parent club about them having some sort of first dibs on him. So he went to Boston. As balance ,I think this was the time Boston were fiddling their tax returns to get an advantage, but I think Leeds were just miffed by Walsall’s assumptions.

1 Like

We looked good at the end of that season. Joachim had a good career behind him, and Surman had a good one in front of him. I suppose we also had Fryatt, Leitao, Roper, Wrack, Gerrard, Julian Bennett, Kris Taylor, Kinsella, Wright. I think Andy Oakes was the keeper at the end of the season.
We lost Joachim and Surman of course, but we signed Fox and Westwood in the summer, and Gerrard permanently. Even allowing for Wrack breaking his leg, Merson really cocked it up getting us relegated. He was a useless manager.

2 Likes

I think it shows we had a happy hangover from our Championship days, which lasted into the Money era. Last time we were here, we still had a lot of players who didn’t belong here. It’s too depressing to look at the current squad, and see who you could describe that way. Holden, if fit…Rushworth who isn’t ,and won’t be, ours.

Not even sure about that one to be honest. Good player. Would I say he was better than League 2 though? I’m not sure. 6 goals and 12 assists in 62 is about par for the course I would say for an attacking midfielder.

I think he’s obviously better than bottom half to relegation battlers mind, which is what this team is as a whole.