Mate thats exactly what I’ve said to my son about Jellis for a few weeks now
He’s a shadow of his former self and folk applaud his effort which is fine but his actual output in terms of even semi-decent football contributions is rubbish right now
Some of his passing yesterday was absolutely dreadful….
After coming back from a disallowed goal, then going one down to come back to lead two one within the first quarter of the game, I could see nothing but a (perhaps hard-fought) three points for us. Then, last ten of the first 45, we lost all that momentum.
Our second-half performance was abysmal, lacking all the qualities that Vale showed.
Disjointed doesn’t get near to describing our display.
Any positive play seemed to be the result of individual initiatives or improvisation rather than a cohesive strategy. Bizarre when McEntee puts more crosses into the box than anyone else. Poor bloke looked like a lone soldier charging into the massed ranks of the enemy making a futile gesture with little hope of success.
Jamille Matt should not continue to start with Amanchi. Levi is more than up to the task of leading the line with someone else.
Johnson’s (pointless) late entry earned him no more than an appearance bonus.
Earlier on in the season a poor first half was followed by renewed vigour and determination from the whole team second 45, yesterday there was nothing, not even a storming last ten minutes to try to snatch a point. That a big crowd was so silent throughout the second half reflected what we all saw. A team with no belief, no confidence and no method.
I’ve long suspected he has a massive ego. Such individuals tend to be a bit fragile. I think he’s a decent person and will work through it, but in this end of season atmos, it’s coming out as petulant and immature. I also think his form will return as the pressure of the various situations results in snatched shots and poor decisions.
I thought he played well at Doncaster but yesterday he was bloody awful. It’s not hard to see why we are struggling, the midfield just doesn’t function like it was earlier in the season. The way Jellis and Barrett were combining down the right side was deadly. I said to my lads yesterday, their midfield is so much better than ours. The few times we did have the ball in midfield with an opportunity to attack, the players just looked as if to say “what am I meant to do”
We’ve been "okay " in most of our away games if not brilliant but at home recently we look lost.
Agree. Levi isn’t great in the air but I’m not sure Matt is either. Levi’s hold up play is far better than Matt, and Levi has the ability to run at defenders.
Harrison could also play the role, just start playing balls into feet more.
Im gona put my phone down and enjoy my Sunday ha.
The light is im not going to Barrow and im away in and watching Valencia for the next 2 weeks.
See ya at Accy Stan. Who knows where we’ll be - top or 4th…
I hate football!
Just to cheer everyone up, Crewe tickets go on sale tomorrow.
https://www.saddlers.co.uk/news/2025/april/06/ticket-details-confirmed-for-crewe-alexandra-trip/
I agree with this. One of the reasons for the decline in our form since Lowe left is that the years have finally caught up with Matt, and he has lost the edge needed to start matches at this level.
Ageing is a gradual process, but it is irreversible. While Matt still tries really hard, and he can be effective at times, leading the line in a league match is incredibly demanding. We don’t want to be harsh on him because he is a great guy, and did pretty well when Lowe was with him. But we have to be honest about what we see with our own eyes.
Another reflection on yesterday. When they had a long throw, how often did we overload the front and miss the first header leaving them with players free at the back. It even continued into the 2nd half.
Same with free kicks, Matt at the back stick marking two players regularly. How we don’t adapt to this in games is mind blowing, it’s as if we have a plan based on watching some videos mid week and expect the opposing team to do exactly the same thing again and not change their approach for the game or even in game. It does have a feel of that is the plan and we can’t deviate from it, loved that Blackadder video, sums it up perfectly 
Spot on. A few of us spotted it after the first time they did it and didn’t score. Any type of near post touch whether by us or them led to an immediate over load.
A professional management team would have spotted it after the first time. We don’t have one of those so let it happen another four times and they scored twice from it.
Is Sadler actually watching the game? It was so bloody obvious.
I think I’ve managed to take a positive out of the weekend. If ( a big if) we can avoid defeat in three of our last five matches we are pretty much certain to have home advantage in the play offs.
After the first 20 minutes we just fell apart. When Hornby went down ‘injured’ on 30 minutes it was a chance for a reset. I’m not sure what Sadler said to them but we managed to get worse.
Garrity had words with him as he came off the pitch, I do wonder if he’s seen as a bit of a Poundland Grealish.
As you say, his demeanour has changed and you can see the confidence has gone. Don’t think his head was turned in January, but he’s another one who’s been run into the ground and has lost the energy and spirit that carried us so well before the turn of the year.
Not sure if this has been mentioned above, but had Levi passed to JJ (who’d made a good supporting run) rather than trying to scoop the ball over the keeper at 2-1, the game could have finished very differently.
I’d actually say the exact opposite bizarrely. It’s almost like he believes the hype, passing the ball regularly with the outside of his foot like he is peak Paul Merson. Sometimes, when the going is tough, you just have to get back to doing to doing the basics well and build from that again.
Your right. Chang and Lipsuic nowhere to be seen.
It’s criminal what Sadler has done to Jellis, Barrett, Lakin and Stirk.
Just a bit of sensible testing and rotation from mid Ianuary would have seen us home.
Exactly, and I wouldn’t put it past Sadler to start chucking them in now.
People moan about Wheatley, but what do we expect from him. He has been sidelined for weeks/months and then Sadlers chucks him on in a game we are losing, not playing well in, with a team on its arse in terms of confidence.
EDIT: Oh and persist to lump the ball 40 feet in the air to him 
Plenty of opportunities to blood them in the last few months but he has passed it up.
I thought matt worked his socks off and led the line well first half, the trouble is we look for him and go long every time and they literally had 4 men on him every time and didnt let him get near the ball, the one time we mixed it up and mccentee found amantchi in the middle, he had so much time the ball landed at his feet in the 6 yard box.
I can see what you mean, but I do wonder if he’s trying to do something special at times because the simple stuff isn’t working out and he’s far less time on the ball.
A lot said about the opposition having found us out in the second half of the season, and perhaps JJ has suffered for that almost as much as Barrett.
To play devil’s advocate on the Williams situation… not saying he isn’t off to Scotland, but wasn’t he supposedly playing through a knee injury about a month ago, where he missed a couple of games but then came back in looking to be struggling?
Maybe he’s been left out because Daniel’s and Okagbue are slightly fitter at the minute?
I’d have Williams first choice if it was me, so I’m not making excuses, just suggesting an alternative to assuming he’s off and Sadlers thrown his toys out the pram.
