[jonnythespireite]

rodney, on 11 May 2025 - 05:11 PM, said:

What’s the correct side?

Easy. Dobra and Sparkes should have started. Gordon offers nowt going forward. Naylor instead of Fleck who was always going to get out run. Cook has picked totally the wrong team there today. Very disappointing.
By the way the spine of the side today (fadz, fleck, Grigg) have a combined age of just under 120 years, and Cook expects to win football matches with that.

[Bluekent]

 Blue5, on 11 May 2025 - 05:55 PM, said:

Agreed. He had a stinker and he wasn't on his own either.

From an attacking perspective, he kills us.

No one came out of it looking great , we looked out of our depth , game passed us by , metcalf put himself about a bit but it still wasn’t enough. So so disappointing. Didn’t show up in our biggest game. Not seen any interviews but I hope they come out and admit we were just poor on the day. We need to get at them from the off Friday. Early goal and they will panic. They’ve been awful for months but we let them build confidence today. So so annoyed 😂

 Rodders, on 11 May 2025 - 05:56 PM, said:

So many experts on this board 🤣

Were you happy with the performance?

[Mr Mercury]

I think today showed that Fleck and Fadz probably shouldn’t be offered a gig next year. Metcalfe and Sparkes, yep I’d like to see both back here, Ajuro possibly as well. Pepple Canada bound it seems and sorry but I don’t really want to see Olakigbe again, but wish him all the best.

[Misnomer]

I'd be tempted to put Sparkes left and Gorgon right. Naylor DM, Dobra and Mandy in the middle. Colclough left, Duffy right. Pace, overlaps, midfield supporting Grigg - which was none existent today.

[rodney]

 Misnomer, on 11 May 2025 - 06:04 PM, said:

I'd be tempted to put Sparkes left and Gorgon right. Naylor DM, Dobra and Mandy in the middle. Colclough left, Duffy right. Pace, overlaps, midfield supporting Grigg - which was none existent today.

We definitely need to go for it on Friday….. though our midfield haven’t supported Grigg all season. Would love to know how many touches he had today

[Chesterfield247]

I think Sparkes and Duffy on the same side works well. When they came on they were at least both trying to whip balls in and when one didn't have it on, pass to the other to do it.

[Waller is my hero]

Yes, today was disappointing — that much is clear. But some of the reactions on here feel a bit dramatic. I find it hard to understand why some only seem to become more vocal after a loss, almost as if they thrive on the negativity. And there are others who seem to swing from one extreme to the other week by week.

Let’s keep some perspective. It’s only half-time, and there’s still everything to play for in the second leg. It’s far from over.

[jonnythespireite]

Misnomer, on 11 May 2025 - 06:04 PM, said:

I'd be tempted to put Sparkes left and Gorgon right. Naylor DM, Dobra and Mandy in the middle. Colclough left, Duffy right. Pace, overlaps, midfield supporting Grigg - which was none existent today.

So you’re going to play two left footed players on the right hand side? Interesting.

[calvin plummers socks]

 jonnythespireite, on 11 May 2025 - 05:52 PM, said:

Classy.

Not Warfey’s finest hour.

Although wanting some “c*** to be played out” is quite ironic

[JonB]

 jonnythespireite, on 11 May 2025 - 05:59 PM, said:

Easy. Dobra and Sparkes should have started. Gordon offers nowt going forward. Naylor instead of Fleck who was always going to get out run. Cook has picked totally the wrong team there today. Very disappointing.
By the way the spine of the side today (fadz, fleck, Grigg) have a combined age of just under 120 years, and Cook expects to win football matches with that.

He picked the side that has got us to today and you can’t start two lads who are just back from injury having missed a fair while in the case of Sparkes. They’ll start Friday but don’t think he did anything wrong not starting them today.

I don’t think we’re out of it by a long shot. We weren’t great but neither were they. Penalty and got a bit of luck we didn’t get on numerous occasions with a ball dropping nicely to one of theirs to shoot. Second half they offered nothing really as we huffed and puffed and didn’t pass it that well. We have to score the first goal on Friday but if we do they will not be comfortable.

Side note for the ref who I thought handled the time management of the game appallingly. Vague wafts of his hand towards their keeper to hurry up, did nothing about the constant falling to the ground, turned his back on play as they messed about restarting play including more than once changing the ball they were using to take a throw in and just general letting them just kill the game which partly went towards us never getting a head of steam up.

[hilly81]

jonnythespireite, on 11 May 2025 - 05:59 PM, said:

Easy. Dobra and Sparkes should have started. Gordon offers nowt going forward. Naylor instead of Fleck who was always going to get out run. Cook has picked totally the wrong team there today. Very disappointing.
By the way the spine of the side today (fadz, fleck, Grigg) have a combined age of just under 120 years, and Cook expects to win football matches with that.

In the last 7 league games (those three never started together before that), the only wins (3) came with those 3 starting.

[JonB]

 Misnomer, on 11 May 2025 - 06:04 PM, said:

I'd be tempted to put Sparkes left and Gorgon right. Naylor DM, Dobra and Mandy in the middle. Colclough left, Duffy right. Pace, overlaps, midfield supporting Grigg - which was none existent today.

Glad you aren’t picking the side!

[Osborne again]

We didn't do ourselves justice, end of.

[Misnomer]

 rodney, on 11 May 2025 - 06:06 PM, said:

We definitely need to go for it on Friday….. though our midfield haven’t supported Grigg all season. Would love to know how many touches he had today

We need intensity and to stretch their defence, pull their midfield around - they were so comfortable today, it was painful to watch. At least get some balls into the box and challenge for the second balls. Basic stuff - instead of fannying around with it across the back four, up to Colclough, back to the defence; nobody wanting it in midfield, nobody bursting a gut to into or near the box. It was lackluster and embarrassing.

[hilly81]

Misnomer, on 11 May 2025 - 06:04 PM, said:

I'd be tempted to put Sparkes left and Gorgon right. Naylor DM, Dobra and Mandy in the middle. Colclough left, Duffy right. Pace, overlaps, midfield supporting Grigg - which was none existent today.

Felt for Grigg today. Had absolutely nothing to work with.

[Bluekent]

 Waller is my hero, on 11 May 2025 - 06:07 PM, said:

Yes, today was disappointing — that much is clear. But some of the reactions on here feel a bit dramatic. I find it hard to understand why some only seem to become more vocal after a loss, almost as if they thrive on the negativity. And there are others who seem to swing from one extreme to the other week by week.

Let’s keep some perspective. It’s only half-time, and there’s still everything to play for in the second leg. It’s far from over.

Oh give over Waller, it was shíte, no one is really going over the top , everyone’s just really really disappointed with the performance, it’s not over of course but we’re much much better than what we produced today , we are entitled to be a bit annoyed with what went off this afternoon. That’s the feeling I’m getting from people on here and leaving the ground , annoyance, we’ve all been buzzing all week , looking forward to a good game of football and it turned out to be very very dull.

[Misnomer]

 JonB, on 11 May 2025 - 06:10 PM, said:

Glad you aren’t picking the side!

As opposed to what, Jon? Same again? It didn't work, and won't work. Are people telling me, these professional footballers can't use their other foot? I don't really care who's on what side of the pitch, we can't set up against them like we just have.

[Rodders]

 Bluekent, on 11 May 2025 - 06:01 PM, said:

No one came out of it looking great , we looked out of our depth , game passed us by , metcalf put himself about a bit but it still wasn’t enough. So so disappointing. Didn’t show up in our biggest game. Not seen any interviews but I hope they come out and admit we were just poor on the day. We need to get at them from the off Friday. Early goal and they will panic. They’ve been awful for months but we let them build confidence today. So so annoyed 😂


Were you happy with the performance?

I don't think we did ourselves justice and the occasion got to a few players. We had our chances and it was always going to be hard to break Walsall down once they scored. Hopefully we will be able to turn in one of our early season away performances on Friday.

[Mr_Pleasant]

 JonB, on 11 May 2025 - 06:09 PM, said:

He picked the side that has got us to today and you can’t start two lads who are just back from injury having missed a fair while in the case of Sparkes. They’ll start Friday but don’t think he did anything wrong not starting them today.

I don’t think we’re out of it by a long shot. We weren’t great but neither were they. Penalty and got a bit of luck we didn’t get on numerous occasions with a ball dropping nicely to one of theirs to shoot. Second half they offered nothing really as we huffed and puffed and didn’t pass it that well. We have to score the first goal on Friday but if we do they will not be comfortable.

Side note for the ref who I thought handled the time management of the game appallingly. Vague wafts of his hand towards their keeper to hurry up, did nothing about the constant falling to the ground, turned his back on play as they messed about restarting play including more than once changing the ball they were using to take a throw in and just general letting them just kill the game which partly went towards us never getting a head of steam up.

Ref was a bit weak. I've seen worse. And, whilst we all look at it with blue tinted specs, how he didn't book Fleck after 10 mins for his foul was beyond belief.

5 minutes injury time in the second half was a disgrace though. He'd allowed the same amount of time in the first half, and there had been numerous subs in the second half on top of at least the same amount of stoppages.

[spireitetoo]

 Mr Mercury, on 11 May 2025 - 06:03 PM, said:

I think today showed that Fleck and Fadz probably shouldn’t be offered a gig next year. Metcalfe and Sparkes, yep I’d like to see both back here, Ajuro possibly as well. Pepple Canada bound it seems and sorry but I don’t really want to see Olakigbe again, but wish him all the best.

Aurajo ? Why, he's supposedly fit, yet can't get a game ahead of 2 30+ yr old, and another 30+ yr old on the bench, .. he's clearly not showing enough in training

This post has been edited by spireitetoo: Yesterday, 06:21 PM