[JonB]

dtp, on 12 May 2025 - 08:20 AM, said:

Did he only sustain 2 injuries?

I thought it was more.

The one in the first half after he had been poleaxed without anybody being in close proximity to him for 10 minutes looked extremely bad and I was surprised he was able to carry on but he bravely did!!!

Think it was particularly telling how despite his instant falls and look of injury that Sadler at no point sent his reserve keeper out to warm up so either the reserve keeper is just ready to go at all times or, as we know, he was taking the urine!

[clarevoyant.]

F'in Walsall How many times have they had the rub of the green over us in big games?

You knew what was coming after 5 minutes when Grigg had been pushed in the back twice in full few of everyone, but the ref fell short of acknowledging it.
Walsall had sussed his tolerance levels.

Walsall had 2 breaks and took advantage, we had 2 up to the point of the pen (it was and isnt it a wondrous thing how a penalty award can change the course of the game)but failed. If only we'd got the first goal!!
Couldn't the ref see what as everyone else could what a wind up merchant the 'ashmore' clone was. If he had clamped down on him in the first half would it have avoided all the 2nd half shenanigans? Yet again we could face punishment for a professional footballer and his coaching staff going out with the intention of winding up snotty nosed kids to gain an advantage in a game of football knowing full well the ref isn't capable of dealing with it. Pathetic Walsall.
Time keeping what a farce, 10 subs (does the 30 seconds per sub guidelines still apply Thommo?) that's your 5 minutes then obviously the time outs and keeper antics were all a myth. Oh and one throw in during the 5 took nearly a minute. Walsall took the p all afternoon and he did nowt.Mind we wouldn't have scored if we were still playing now. It wasn't to be (yet he says optimistically).


It's ironic, we must be the only club to have a keeper booked in the first 30ish minutes for time wasting at Walsall and the ref goes of injured and we have to suffer a performance ashmore would have been proud of.The Walsall coaches must be chuffed. He his a good keeper though, for his professional sake he needs a move.

I blame Bernie Wright

Well let's show how we hold the mantle for 3 nil or greater victories.

Highlight of the game, the refs posing in showing PC his yellow card.

This post has been edited by clarevoyant.: Today, 09:00 AM

[Bonnyman]

We need Mandy central pulling the strings, he is a machine at present but has a noose round his neck at fullback, pity we signed donacien who is made of balsa , shove dobra on the left Mandy in the 10 role and have matcslfe and Naylor holding, drop fleck , not sure on the right hand side don’t really like anyone in that position

[jonnythespireite]

Bonnyman, on 12 May 2025 - 09:15 AM, said:

We need Mandy central pulling the strings, he is a machine at present but has a noose round his neck at fullback, pity we signed donacien who is made of balsa , shove dobra on the left Mandy in the 10 role and have matcslfe and Naylor holding, drop fleck , not sure on the right hand side don’t really like anyone in that position

so who's playing right back and right of the three then?

[dtp]

jonnythespireite, on 12 May 2025 - 09:18 AM, said:

so who's playing right back and right of the three then?

Don’t go with a RB.

Play 3 at the back which allows Mandeville to get further forward.

We need to score some goals. They rely on their big lads getting on the end of long throws, corners, and big boots up field. We have a big lad who would be in his element defending against that sat on the bench.

[lindave]

On Friday we just need the fighting spirit we showed against Bradford. 2 goals down twice and got a deserved draw.

[Misnomer]

 jack bauer, on 11 May 2025 - 09:53 PM, said:

dobs to start? he is the one who can break the lines, it's a tough one because we need to win 2-0 in 90+ minutes, that gets us to extra time, given dobs is coming back from injury and today was his first football for a month do you play him from the start and accept he won't make 120 mins or do you bring him on in the hope he can do his magic against tired legs and then some.

Yep 100%, at them early; not into Sadler's hands with the obvious set-up.

Personally, with what we need to achieve, I'd go 3-4-2-1...

You're automatically occupying one bank of four and slipping two in behind them and infront of the the defensive four (roaming), which will then pull Walsall all over the place. Walsall can box-up all they like, but they'll then be overloaded in wider areas, which we want, because we need to create the space for chances. But what do I know....

Sparkes Fadz Palmer

Colclough Metcalfe Naylor Duffy

Dobra Mandeville

Grigg

Summat like that.

[hilly81]

Misnomer, on 12 May 2025 - 09:38 AM, said:

Yep 100%, at them early; not into Sadler's hands with the obvious set-up.

Personally, with what we need to achieve, I'd go 3-4-2-1...

You're automatically occupying one bank of four and slipping two in behind them and infront of the the defensive four (roaming), which will then pull Walsall all over the place. Walsall can box-up all they like, but they'll then be overloaded in wider areas, which we want, because we need to create the space for chances. But what do I know....

Sparkes Fadz Palmer

Colclough Metcalfe Naylor Duffy

Dobra Mandeville

Grigg

Summat like that.

What in the Lindave 11 is this?!

[Misnomer]

 hilly81, on 12 May 2025 - 09:43 AM, said:

What in the Lindave 11 is this?!

It's exactly how Bradford set up against us and we only got back into that match against them, when we switched to their set up - that's what in the Lindave 11 it is. Weren't you at that game?

[hilly81]

Misnomer, on 12 May 2025 - 09:49 AM, said:

It's exactly how Bradford set up against us and we only got back into that match against them, when we switched to their set up - that's what in the Lindave 11 it is. Weren't you at that game?

Sparkes on the right of a back 3 and we may as well just not bother.

[born in 1866]

Nice to see Jeff King and Harry Tyrer at the match........... Once a Spireite...........

[Misnomer]

 hilly81, on 12 May 2025 - 10:03 AM, said:

Sparkes on the right of a back 3 and we may as well just not bother.

FFS OBVIOUSLY, he'd be on the left.

[hilly81]

Misnomer, on 12 May 2025 - 10:03 AM, said:

FFS OBVIOUSLY, he'd be on the left.

Sparkes on the left of a back 3 and we may as well not bother.

[dim view]

hilly81, on 12 May 2025 - 10:06 AM, said:

Sparkes on the left of a back 3 and we may as well not bother.

Gordon is excellent defensively. He's a Jules clone - the best CH at the club.

[JonB]

So people think Sparkes best attribute is his attacking play and crosses into the box so you stick him at left centre back in a back three?

[Exharboroughspireite]

said somewhere else. lets do something unexpected. 3511

boot

mandeville
palmer
grimes
mcfadzean
sparkes

metcalfe
naylor
fleck

dobra
grigg

[BreadNoButter]

There’s no game more needing of cookie to not be stubborn more than Friday, change it totally. Let’s be real, we’ve not beaten Walsall in 3 games, Sadler has got cooks number it’s now time for his plan B if he’s got one or it will be 4 we’ve failed to beat them! If we want to play 1 up top and pass it round at back, side to side then it’ll just be what Walsall expect and what they want.

[Hong Kong Spireite]

 dart in the crossbar, on 12 May 2025 - 07:37 AM, said:

25 minutes to half time. From re-watching sky

It looked like a high foot v Colclough at the start of the move that led to their goal. Not given. Naylor stood off their boy Asiimwe, Metcalfe then stood off their boy who got the ball from Asiimwe, then Mandeville stood off their lad before he fouled him. It was a penno, The problem started when we gave them time and space to pick passes in dangerous areas. A very poor goal to concede.

Mandeville put in a good through pass to a forward running Metcalfe into their box (rather than giving the ball to Palmer). Their defender caught Metcalfe and got the ball. A very good tackle. Best one in the second period by some way.

Olakigbe struggled to control the ball and made little progress against the closing down of their players when he had the ball.

Metcalfe and Mandeville were the main midfield outlets. They usually gave the ball back to Palmer.

McFadzean cut out a through ball that would have put them in on goal

Mandeville stood off their boy who crosse the ball for their 2nd goal.

The ball could have gone anywhere when their boy shot and scored

Fleck's first touch and passing was poor at times in the second period

Palmer cleaned out their lad as he was threatening to run down the wing. Should have been a yellow.

We sometimes had the ball in potentially dangerous positions (eg halfway into their half and on the left). We sometimes gave the ball back to our CHs and then slowed the game down. We sometimes ended up in weaker positions that where we started from and with less momentum.

They didn't look better footballers than us on the ball. They closed down better. They moved the ball into dangerous positions better.

Ref did ok

The problems included standing off when they were in threatening positions (the two goals), a lack of forward progress down Olakigbe's wing and a lack of forward progress through the centre.

More to follow

Football at the higher levels is all about decision making and although I’d agree we probably have better players than them technically, their players made better decisions than ours on the day.


They look a fairly limited side that are tactically organised and work very hard for each other, kind of similar to how we were under John Duncan for large periods, so I definitely don’t feel this tie is over. I think have to score first and before half time in the 2nd leg though, otherwise I think we’re done.

[Siberian Spireite]

Did something go off with their keeper after the match? I heard some odd reaction as I was walking out

[Bonnyman]

 jonnythespireite, on 12 May 2025 - 09:18 AM, said:

so who's playing right back and right of the three then?

I’d go pepple and put Gordon at right back sparked left, gamble but we need to gamble , where’s madden gone?