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Just got back from the game thread...


Saint Garrett

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Actually didnt think we played that badly tonight, created a lot more chances than what I have seen recently. I think Schneiderlin was going to be a key player for us tonight...and then got taken off injured so had to resort to hoof ball.

 

Chaplow had his worst game for us tonight, was poor at pretty much everything. Hammond didnt offer much although I thought he was one of the few players to actually want to get the ball down and play it, but rarely saw it.

 

Lambert needs to ball to his feet. I get the feeling he is getting fed up with just being given **** service and the ball just being hoofed up to him all game. We looked a lot better up front with Barnard up there, rather than Guly, will be gutted if Guly walks back into the team when fit. Yes Barnard missed a few chances, but atleast he got himself in those positions to miss them, and I think it will come, given a few games in a row.

 

I lost count as to how many times that Butterfield hoofed the ball tonight. He literally had no other option because there wasn't really anyone offering from midfield i.e. like Schneiderlin does sitting in front of the back 4.

 

Thought Chamberlain was a bit of a 'desparate' substitution and got the impression Adkins expected him to come on and create something, even though N'Guessen didnt have a bad game out there on the wing. He had a few good runs even if he looked like he never had the ball under control!

 

Gutted we didnt get the result and pretty sure I should stop going to away games this season...

 

Bristol Rovers 4-0 W

Swindon 1-0 L

Sheff Wed 1-0 W

Huddersfield 2-0 L

Tranmere 2-0 L

Hartlepool 0-0 D

Walsall 1-0 L

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Yep agree pretty much, the third time I have seen us lose away from home this season.

We were like pumped up school kids tonight. No composure or guile. We descended to their pace and looked completely at sea.

We were the better side by far but we just looked so desperate.

Adkins has not added much in the way of organisation in my opinion and I had more confidence in the team 12 months ago.

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Agree with the post above...

 

Not seen us have so many chances and not score for a very long time. At half time I was confident we would go on and win the game. Unfortunately we came up against a Walsall defence that flung themselves in front of everything. Jimmy Walker (Walsall keeper) being announced as man of the match explains everything. I think we had 3 or 4 shots cleared off the line.

 

Should have had a penalty I might add, clear hand ball by their defender.

 

Referee - Although I don't blame him for the lose tonight, I thought he let them get away with murder. Ledesma constantly diving around like a fairy and arguing, and then the blatant time wasting which started just after they scored.

 

Got to stick with Barnard next game, he is so much more of a handful than Guly ever will be.

 

Lastly, I heard all this stuff when we got Adkins in about playing in a good attractive style, well I would like to ask where this attractive style is? The last three away games I've seen we have resorted to hoofing it upfield!!!

Edited by SaintNeil90
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Yep agree pretty much, the third time I have seen us lose away from home this season.

We were like pumped up school kids tonight. No composure or guile. We descended to their pace and looked completely at sea.

We were the better side by far but we just looked so desperate.

Adkins has not added much in the way of organisation in my opinion and I had more confidence in the team 12 months ago.

 

Exactly how I feel. This time last year I was confident we would get a result, even in away games, now I don't know what to expect and have no confidence in us winning away from home. Hate to say it but we were a far far better team under Pardew!

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Agree with the post above...

 

Not seen us have so many chances and not score for a very long time. At half time I was confident we would go on and win the game. Unfortunately we came up against a Walsall defence that flung themselves in front of everything. Jimmy Walker (Walsall keeper) being announced as man of the match explains everything. I think we had 3 or 4 shots cleared off the line.

 

Should have had a penalty I might add, clear hand ball by their defender.

 

Referee - Although I don't blame him for the lose tonight, I thought he let them get away with murder. Ledesma constantly diving around like a fair and arguing, and then the blatant time wasting which started just after they scored.

 

Got to stick with Barnard next game, he is so much more of a handful than Guly ever will be.

 

Lastly, I heard all this stuff when we got Adkins in about playing in a good attractive style, well I would like to ask where this attractive style is? The last three away games I've seen we have resorted to hoofing it upfield!!!

 

He said in his post match interview that there was "no point in tip-tapping it around tonight"...or words to that effect....

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He said in his post match interview that there was "no point in tip-tapping it around tonight"...or words to that effect....

 

Probably because our main passer of the ball went off injured....

 

I'd also like to add that we have seemed to be playing much worse football while Jaidi has been in the side and Seaborne out of it. Atleast Seaborne actually thinks what he is going to do with it, not just aimlessly hoof it.

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He said in his post match interview that there was "no point in tip-tapping it around tonight"...or words to that effect....

 

The only times we really threatened them and worried them was when we played the ball along the ground. The fact we lost shows that saying there was no point in top-tapping it around was wrong.

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Yep, pretty much how I saw it. Very disappointed that Morgan went off early and we resorted to pumping it long. We struggled to get the ball to feet and it spent a lot of time bouncing around without being under control. Despite this we still created plenty of chances (mainly through pressure rather than incisive football) but bad finishing cost us.

 

We also played quite narrow. This meant there was often no wide man for the full backs to use so they ended up hoisting a diagonal ball to Lambert or Barnard.

 

Terrible goal to give away too.

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agree with the above,we really should be breaking down these sort of teams wallsall tranmere and hartlepool are games we should be winning, but we just cant seem to break down stubborn defences

 

fantastic support though 1428 away from home on a tuesday night is brilliant...

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Agree pretty much with what everyone has posted so far, we do seem to lack that killer touch or guile.

I thought Walsall put a lot of sterling effort into their defending which at times bordered on the incredulous, but still the chances went begging.

Going to bed now for a sulk!!

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Just home. There was some great link up play and build up at times, just a shame we squandered our chances. Unfortunately, good football means bugger all if you don't score. Walsall made us pay for that tonight.

 

They didn't even make us pay really, Jaidi gave it to them on a plate. Great finish by Macken though.

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one shot from them all game and they score.although we had plenty of chances,somehow their defence stood firm.fair play their goalkeeper was a fat bastard but he did keep them in it.another night we would have scored 5/6 didnt think our overall play was that good,too much hoof and was well disappointed in chaplow.my opinion but i think lallana might have been better playing a more central role,dont think he had a great time out wide.dont want to sound like a doom merchant but automatic promotion doesnt seem acievable on tonights performance.well done on such a good travelling support on a tuesday,

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They didn't even make us pay really, Jaidi gave it to them on a plate. Great finish by Macken though.

 

I'd say scoring the only goal of the game is making us pay! Know what you mean though. Truly awful header, but on another day he might have connected better and they'd have never scored. On another day we might have put away at least one of our eleven shots on target.

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Doubts have started about Adkins now.

 

Today we were awful, couldn't play it around them and tended to hoof it a lot.

 

Referee was awful too, but not as bad as some fans will make out.

 

Adkins lack of ambition in January will be the reason why we don't win promotion. He mentioned that it's hard to find the right type of players in January to improve the squad - John Forte and N'Guessan did NOT improve the squad one bit. How was it that Pardew managed to get in Fonte while Adkins gets in a Leicester player with the first touch of a rapist and a Sc-unthorpe reject?!

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I prefer this thread to the post match reaction thread - more sensible posts and less drama queens. :)

 

Because it's generally a thread for people that actually go to the game...plus its generally started a few hours after the final whistle, therefore its analysed by us for a while before knee jerk reactions are posted on here...i.e....'how the **** cant we beat ****ing walsall we're ****ing ****, no chance of promotion now, adkins out !'

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Doubts have started about Adkins now.

 

Today we were awful, couldn't play it around them and tended to hoof it a lot.

 

Referee was awful too, but not as bad as some fans will make out.

 

Adkins lack of ambition in January will be the reason why we don't win promotion. He mentioned that it's hard to find the right type of players in January to improve the squad - John Forte and N'Guessan did NOT improve the squad one bit. How was it that Pardew managed to get in Fonte while Adkins gets in a Leicester player with the first touch of a rapist and a Sc-unthorpe reject?!

 

This must be based on all those times you've seen Forte play for us? Mong.

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This must be based on all those times you've seen Forte play for us? Mong.

 

When a set of supporters who are currently facing relegation to League One are happy about you taking one of their players off it doesn't really strike me as a good signing.

 

Jason Puncheon's better - you know, that guy currently playing for a Premier League club. But Adkins couldn't handle his attitude whereas Pardew could...

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When a set of supporters who are currently facing relegation to League One are happy about you taking one of their players off it doesn't really strike me as a good signing.

 

Jason Puncheon's better - you know, that guy currently playing for a Premier League club. But Adkins couldn't handle his attitude whereas Pardew could...

 

You mean, the same Pardew that we lost to the likes of Wycombe, Tranmere and Gillingham under? Yeh, Yeh, Yeh... Get him back. Let's have players in the camp who are going to cause problems and a manager to suit.

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Not 'just' back from the game, but as I was knackered last night I thought I would wait till this morning.

I thought we did play well, but as soon as their keeper made the wonder save from Fonte in the 2nd half you had the feeling it was going to be 'one of those nights'. Losing Morgan in the first 10 minutes had a huge effect on the shape of the side. Harding/Lallana and RL all linked well on the left, but Butterfield didn't really have anyone to feed to on the right. N'Guessan (who reminds me of Antonio, in that I don't think even he is sure what he is doing when he gets the ball) worked hard but I am not sure he really grasped what position he was playing. The whole side seemed to be off balance, most of the play was down on the left which meant that Walsall just packed that side. When we switched it to the right we looked dangerous but we didn't do it enough.

 

Macken took his goal well and their keeper (although a fatboy) was like Gordon Banks...One of those games that we battered them but wouldn't have scored if we had played for another 90 minutes.

 

It's not the end of the world but it does put more pressure on the Bompey and Charlton games.

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I prefer this thread to the post match reaction thread - more sensible posts and less drama queens. :)

 

Very true. Didn't post as soon as I got home as the forum was so full of cr@p.

 

We played good football, made 20 chances but paid the price for not putting any away. We defended well. They only had 3 chances and scored from the one put on a plate for them (but he took it well).

 

Give Walsall credit for unbelievable defending at times. And when a keeper has a night like that you somehow know you're not going to score.

 

Felt sorry for Jaidi. He had a great game and yet made the one error that gave them the game. Wouldn't blame him though - can't say exactly where the through ball would have finished if he hadn't got in the way (as he does again and again) but it could well have still given them a chance.

 

We lost Morgan early and I think that was key to not getting a more controlled grip on the game. Also if he's scored when he got injured it could have started a landslide. Let's hope the injury's not bad.

 

Barnard must start. His holdup play was great and he did everything but score. Should have had a freekick on the edge of the area at the end too, but waved away by one of the most biased (or just incompetent?) refs I've seen (like the clear pen), and yes, I was at Tranmere last season. This one was way down there at that level, determined to back the little club against the loud supporters.

 

To all the doom merchants. Just look at the table. It's nowhere near over yet.

Edited by Shroppie
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Very true. Didn't post as soon as I got home as the forum was so full of cr@p.

 

We played good football, made 20 chances but paid the price for not putting any away. We defended well. They only had 3 chances and scored from the one purt on a plate for them (but he took it well).

 

Give Walsall credit for unbelievable defending at times. And when a keeper has a night like that you somehow know you're not going to score.

 

Felt sorry for Jaidi. He had a great game and yet made the one error that gave them the game. Wouldn't blame him though - can't say exactly where the through ball would have finished if he hadn't got in the way (as he does again and again) but it could well have still given them a chance.

 

We lost Morgan early and I think that was key to not getting a more controlled grip on the game. Also if he's scored when he got injured it could have started a landslide. Let's hope the injury's not bad.

 

Barnard must start. His holdup play was great and he did everything but score. Should have had a freekick on the edge of the area at the end too, but waved away by one of the most biased (or just incompetent?) refs I've seen (like the clear pen), and yes, I was at Tranmere last season. This one was way down there at that level, determined to back the little club against the loud supporters.

 

To all the doom merchants. Just look at the table. It's nowhere near over yet.

 

Got to disagree. I thought we played hoof ball not good football. Its not over, but we are not doing ourselves any favours.

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I quite enjoyed it in a 'standing-under-a-cold-shower-tearing-up-ten-pound-notes' sort of a way.

 

New ground, decent turn-out from Saints, typically rumbustuous lower-league game, lots of grunt and graft from both sides, thrills and spills all the way in the second half, a fat keeper that had a Tomaczeski of a game, and a dodgy ref too - what more could you want from a game of football in league one?

 

I'm not sure that NA can do much more with the hand he's been dealt? He picked the team most people on here would have gone for (Jaidi for the physical away game, Harding over Dickson, he started Schneiderlin and kept Chaplow in too, he started Barnard over Gully, he has Lallana coming back to fitness; the early change was forced by injury and N'Guess did 'OK' ie no better or no worse than most other Saints players, AOC no great impact when he came on).

 

Adkin's was also hampered in the January window, it looks like he identified players but it's fairly clear Saints either a) haven't got any money or b) won't pay the prices being asked - I think we have to very quickly (ie this summer) get our collective heads around the fact that we will 'always' be asked to pay more for our players, and if AOC does go for silly money then that situation will only get worse rather than better.

 

We are also playing under the weight of ridiculous expectation (manager/players/fans) - how does NC's mooted plans for a 40k-50k stadium and talk of the Champions League help the current situation? Let's be quietly ambitious, but let's make sure we deal with the reality of finding a way of picking up 90 points in a Division 3 season first.

 

I constantly hear and read that 'Saints have the best squad in this league', 'Saints would come top 6 in the league above' etc etc ... all that counts for diddly squat when the Walsall goal lives the sort of charmed life it did last night.

 

Too many fans seem to completely over-look that the other side has something to play for too, and shock! horror! they also have decent players who put in a shift; in the last 2 and a half weeks I've seen Saints twice, Harlepool, Walsall, Charlton twice, Peterborough, and Exeter and across those 4 games I think it's fair to conclude that there is very little difference between the teams in the league and on their day 'all can beat all'.

 

Saints have lacked 'consistency' for years and that's probably the key thing you need for promtion and it appears it may be the one thing that money can't buy.

 

Not sure where we go from here - we could still finish almost anywwhere from 2nd to 10th(!) - the club motto? 'Never easy, never dull'.

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I would say not bad. Made a couple of key blocks and clearances but was usually beaten by Ricky in the air. Couldn't handle LB but got masses of help from the ref.

 

Noticed on a couple of occasions when we had a goal kick, Rickie would run to Lancashire, wave his arms about Adkins-style then point to the top his head. I don't remember Lambert losing out on an aerial challenge all game.

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waited until this morning to post.. Very disappointing last night. If we were given the same chances in another game on another day we would easily have scored 5 or 6. Their keeper made save after save and when he was beaten, their centre backs were in the way of everything. Lancashire actually played very well! Chaplow had the worst game in a Saints shirt so far I think. Barnard must start from now, his movement and workrate is much better. If we had played the ball on the deck last night then we would have got round them and in behind a bit more. Well done on all who went last night, as others have said, 1,400 up there on a Tuesday night is outstanding. Shame we didn't make much noise though.

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waited until this morning to post.. Very disappointing last night. If we were given the same chances in another game on another day we would easily have scored 5 or 6. Their keeper made save after save and when he was beaten, their centre backs were in the way of everything. Lancashire actually played very well! Chaplow had the worst game in a Saints shirt so far I think. Barnard must start from now, his movement and workrate is much better. If we had played the ball on the deck last night then we would have got round them and in behind a bit more. Well done on all who went last night, as others have said, 1,400 up there on a Tuesday night is outstanding. Shame we didn't make much noise though.

 

Really? on the radio all you could hear were the saints fans singing there heads off.

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Good to read sensible (largely) perspectives from those who were there. You made a great noise too (when Saintsf*ckingplayer didn't switch me to the skates match..insult to injury or what!) and I look forward to Saturday at the utilitarian public bog stadium to see some of our chances going in...or just a lucky off the a*se deflection...I don't care as long as it's in their net.:)

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Last night was 100% better than the performance the previous Tuesday at Hartlepool. Gutted that Morgan went off injured as thought the team he started with was the right choice last night, we had our chances and could easily have scored 4 or 5.

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How did Lancashire play?

 

I switched to listening to the Walsall commentray when Solent packed up and their commentators said he played a blinder, and I quote: "His best game since joining us".

 

I think the word we're looking for is: typical

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Barnard must start. His holdup play was great and he did everything but score. Should have had a freekick on the edge of the area at the end too, but waved away by one of the most biased (or just incompetent?) refs I've seen (like the clear pen

 

The Walsall commentators singled out Barnard's behaviour saying that if he channelled all the energy he spent moaning at the referee into his game then he would be a better player. Perhaps the ref had had enough of Barnard's moaning by the end and didn't give him any benefit of the doubt, such as the free-kick shout you mention, as a way of saying: "you give me lip all game sonny Jim and I'll see that you don't get 50/50 decisions"?

 

Perhaps the Walsall commentators made a valid observation that Barnard's rumbustious character can be counter-productive at times?

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I didn't go last night, but this thread is 1000 times more useful than the post-match thread. Always glad to read the comments of those that saw the game - even if I don't always agree! - rather than those who listened to Solent or just saw the result.

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The Walsall commentators singled out Barnard's behaviour saying that if he channelled all the energy he spent moaning at the referee into his game then he would be a better player. Perhaps the ref had had enough of Barnard's moaning by the end and didn't give him any benefit of the doubt, such as the free-kick shout you mention, as a way of saying: "you give me lip all game sonny Jim and I'll see that you don't get 50/50 decisions"?

 

Perhaps the Walsall commentators made a valid observation that Barnard's rumbustious character can be counter-productive at times?

 

I take your point but he certainly had a lot to moan about.

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I quite enjoyed it in a 'standing-under-a-cold-shower-tearing-up-ten-pound-notes' sort of a way.

 

New ground, decent turn-out from Saints, typically rumbustuous lower-league game, lots of grunt and graft from both sides, thrills and spills all the way in the second half, a fat keeper that had a Tomaczeski of a game, and a dodgy ref too - what more could you want from a game of football in league one?

 

I'm not sure that NA can do much more with the hand he's been dealt? He picked the team most people on here would have gone for (Jaidi for the physical away game, Harding over Dickson, he started Schneiderlin and kept Chaplow in too, he started Barnard over Gully, he has Lallana coming back to fitness; the early change was forced by injury and N'Guess did 'OK' ie no better or no worse than most other Saints players, AOC no great impact when he came on).

 

Adkin's was also hampered in the January window, it looks like he identified players but it's fairly clear Saints either a) haven't got any money or b) won't pay the prices being asked - I think we have to very quickly (ie this summer) get our collective heads around the fact that we will 'always' be asked to pay more for our players, and if AOC does go for silly money then that situation will only get worse rather than better.

 

We are also playing under the weight of ridiculous expectation (manager/players/fans) - how does NC's mooted plans for a 40k-50k stadium and talk of the Champions League help the current situation? Let's be quietly ambitious, but let's make sure we deal with the reality of finding a way of picking up 90 points in a Division 3 season first.

 

I constantly hear and read that 'Saints have the best squad in this league', 'Saints would come top 6 in the league above' etc etc ... all that counts for diddly squat when the Walsall goal lives the sort of charmed life it did last night.

 

Too many fans seem to completely over-look that the other side has something to play for too, and shock! horror! they also have decent players who put in a shift; in the last 2 and a half weeks I've seen Saints twice, Harlepool, Walsall, Charlton twice, Peterborough, and Exeter and across those 4 games I think it's fair to conclude that there is very little difference between the teams in the league and on their day 'all can beat all'.

 

Saints have lacked 'consistency' for years and that's probably the key thing you need for promtion and it appears it may be the one thing that money can't buy.

 

Not sure where we go from here - we could still finish almost anywwhere from 2nd to 10th(!) - the club motto? 'Never easy, never dull'.

 

Shock horror. The voice of sanity.

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I too, waited to post, getting home and reading the crap posted by the radio listeners......... just couldnt be bothered to post last night. Thought we played some decent stuff at times, the way we worked the openings especialy in the first half was a joy to watch, we simply tore their defence apart, what was in 4 or 5 one on ones with their keeper? Ok all were coming in from the angle and all hit the target with the exception of Hammond hitting the side netting, but we passed the ball through them. We did resort to lumping it in the 2nd half, but we still created chances. As has been said their goal had a charmed life last night. Thought overall we played well for an away team, dominated, created loads of chances, we just didnt finish off the game.......... Still 15 games to go........... it is not over til the fat lady sings!!

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Definite case of throwing the kitchen sink at them second half but fair play to Walsall they defended like they had been told before kick off "If you concede a goal you will be taken out the back of the stadium put against the wall and shot". At times they defended like Ice Hockey players or even Presidential bodyguards.

Felt sorry for Jaidhi as always he was solid, but one ball skewing off the wrong part of his head landed at the Johnny on the spot Walsall player who did what he was paid to do.

Seen better refs in my life, as usual Rickie gets climbed all over and gets nothing goes shoulder to shoulder with a player and its a foul!!?? What the players have to learn is to be polite to officials when asking or doubting their intelligence, Chaplow and Lallana got cheap bookings for obvious dissent, the refs haste to his pocket means a few effs & jeffs were included in "how is that handball ref?".

 

Frustrating given the chances we created, what sometimes compounds the frustration is the desire being a fan for the team to do well....... Still I have now been inside the Stadium I have driven past so many times on the M6.

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Definite case of throwing the kitchen sink at them second half but fair play to Walsall they defended like they had been told before kick off "If you concede a goal you will be taken out the back of the stadium put against the wall and shot". At times they defended like Ice Hockey players or even Presidential bodyguards.

Felt sorry for Jaidhi as always he was solid, but one ball skewing off the wrong part of his head landed at the Johnny on the spot Walsall player who did what he was paid to do.

Seen better refs in my life, as usual Rickie gets climbed all over and gets nothing goes shoulder to shoulder with a player and its a foul!!?? What the players have to learn is to be polite to officials when asking or doubting their intelligence, Chaplow and Lallana got cheap bookings for obvious dissent, the refs haste to his pocket means a few effs & jeffs were included in "how is that handball ref?".

 

Frustrating given the chances we created, what sometimes compounds the frustration is the desire being a fan for the team to do well....... Still I have now been inside the Stadium I have driven past so many times on the M6.

 

Lallana didn't get booked,it was Chaplow and Hammond, their 6th and 9th of the season respectively.Amazed that no-one has picked up on the fact that Hammond is now just 1 yellow away from a 2 matcher with about 7 or 8 games to go before the next

amnesty.

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Lallana didn't get booked,it was Chaplow and Hammond, their 6th and 9th of the season respectively.Amazed that no-one has picked up on the fact that Hammond is now just 1 yellow away from a 2 matcher with about 7 or 8 games to go before the next

amnesty.

 

Bad news - esp. with Morgan looking like he may be out long term, and no idea on the injury status to Guly....we may get to see Fonte in midfield after all!

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Bad news - esp. with Morgan looking like he may be out long term, and no idea on the injury status to Guly....we may get to see Fonte in midfield after all!

 

Derry will be pleased,unfortunately our defence would become inordinately weak. No doubt that if Deano should cop a 2 matcher

then Dickson will be pressed into service in midfield again. One thing that I wouldn't care to see is Lallana or Ox playing CM with Chaplow in the holding role, wouldn't be pretty at all.

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Lallana got booked in the right corner in the 2nd half

 

BBC has it down to Hammond though and the Brummie commentators said it was Hammond booked as well. We'll have to see though because in the disciplinary stats Hammond is on 9 as if it was he who'd been booked last night.

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