A Walsall FC Web Blog

Merse-2-Go

2006-01-04T20:09:00.000+01:00

Bristol City 3-0 Walsall

2006-01-02T22:08:00.000+01:00

Awful. What more can I say?

R.I.P. Walsall FC

2005-12-30T15:19:00.000+01:00

For the first time in my life (I'm 27), I am totally and utterly disillusioned and fed up with the goings-on at our club, a club who appear to be on a steady decline with no sign of things changing over the next couple of years. What makes it worse is that a simple slight change would see us be a prominent force in this awful division. The sad thing is that I can't see it happening.

Basically, we have a totally inept manager. A likeable person but someone not fit to be in charge of a single person, yet alone a football club. Gambler and Alcoholic (although I'm not going to keep quoting this in my anti-Merson tirade) and someone with no discipline, no organisation, no tactical nous and simply no idea. Add to that his backroom staff - a multitude of player coaches with no coaching badges or experience and a physio who is frankly a joke. When he is not making gestures to opposing supporters he is pissing about in the pre-match warm up. Laughing, joking and trying kick-ups instead of getting his troops ready for a game. You can imagine the larking around that he and Merson get up to during training. All Mr Bonser needs to do is to get rid of Merson (and then Whitney will follow suit) and we'd have more than a chance. You can see the club is a joke, I can imagine training (and I use the term loosely) is just a laugh, we have pre-match trips to Amsterdam and team bonding trips in the pub. Players are told not to attend other players' testimonial dinners. It all reeks of unprofessionalism from top to bottom. Colin Lee brought in a total professionalism from top to bottom and made us think and act like a Championship club. All his work has been undone and we are now a farce.

Experienced pro's (regardless of how we feel of them as players) like Westwood, Smith and Staunton are all deemed to be unhappy. Why? Because they've obviously been at other clubs, they know how a club should work, they know the need to be professional and they must think the whole club is a joke. Decent professionals like Ian Roper just do their job without a ounce of enjoyment. Watch Roper on a Saturday, he doesn't celebrate when we score, when we win and just doesn't seem to enjoy himself. If he was a little more confident he'd want out. Only 5 mths ago, Merson was slating him and lining up a loan move to Bristol Rovers. Would Jorge be so quick to leave if he was happy with things at Walsall? Perhaps playing him in his proper position may have helped.

We have a the nucleus of a good team and some excellent youngsters. Seeing as we are going nowhere fast then we appear set to lose Fryatt for sure and possibly Bennett and Fox. Gerrard will be next and we'll be in dissaray. If we were going places (which we would be under any disciplined and organised manager) then they'd all be happy - maybe even wanting to stay (a la the likes of Trundle)

Fans are more and more disullisioned and are staying away. I personally know dozens of people who no longer go to away games and are more likely than ever to miss home games. This number is likely to be hundreds. That can only be a bad thing. Going to games used to be the highlight of the week, great anticipation and something which I took pleasure from. Now they are a chore. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a game.

It's simple. Merson out and even a quick fix like Nicholl but it's never going to happen. Merson will be staying for a good while. As for me, well I might as well give up wasting my hard earned money and time watching a total inept clown ruin something that I love. Walsall FC.

Bradford 2-0 Walsall

2005-12-28T22:23:00.000+01:00

It will be a replica of Colin Lee's last season. Decent run up until Christmas with hopes of a play off berth, a dismal Christmas and New Year period, players leaving and then apalling run of defeats.

We're 10/1 for the drop, 6 points is nothing and a lot of the teams down there are slowly picking up points (Tranmere, Bristol City, even Vale last night) League Two beckons. I can feel it. Congratulations Merson.

Supporters View of the Day - Nottingham

2005-12-11T13:34:00.000+01:00

I forgot to add a bit about my day in Nottingham yesterday. I was armed with my wife (for a change but she likes these 'big' games) so Hooters was out of the question (to my dismay) so we plumped for Nottingham City Centre to begin with - having arrived around 12.00pm - and I impressed the missus by taking her to the Pitcher and Piano which is a redeveloped church and very swish. If I was still courting then this is the kind of place I'd be going to impress the ladies. A quick stop in the Hogshead on the way down and then quick bus-ride to the ground and we went, as did many other Saddlers, to the Larwood and Voice where we presided until right up to kick-off. It was an enjoyable day all-round (the £21 admission aside), Nottingham is a pretty decent city and the Larwood was most welcoming.

Anyway, the reason I posted the above is to try and persuade fellow Saddlers to add their thoughts about the pubs/Nottingham lifestyle in the 'Comments' section below or to email me any photo's they may have taken during the day. Send them to me at wfcsaddlers@hotmail.com and I'll post the best ones (if we get any at all) on this site. Pictures from Hooters much appreciated.

A tale of 10 fighters and an idiotic schoolboy.

2005-12-11T12:59:00.000+01:00

Nottingham Forest 1-1 Walsall

Well, our hoodoo over Forest continues as they failed once again to beat us despite the stupidity of Ishmel Demontagnac which left us to play two-thirds of the game with only 10 men (some would say with 9 men seeing as a half-fit Merson plodded up and down the left-wing for much of the game). Merson's egotistical team selection was again evident as he picked himself to play behind the lone striker with Jorge either injured or left out in the cold.

Still, we started as well as we could have hoped for. Fryatt nodding home the gaffer's pin-point corner after only a few minutes and it was looking to be quite a good and even game until Ishmel decided to retaliate to a tackle, raised his fists and was duly given his marching orders by a referee with little alternative. Ishmel then threw a wobbly, had words with Merson, had a scuffle with Kinsella on the bench and then kicked out at our physio before wandering down the tunnel to leave his team mates with a massive task.

A task which they were more than up to. Forest dominated possession from this point forward but a combination of their creative inadequacy and our dogged defensive display left them starved of real chances from open play. Set-pieces were a different matter entirely and we were indebted to two world class saves from Murphy but it was seemingly only a matter of time before Forest capitalised via one of their set-pieces and Breckin soon fired home a fierce header to put the match at all-square.

Now we feared the worst, Forest again dominated possession but failed to create anything further in the first half and a similar pattern followed in the second with Forest having what seemed like 75% of the possession but it was mainly to pass the ball across midfield. When they did fire the ball into the box Roper and Gerrard were outstanding and the back four as a whole restricted Forest to only long range efforts, most of which landed in the Trent End or were straight at Murphy. We defended stoutly to see out the game, Forest threw on Jack Lester (who must be a better option than Taylor?) and Eugene Dadi but to no great effect and Tyson seemed the only likely scorer but he too disappointed me on the day. He looked sharp enough but was very one-footed. Fryatt on the other hand had one of his better performances as the lone striker, always fighting for the ball, holding the ball up well and trying to create limited chances with virtually no support.

So, it finished 1-1. I do think the celebrations in the away end were a little much considering we are 15th in a very poor division. Okay, we got a good point but we've got to defend at the 'smaller' grounds as well as we did in front of 20,000 people. Also, Merson's belly salute to the Forest fans at the end of the game reeked of unprofessionalism. He'd done his job as a manager pretty well today so just leave it at that eh Merse?

I'm sure my 'colleague' at the Forest Blog may have seen things differently. Other Forest thoughts can be found here

Man United now sponsored by Easyjet - in and out of Europe in 90 minutes.

2005-12-08T13:26:00.000+01:00

It shouldn't be funny as I usually support English clubs in Europe but this time it's hilarious.

You win one, you lose one...

2005-12-07T15:18:00.000+01:00

Oldham 2-1 Walsall (Kris Taylor)

Match Reports - Official Site, Hopeless 'fifth straight defeat' BBC, Birmingham Post

Fans Thoughts at UpTheSaddlers.com

So, where do we go from here following last night's abject performance at Boundary Park - another in the long line of shit performances away from Bescot. Our current league form reads something along the lines of LWLWLWL and it doesn't take Carol Vorderman to work out exactly which of these games were away from home and which were at Bescot.

This was my first away game for some time yet I could have predicted the pattern of play even before I had even sat down. We'll start with one formation, start ok, then begin giving possession away cheaply, Leitao moves to midfield, concede a goal, change the formation, Leitao moves alongside Fryatt, chase the game, make substitutions, change the formation, move Leitao to wide-midfield, concede a cheap goal, rally and make a few chances, score and get the crowd excited, waste the final chance, change formation, put Leitao into a central striking role and push Murphy up for corners. Lose.

That paragraph (I'm told) could have been used following any of our last five away games. Why doesn't Merson stick with a settled side and formation?? 4-5-1 worked perfectly away from home at times last season why not use it and stick to it? Okay, Matty isn't perhaps the quickest or best at leading the line but if he's well supported by Skora and Leitao then it could work surely? We only played Leitao up front on his own against the Albion when we won 4-1 but he was so well assisted by Corica and Merson that we didn't notice. Anyone can play on their own up front if the movement and support is there.

Merson's tactics board must look something like this before the game and Leitao must have been in more positions than an Amsterdam whore (or Jodie Marsh giving me an excellent opportunity to sign off with a picture of the Essex girl who we all detest but would still sleep with).

Merson's Tactics Board (if he even uses one)

Forest away on Saturday. No point predicting anything as I mentioned the word 'away' which equals 'defeat'

Bescot Babes

2005-12-06T14:09:00.000+01:00

Well, while I've been away there's finally been something worth watching at Bescot; and I don't mean anything to do with those clowns who ply their trade on a Saturday afternoon.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you with the BESCOT BABES (well, some of them are - some are distinctly average)

Group Shot

All the girls can be found on the IT Models Website. Personally, Layla and Jasmine are my faves. Who is yours?

They've even chipped in for local rivals Hednesford Town...

It's been a while...

2005-12-05T14:05:00.000+01:00

Apologies Saddlers, various work commitments (including being posted out to Gothenburg for three months off and on) have led to a four month break from postings. I cannot apologise enough, it's sods law that I start up this blog and then - vamoosh - I'm given a new job and new commitments.

Anyway, here's to much more regular postings from this day forward....

Rotherham 1-2 Walsall

2005-08-07T10:04:00.000+01:00

Match Report & Fans Thoughts

Well, an hours drive, a decent enough pub, copious pre-match pints and three points. Disappointing ratio of attractive female fans on both sides, the pub was full yet I would have only slept with the one barmaid and none of the punters. Quite disappointing (and very unusual). Yes my friends, football is well and truly back.

And back with a bang! We certainly started this season brightly and tore into Rotherham from the first whistle. Fryatt storming past their centre half, not once but twice, and then crashing a right foot cross right along the goal-line where Kris Taylor was on hand to prod the ball home from a millimetre. 1-0 to the Saddlers and it was only 3.03pm. We then continued to dominate for a further ten minutes and could have grabbed a couple more goals - we had started with the expected 4-5-1 with a back four full of teenagers (and Pead who looks about 12 anyway), with Matty up front and the usual suspects across a five man midfield.

After the first fifteen minutes domination from the Saddlers, in which Osborn, Taylor and Fryatt were outstanding, the 4-5-1 seemed to work against us. Instead of slick passing, we resorted to long balls towards Matty which the Millers centre-halfs simply lapped up. Then the home side got their act together and started to attack us and really begin to dominate, using a Ronnie Moore-esque physical approach. Fox was having a blinder despite being up against the tricky Campbell-Ryce but got a booking for his troubles when he hacked down the ex Charlton man after seemingly being fouled himself.

Then the inevitable happened, Butler (already a cunt for elbowing Oakes in the face, leaving our goalkeeper virtually unconscious) headed home a Burton cross and the scores were level at 1-1. Probably what both sides deserved from a topsy-turvy first half. Butler celebrated like the typical twat that he is and it was time for a sausage roll and a cup of tea.

Second half continued in the same vein as the back end of the first. Rotherham physically stronger but not quite dominating and the Saddlers, although tidy in parts, having very little say on proceedings. Oakes had one save to make and their 'keeper was basically a spectator. Jorge came on for the ineffective Wright and played on the right hand side of midfield and everyone had settled for a point and was already looking forward to being back in the pub to witness the end of the Flintoff and Pietersen show at Edgbaston.

Then, just as I was looking at my watch and contemplating beating the hoardes to the bar, Jorge lifted a ball high into the sky. I'm not sure whether it was a cross, a shot, a hopeful lob into the stand or what, but it hung in the air for a while, their keeper did his best Andy Petterson impression and it squirmed into the top-corner. The South Stand went beserk, I hugged a fella who smelt as if he hadn't washed since the end of last season and we had won 2-1.

So, it wasn't the best performance I've ever seen and we must improve but it's three very welcome points from a difficult away trip. I usually brace myself for our first away win to come in around February so I'm ecstatic at the moment. The defence held firm with all four young lads impressing (Fox perhaps shading the honours of best defender), Osborn was his typical tidy and effective self and Taylor was the one other midfielder to shine and the only one who tried to help young Matty who played well but was somewhat lost up there on his own. We did tend to resort to the long ball fairly early on and with a young lad whose strength is in his feet and movement and not his heading or upper body strength leading the line will need better service and preferably along the ground.

Millmoor is still the biggest shithole in the world. How I'm glad I don't watch my football there every week. Now I'm off to watch Flintoff skittle out the remaining two Aussies and I'll have had a good weekend.

Apologies

2005-08-06T10:02:00.000+01:00

Well, my blogging debut has got off to a slow start and a heavy workload resulted in the fact that I wasn't able to finish off my look at the rest of the squad so we'll leave that for another time....a time when news is slow and results are poor. Besides, I'll probably have a better perspective of players when I actually see them play. Perhaps, a daily blog is a little optimistic so please keep coming back and sometimes there'll be something new and sometimes there won't be. I'll try my best.

Anyway, the season is only a couple of hours away, the sun is shining and I'm off to Rotherham now so I'll post a report on our 6-0 victory sometime tomorrow morning. I love the opening day of the season - it's like Christmas Day only you can spend it with your mates instead of your grandparents.

A case for the defence...

2005-08-03T08:58:00.000+01:00

Let's get started then shall we? I didn't go to the apparent snoozeathon that was our friendly with Aston Villa last night so I won't comment too much about it. Let's leave all the Jimmy Hill style analysis until after Saturday.

Instead last night I stayed at home and was subjected to either watching Liverpool in what seems like their umpteenth European qualifier or Streets Ahead with the delectable Sarah Beeny. She's definitely not model material but there are two definite plus points and therefore I chose the latter - after all, who could resist those Beeny Breasts (particulary when the alternative is Peter Crouch)

Anyway, enough rubbish (you just wait till I get started on Big Brother) but I haven't got a lot to say this morning. I've just woken up and decided to take a quick look at our squad. Like all good managers, I suggest we start with the defence...

Andy Oakes - Goalkeeper

Andy joined us from Bolton Wanderers just before the transfer deadline last season and performed admirably, if unspectacularly, in the remaining nine games of the season. Certainly a capable performer at this level and our run of one goal conceded in four games at the end of the last season certainly instills confidence. He's certainly no Jimmy Walker but after last year's disastorous goalkeeping howlers, I for one am glad to have Oakes in our squad this time around.

Craig Pead - Right Back

A possible weak-link this season is likely to be our full-backs as both are fairly inexperienced in these positions. Pead joined from Coventry as a central midfielder who could also try his luck at full-back and as we'd needed a right-back all season he quickly was slotted in to the right side of defence and did a good enough job without ever looking 100% comfortable. Hopefully Mark Wright (or Wrack depending on who plays where) will still remember some of his defensive duties and help the unfortunately named 'Peado' out a little defensively this season.

Daniel Fox - Left Back

I liked Zigor. I know he had some nightmare games but I liked him. He was one of the 'old brigade' and I'll always remember him with a degree of fondness despite some frankly shoddy performances and his outrageously 70's haircut. Saying that, he's gone now and I'm yet to be convinced by his replacement who appears to be useful going forward but suspect defensively and his positional sense leaves a lot to be desired. Hang on, are you Zigor in disguise?

Anthony Gerrard - Centre-Half

Thankfully we have a Gerrard in our squad who won't be chasing a move to Chelsea every summer and who won't be sulking year after year if we underperform don't qualify for the Champions League. Gerrard joined following a highly successful loan spell last season from Everton. His arrival coincided with a much improved defensive display from the entire team and he's a very capable defender. His distribution does let him down from time to time and he will need a lot of talking from Westwood to ensure that his concentration doesn't waver. I like Gerrard as a player but I can't help thinking that perhaps many a Saddler think that he's a lot better than he actually is. Definitely could be a little gem but let's not expect Maldini-esque performances just yet.

Chris Westwood - Centre-Half

I think Westwood is our best signing of this summer. An excellent defender, an important talker and highly experienced at this level. If I had been given the choice of signing Westwood or Joachim then I would have chose the former every day of the week. If we don't concede goals then we don't lose matches. If we don't lose matches then we get promoted. You do the maths. He'll be POTY come May 2006.

Ian Roper - Centre-Half

Finally a touch of familiarity to our defensive options. Good old 'Ropes' has plodded along in our back four for a good while now and long gone are the days when he was classed as donkey and blamed for goals conceded even when he was sat on the subs bench. Roper is a proper defender. He doesn't need to be good on the ball, he doesn't need to look good. He just defends and he does it well. I can't help feeling that he's going to be third or even fourth choice this season though and it wouldn't surprise me if was one of those who are transferred to ease our wage bill. I, for one, hope he stays. He'll never let us down and the fact that he isn't first choice shows how vastly improved our defensive line-up is. This time last year his only competition was Kofi Dakinah. I rest my case.

Julian Bennett - Centre-Half

Bennett certainly surprised many a Saddler last season with some assured defensive displays for one so young. Like Roper, he is a typical defender. He can't pass and can't cope with the ball at his feet for more than two seconds but can defend as well as anyone and is not afraid to stick his head (and that curious facial hair) in where it hurts. After Saturday's suspension shamble at Rotherham where he is a certain starter, I think Bennett will be left on the bench but is certainly more than capable of stepping in if Westwood or Gerrard are injured. I must admit, I do hope for some improvement in Bennett's discipline and concentration levels but for one so young I think he'll serve us well for one so young.

Steve Staunton - Centre-Half (come geriatric left-back)

Yesterday, we took a huge step towards the successful future of Walsall FC in securing the services of 76 year old defender Steve Staunton on what is probably a 15 year deal. Obviously Staunton is a good player, is very experienced (World Cup's, Liverpool, Aston Villa) and has a good left foot but, as I've just spent an hour assessing the merits of our other FOUR centre-halves, then was his signing really necessary? He's also likely to become our 203rd player coach (all with limited qualifications). If we're paying him peanuts (which I doubt) and he'll pass on a few words of wisdom to the younger lads then I'm all for it but we could have spent our budget on more important areas (a winger and a forward spring to mind and some cheerleaders like those they have at West Ham)

Tomorrow we'll take a look at the midfielders we have at our disposal and prey that one is quick and has a left-foot. I've just heard that the best thing about the match last night was a middle-aged man running full tilt along the HL Fellows and the Heathland Stand with a Morrison's shopping trolley? What is the world coming to? Is this true? Comments please....

Oh? You want last night's result. Ok -we were hammered 3-0 (Angel, Ridgewell and Super Kev). Don't tell anyone though unless you emphasise that it was a reserve side second half and that even Merson didn't know the names of our substitutes. And that we were resting for Saturday. And that the grass was too long. And the sun was in our goalkeepers eyes all game. And they had the wind behind them. Both halves. And the Bescot slope.

Welcome to Up The Saddlers Web-blog!

2005-08-02T09:16:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the first-ever post on this new, all-singing, all-dancing web-blog which I'm reliably informed is the only blog in history to focus it's attentions on those clowns in bizarrely white shorts who prance around the Bescot Stadium every other Saturday afternoon trying to pass themselves off as footballers. For the uninitiated amongst us, I am talking about Walsall FC.

It's quite a drug in fact. I spend nearly £1,000 a year to go and watch them play, they infuriate me 60% of the time, bore me to tears 30% of the time, 5% I miss because I've gone for a piss/balti pie/gaze at the girls in the food kiosk but it's that magical other 5% that keeps me entertained. The Byfield winner, the Kelly hat-trick, the 4-3's at Bristol Rovers and the Ntamark own goal. That my friends is pure magic.

So, here we are. I'm a regular Bescot go-er (sometimes Floors 2 Go Stand (what? and why does the Bescot look distinctly dirty orange from the M6? We'll have thick Wolves fans turning up to watch their team and telling us that they too were one of the 2,500 who went to see them play Aldershot back in 1984) and sometimes I'm in the HL Fellows Stand when I'm lucky enough to grab a free ticket). No-one in my family cares one jot about Walsall so I'm using you guys (my loyal readers) to vent my feelings and thoughts. When things are quiet with Bescot news, I'll throw in some gossip about the world of women, TV or music just to keep things lively. I'll try and post virtually every morning (even if it's just to say hi) so please do keep coming back...

Why Up The Saddlers I hear you ask? Well, all loyal Saddlers know that www.upthesaddlers.com is the best WFC website around and all the great work that Steve Roy and Neil Ravenscroft have done is much appreciated. Therefore, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and use their 'name' as the name of my blog in order to get a bit of publicity on their site and hopefully we can help each other. I have ok'd this with them both and if there's anything they want adding or deleting then they only have to email me.

I hope you like it. I'm not going to be controversial, just going to chat about anything and everything. I will sometimes hear whispers from Bescot as I have many a contact in the world of football (no, I haven't slept with Faria Alam). Sometimes there may be swearing and sometimes there may be a few fairly revealing pictures of the opposite sex but nothing more than what you see staring at your face every day in the local newsagent. I do not intend to offend but just want to be normal - just yell* at me if you want me to stop.

Along the way, there'll be pictures and comments and lots and lots of links (they are things you click on grandad) transporting you all over the weird and wonderful world of the web.

Thanks and I'll see you soon.

*Yelling can be done by clicking comments. Please give me some feedback else I might as well go and talk to the walls.