Walsall 0-3 Rochdale

[Dale4ever]

Deserves a fred' we were immense today! What a win. I'd even say 3-0 flattered the home side.

 

[T.A]

You know you'll have a good day when Calvin Andrews spanks in two goals in a game.

 

[Dale4ever]

You know you'll have a good day when Calvin Andrews spanks in two goals in a game.

He was immense. His game has been great all season just lacking goals. His double today was part of an all round great performance. Amazing what a decent manager can do to a player regarded as a 'carthorse'.

 

[Jonny12]

Awful.

We just have to move on, that performance came out of nowhere.

 

[JoeJoeJoeJoe]

A Calvin Andrew brace.

 

[Hooped Wizard]

This is where Walsall start to drop.

Hope you enjoyed it lads.

 

[Saddlerrad]

We can either let that be a forgotten day at the office or we can let that be knife into the bubble we are in so far this season.

Not a good pre-cursor to Brentford (A), Coventry (A) and Bury (A) all in one week.

I suspect that's the plummet starting but I'm a natural pessimist and I've been proven wrong more than once this season.

I'll take 6th by goal difference now.

 

[Geosaddler]

Walsall Imposters FC 0-3 Rochdale.

Really struggling to get my head around that 'performance'. We were sat at the top of the table, won 5 in a row and faced an (on paper) average Rochdale side at home. Banker home win??......not a chance!

3-0 was very flattering to us. Without a bit of luck and some good saves it could easily have been about 7-0. Not one decent attacking move, chance or shot on target in 90 minutes. Absolutely shocking. The players looked lethargic, clueless and like they had never played together before. Not only the worst performance of the season, it would rank in the top 3 for the last few seasons!!!

Rochdale didnt exactly play expansive football but just did all the basics right. Worked unbelievably hard, pressed us relentlessly high up the pitch and barely wasted a cross in to the target men. Pisstaking aside above, Andrew totally ran the show. Won every header, worked really hard, found space time after time and took his goals very well. Fair play to him.

O'Driscoll needs to give our lot a rocket as that was a worrying showing. Just hoping it was no more than a bad day at the office and we move on.

 

[Vale on Trent]

Go on Calv

 

[Jack]

Absolutely awful today, probably the first 'awful' performance I've seen this season

Taylor is far too slow, when he goes forward he either smashes a cross out for a throw in or gives it away and can never get back into position

Really didn't get what Forde was there to do today, just floated around in the middle and offered nothing, Should of kept Mantom in there if we're going to play that system

Chambers and Sawyers played too deep, first half they were spraying balls from the centre half position, not where we need them

But that's credit to Rochdale, pressured us for the first minute (literally) Best team I've seen up here in a few years

Just need to move on now, uts

 

[Saddlerrad]

SOD needs to ditch all this pissing around with formations. Play Rico, play Bradshaw, put Sawyers just behind or next to him and tell him to play make on the edge of the opposition area - not our own. Play Evans and Chambers with Morris and Milan wide. It's not hard, nor rocket science. The only reason he has played this is because he stumbled upon playing 2 upfront against Port Vale for the last 20 minutes - the perfect time to use it and change the game up, it's too narrow and it doesn't suit our style of play - where we have been successful in the main this season.

If he continues with this, it WILL ruin the season and only he will be to blame.

Today feels like a big one and it's most certainly not a good result before Brentford (A) and Coventry (A) within the space of 3 days next week.

I've got enough bad memories of the Ricoh...

 

[Jack]

I agree with that Sadderrad, If they are fit, you've got to play them. Simple.

As for formations, I think he needs to see how the opposition line up, Match them for so long... Then change it to 2 upfront and hit them

No good like today, especially when we concede early on, teams just put players behind the ball and soak everything up

 

[Saddlerrad]

I agree with that Sadderrad, If they are fit, you've got to play them. Simple.

As for formations, I think he needs to see how the opposition line up, Match them for so long... Then change it to 2 upfront and hit them

No good like today, especially when we concede early on, teams just put players behind the ball and soak everything up

Yeah but with respect, it's fine doing that at home to Posh - clearly a very effective and fluent side who could score for fun against teams. But when you have a side in mid-table turning up, you focus on your OWN formation and methods to try and win the game. It's laziness in my mind that SOD has continued to use this diamond after we had a good 20 minutes with playing 2 up top against the Vale. Our success this season is based on our wing backs and wide players getting forward effectively and giving Sawyers the space in the centre of the pitch to absolutely run games.

We have effectively numbed Sawyers by packing the middle of the pitch and given him no wide options when he does have the ball. It's stupidity.

Sawyers is without doubt the biggest key to our season and yet we play a system that OBVIOUSLY stifles his play? Total madness. Gillingham wouldn't play a formation that stifled Dack. The ONLY time I want to see a diamond deployed is if a team comes to the Bescot, sits in, plays 4-5-1 and shows no ambition to do anything but defend and we can't break through them by the time 70 minute mark has come around.

I hope SOD takes this as a kick up the arse - or else his whole 'I don't want to change anything' comment makes him look a complete moron.

 

[Dale4ever]

No good like today, especially when we concede early on, teams just put players behind the ball and soak everything up

Eh? Take it you weren't at the match then? We dominated it from start to finish. Wasn't a backs to the walls job in the slightest.

 

[Jack]

Eh? Take it you weren't at the match then? We dominated it from start to finish. Wasn't a backs to the walls job in the slightest.

No I'm not saying you did, it usually happens. We were just incredibly poor

 

[Dale4ever]

No I'm not saying you did, it usually happens. We were just incredibly poor

Ah, that's what it sounded like, my bad.

 

[UTS]

Wouldn't mind poaching some Dale players in January, Henderson would be just what we needed.

 

[Dale4ever]

Wouldn't mind poaching some Dale players in January, Henderson would be just what we needed.

You've got enough strikers. Henderson isn't going anywhere either.

 

[WFC]

Shit but it happens, hopefully it's just a blip and we sort it out, not overly interested in the cup game next as it's all about the league this season surely

1,600 at Brentford, rather that at Coventry or bury