Walsall v Posh

[Posh Hammer]

Going to this one. Will be my first and only game of the season so hoping for a good result but Walsall are a very good team so can't see us winning.

Will be happy with a point.

Any Walsall fans can enlighten me on the best place to park and the best pub for away fans?

 

[Saddlerrad]

Going to this one. Will be my first and only game of the season so hoping for a good result but Walsall are a very good team so can't see us winning.

Will be happy with a point.

Any Walsall fans can enlighten me on the best place to park and the best pub for away fans?

Pub for away fans is a tough one mate - the Saddlers club is the best place for a drink around the ground. Friendly in there, good banter and cheap beer. In terms of parking, there is a retail park next door to the ground that's normally good for spaces.

Tough game this - think our chances hinge on Rico and Bradshaw playing, especially with Taylor being injured, we could potentially have to play a youth central midfielder at right back and a right footed left back at left back. Doesn't sound too healthy with Posh's attacking threat.

 

[Jack]

Going to be a tough game this, Need to keep the inform Washington quiet and keep Oztumer out of the game as he was brilliant in the reverse fixture

Hoping Bradshaw is back and like Saddlerrad said about Henry, it'd be nice to go full strength against a top side to really push on before the scary looking January

 

[Posh Hammer]

Oztumer is out so that's our main threat gone.

 

[Jack]

Oh is he

Completely controlled the game in September, Class player

 

[SaddlerJonny]

Tough game that, draw would of probably been a fairer result but I felt we set up perfectley to counteract and then counter attack off of Boro. They threw men forwards, pressed us high and was always on the front foot. So we packed the midfield and did what we usually don't do at home and tried to just counter attack them. It worked first half where we edged it. Second half we were dominated for 35 minutes with Etheridge making some cracking saves, we then counter and get our goals.

Huge win, UTS!

 

[Saddlerrad]

Very hard fought but superb win against easily the best side I've seen in the last season or 2.

We really started the game well. Hit the post, forced another save and generally looked much the better side. Posh came back into things late in the half and nearly took the lead through a header that Etheridge tipped over. Posh swarmed us for the first 25 minutes of the second half. We packed our midfield but had no rhythm to our play and couldn't get up the field as a unit. Posh looked fluent and lively up top. Washington dragged a shot wide and Etheridge made another decent save from a drive. The goal came probably against the run of play, but as soon as we took the lead it took the wind out of Posh and we missed a great chance with Lalkovic through 1 on 1 before we got the second goal.

Thought Posh were impressive. High energy and fluent on the ball and then muscular and quick to close down off the ball .They will finish in the top 3 or 4. A massive win for us. 5 straight wins. over 6 hours since we last conceded. No Bradshaw or Henry and yet - we have still been winning. Downing went off early injured today and youth lad Preston came in and looked the part in what will probably be one of the toughest tests of the season - we just seem to be winning this season even if we haven't been at our fluent best in the last couple of home games.

Big win. Thought Taylor looked knackered and Mantom was very poor, but that aside - we all worked as a team. One down side for me is Etheridge? The bloke is an absolute disaster waiting to happen with ANY communication, not knowing when to punch and catch and his handling/kicking is awful. Sure - he makes a few nice saves and he made 2 today, but he's a shaking erratic mess in so many other elements of his game. I'd be considering MacGillivray.

In Sawyers we have serious quality and Evans/Chambers had a big afternoon in the centre of midfield. But a special word to James O'Connor - unsung hero of the season - he's been brillant in virtually every single game I've seen him play. Absolutely brillant. What a magic decision from Smith to try him out at centre back when it was painfully obvious he couldn't play at fullback any longer.

Great win.

 

[Jack]

I think with Etheridge Saddlerrad, he tries to be too over confident and sometimes he tries to do too much

But today he made 2 world class saves, both when the game was at 0-0? I think so, So really he's got us the 3 points today because if Boro had gone 2-0 up, I don't think we would of come back because they were a very good side

 

[SaddlerJonny]

Yeah Etheridge makes me shit myself, but he's a solid keeper and deals with things that come his way and you can already see the improvements in his shot stopping thanks to work with Cutler. I wouldn't drop him, he may punch a few where he should catch and frustrate the shit out of me, but he takes so much pressure off the defence. Also as a part of the defense that hasn't conceded a goal in hours and hours, it'd be very harsh on him too.

 

[Geosaddler]

Fantastic and very very hard fought win yesterday. To be honest that game was a draw all day long but a nice little scam to pinch it. Nobody has come to our place and outfootballed us this season but posh managed it for a big chunk of the 2nd half. They are a good shout for an automatic spot in my opinion. As for us we just keep marching on week after week. Its the 'tricky' players that always get the credit but for me, i just cant speak highly enough of o'connor and chambers. Absolute rocks in our side. Huge January coming up as we all know!!

Disagree on Etheridge Jack. He is playing like this due to a huge lack of confidence not overconfidence. He is the stand out weak link in our team and risks undermining an immense back 4 in front of him. I'd be taking one last close look at him against Rochdale and if we dont see major improvement its time to give Macgivillry a run. His handling, kicking, decision making and general distribution look like park football. Scares me shitless when ever the ball goes near him. He also doesnt shout ever (just look at the o'connor incident yesterday!). Watch it back, he made 2 'good' regulation saves yesterday not world class. i know its harsh but if we are serious about a promotion push then everything has to be perfect!

Anyway, cant finish on a negative. We are top of the league coming into the new year! Got quite a nice ring to it! UTS

 

[The Hand of Dom]

Annoyingly we played very well and got nothing.

We wasted some great chances which we can't keep doing. We need to think about getting Washington some help up top. Angol and Coulibaly aren't really the right options for me. I believe Luke James is on his way back though (#itk) so maybe Westley can give him the same confidence boost he's given Conor. Once Santos replaced Bostwick, we were always going to concede.

Walsall are a good side. They did exactly what they had to and played some great stuff themselves. I think we deserved a draw but Walsall held firm when needed and struck two blows late on. Fair play, they'll be there or there abouts come May so it's not the worst.

 

[Posh Hammer]

The problem was, we played pretty well but I can't actually remember us having any clear cut chances. There was a shot at the end of the first half that Etheridge tipped over but other than that we didn't really create enough to win the game.

A draw would have been fair but perhaps our naivity played a part in the loss. 10 minutes left away against top of the league and Alnwick tries a quick throw out to Taylor who miscontrols and the Walsall player nicks it. Within 10 seconds, we're 1-0 down.

Perhaps we should have just shut up shop and taken the draw.

Take nothing away from Walsall though. They are a strong and well organised team and I can't imagine there are 2 better teams than them in the league this year so should go up.