It would be easiest for me to simply repost my match thoughts from Tranmere, such was the overwhelming familiarity of the game from start to finish.
Once again today proved that the 4-5-1 formation simply does not suit our players, there's no point playing Fallon up front if he's working his bollocks off and winning balls when there's nobody there to support him, just as it was against Tranmere. Throughout the game we played good passing football, used the width available and created plenty of half-chances but simply couldn't find the final ball.
I have to wonder whether this no away goals scored issue is playing on the player's minds as much as it is mine, I was driving up there this morning expecting not to score again despite not knowing the formation, what players would start and suchlike. I'm hesitant to look further back than the Barnsley game as we have so many new players but for those who were here at the end of last season, the lack of any goals away from home must be even more frustrating. Disappointingly, King seems oblivious to this and once again played a system which was negative and looked for a draw, something we will
NEVER be able to do with the players at the club.
Another similarity to the Tranmere game was the performance of the players, everyone played to an acceptable standard at the very least and most played quite well. Shakes in particular was dangerous and apparently he did a Cruyff turn in the first half, I must have missed it
His crossing needs to improve though.
The defence were solid, Jerel didn't make any glaring mistakes other than slip over in our box in the first half and make a tackle on a Walsall player that was so late, I expect British Rail will be using it as promotion material soon. Fortunately it was on the edge of the Walsall box otherwise he'd probably have been sent off.
Pook played well again and Stef is looking back to his old self but Whalley didn't seem quite there today, he was a bit slow and cumbersome at times and couldn't see some simple passes and ended up losing the ball. I feel that for the Southend game we must go back to 4-4-2 and sacrifice Whalley, playing Pook and Stef in the centre of midfield.
Other random observations -
I must have shouted myself hoarse with screams of 'wiiiiiide!!' and 'to Heath!!', the amount of times the wide players had huge amounts of space but the ball just got bogged down in the centre of the park was absurd. We need to utilize width better (shock horror).
The ref was fucking useless, I've never seen anyone so home biased in my life.
Matt Fryatt is a diving cunt.
The Walsall fans were crap.
I was disgusted that the players got booed off at the end.
Overall, same as Tranmere - we didn't deserve to lose, a draw would have been fair and we could have won it. However, this time King is solely to blame.
Bring on Sarfend!
