Walsall vs Bolton... Match Thread

Another disappointing performance after we took control of the game and looked comfortable at 1-0.Naive defending out wide for the first goal and poor positioning from Gilks, for the second. He seemed more concerned to defend the side of his goal that was the wall's responsibility and left his side open. We desperately need a decent keeper in the window. Crawford was again poor and I really agree with Eyre on commentary that neither Jones nor Kioso can cross the ball. Jones is on the wrong side and Kioso simply hits and hopes. Really Evatt has a totally lopsided squad. Too many central defenders, no decent wide players right or left. Hence we get bogged down in a central battle and the likes of Thomasson, Darcy, delfonouso and Crawford get pushed around and roughed up. I thought Thomasson did well, but we need a strong, reliable def mid player, decent goalie, two wide players and at least one more striker. Play offs are still possible, but Evatt has to up his game. We have the best striker in the league, but he rarely gets a ball to attack in the box. When he does like today, he scores.

.

The question that game leaves is whether or not Evatt should follow Phoenix out of the door. It was an awful performance after the first half hour. We were soft, uncompetitive and blunt on the flanks. Jones on the left prevents a left wing attack better than any opposition defenders could do and Kioso has very limited skill from the right. Delfouneso possesses a threat and fashioned a really good goal but my goodness he's lazy and moody to th extent that but for a handful of minutes in each game he is never seen.

Walsall as so many teams in this league were unimpressive, little going forward and little at the back but they got stuck in and player after player of ours was bested, often requiring treatment and giving the game to them by default.

Tactically we are an absolute mess. We have three at the back which encourages wide play, we have Crawford hiding in plain sight blocking the middle. We have players who live to go backwards and just about everything is a case of playing the right notes but in the wrong order and that's down to Evatt.

Did we do anything well. Yes, our goal started with Sarcevic, a pass to Crawford a pass to Delfouneso and a delightful show of opportunism by Doyle. But alas when mirrored with a chance to go to -2-0 Delfouneos lazily took two stridfes and put himself offside denying the easiest of tap ins. Straightaway they break. Thomasson goes down lightly, Crawford makes a feeble challenge, Delaney is half asleep 1-1 i.

Yes Gilks made a fabulous save after a catalogue of clumsiness with Santos as ever losing orientation

Yes Delfouneso broke through but hit a hopeless shot form a great position.

Yes, Thomasson played a significant number of good passes, one a superb one which but for Delfouneso'#s blunder would have led to a goal.

But 2-0 killed off our appetite. It was another shambles starting from Sarcevic and ending with Delaney fouling clumsily. Good goal. Noone closed down the shot. I would need to see that again to determine if they could have.

The game fragmented with one and another substitution, injury, clumsy free kick concession and lack of skill. We only had one attacking free kick second half and of course Crawford went over to take it. Yet again commentators cooed. Great chance for Crawford. But we knew didn't we that the man born to disappoint would and in this alone he did not disappoint with a tame kick into the wall.

I know we won four on the trot. I know Evatt was manager of the month but why can't he see that our stultifying flank bluntness plays into oppositions hands. I like Doyle and Sarcevic but with no left hand flank play and minimal and erratic right Doyle gets no service and Sarcevic cannot steal in and these attributes are our prize issues. Maybe Kioso could play upfront, I don't know. Most certainly Jones can do right back. Most certainly Darcy and Thomasson have something about them even if both somewhat sallow. Both would be consistently better taking corners and free kicks than Crawford thus far has shown himself to be,as would Sarcevic who should surely take the central ones

All will gather that to my mind today's defeat was a tactical shambles. I was surprised that the same team started. I didn't mind Thomasson retaining his place but surely in place of Crawford. Isgrove was presumably unfit. Pity becaue he was another candidate to take over from Crawford, although personally I'd want him on a wing. Even with limited resources I'm convinced that pairing Kioso with Doyle and playng Isgrove wide with Darcy and Thomasson in the team would make us stronger. I also think that four at the back would suit us much better and be much more conventionally measured and safe. We are not fit enough or strong enough for the division currently but we have the talent to win games if Evatt could but harness it. I'm coming to think he cannot and answering my starting question. Now if only Big Sam fancied a little challenge

Gilks 7 Baptiste 5  Santos 5 Delaney 2  Kioso 5  Crawford 1  Sarcevic 5 Jones 3 Delfouneso 4 Doyle 6 Thomasson 6         Gnaouha (!) Darcy ( nothing today) White ( one horrendous turn and passback in extra time which lost two minutes)

I don't want to get angry anymore about our team but it seems to me that Ian Evatt has his favourite players who he will not drop i.e.Crawford yes I did say Crawford it's about time he was dropped plus a few other,s that I think we know who they are. I don't believe we have nobody else who can play in his or anyone elses position, it just shows that the five wins we had was against poor teams.Maybe we should just wait and see where we are in May.For what it's worth I had us finishing in the top seven.Stay safe one and all COYWM

And yet in the end we were outmuscled by a team whom we had so-called controlled throughout the first half in the view of our talkative co-commentator ( he's actually auditioning for a manager's job). Yet the reason we lost was again defensive. An alleged left wing back, strongly right-footed, a right wing back with little or no defensive ability played right into the hands of Walsall's strength down the flanks and led to no end of panic clearances from our central defence. I know people criticise Delaney, but week after week he is left manfully doing the job of two men down the left flank. Baptiste is similarly placed on the right . If Ian Evatt can't see that then he is never going to be up to the job. And everyone is now cottoning on to the poor performances of Crawford, who I have yet to see make a tackle in anger, let alone put in a decent corner or free kick. There was talk today of Crawford blocking Sarcevic's performance. I certainly see the need for our best footballer to be employed in a more attacking mode and being fed by a strong defensive midfielder. What a waste of Doyle all this is.