Substitutions today - your thoughts, please.

[eastlondonseagull]

Right: why take off Dickinson and bring on Murray? We're 1-0 down, not long to go, on the offensive AT HOME. Why not bring Murray on to partner Dicko and cause more pressure? I like Russell Slade, but was a little bemused by the tactic this afternoon.

Thoughts?

.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I think Cox should have been left on as well.

 

[xenophon]

Forster made the difference IMO, Dickinson had plenty of time to get amongst it and only played well with another striker alongside him. Murray didn't have enough time to make his mark. Slade must shorely go 4-4-2 next game

 

[SNOOBS]

Some may disagree and its easy to say now but 1-0 down why not go 3 at the back, Murray on for Jake Wright. Nothing to lose.

Was a little bemused myself, and so was Dickinson!!

 

[Skaville]

Forster made the difference IMO, Dickinson had plenty of time to get amongst it and only played well with another striker alongside him. Murray didn't have enough time to make his mark. Slade must shorely go 4-4-2 next game

Dickinson was the only striker who was match fit - that's why we started the game with one up front,

 

[Acker79]

I think bringing on forster was the safest bet, though was still risky with his delicate knee, but paid off. I think having played the first half of the game up front alone, and then putting in that effort on a hot day, Dickinson probably needed to come off. I don't think Murray did anything to shut up his detractors. I think McCleod was equally ineffective.

 

[southstandchat]

why crofts was left on is a joke, chasing a game with two central midfielders who get nose bleeds when the ball is anywhere near their feet let alone getting into the oppositions half. bringing on mcleod to win you a game is a sick joke, as it taking off your most likely scorer with 10 to go. all 3 subs were wrong imo. but im used to being wrong as i seem to be the only person who thinks virgo is shite. his composure and distribution is comical as his pace. time and time again elphick is covering for him.

 

[BensGrandad]

What I would have done is play Forster and Murray for 45 minutes each. Neither was up to 90 minutes I know, so starting with one and swapping them at half-time would have been the best plan.

A chap sitting in front of me who apparently is 'well in with the club' said at the outset that Murray would come on for the last 10 mins maximum 15 as he was only fit enough to last that long. My answer is that he is either fit to play or not there is no half measure as we saw last season against Leeds. As it turned out the chap was right he came on for the last 9 minutes.

I thought that generally we played better when Forster came on as it appears the players are happiest with 4 - 4- 2 and his movement across the Walsall back line gave Dickinson space to operate. We lost control when McLeod replaced Cox rather strange move. I thought that Dicker should have come on for Croft at that point as he was doing nothing.

We have signed all these 'squad player midfielders' but still havent signed one to walk straight into the side and dictate the play, whose name would be first on the list of outfield players chosen.

 

[BensGrandad]

all 3 subs were wrong imo. but im used to being wrong as i seem to be the only person who thinks virgo is shite. his composure and distribution is comical as his pace. time and time again elphick is covering for him.

Elphick is not the player he waas 2 years ago when he played alongside Guy Butters but I think that him and Virgo have to cover each other most of the time and wouldnt put all the blame on Virgo or all the praise on Elphick.

 

[Buzzer]

Elphick not the player he was 2 years ago? Granted, he was very good alongside Butters but that says more about Tank. He's got the turning circle of a ...um...tank but there wasn't a better reader of the game in league one and I never once saw him lose a header. Just had the uncanny knack of perfect timing and awareness of what was going on around him.

But back to Elphick. Surely, everyone can see that his first touch has improved immensely from the raw talent of 2 years ago. Also, his distribution is better, his tackling is more measured and he doesn't seem out of his depth.

Coupled with the fact that he now is affiliated to St Martins CofE primary where my youngsters go and he once went too makes him even more de-lovely, de-lightful, de-licious in my eyes.

I worry about you at times BG.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Dickinson was carrying a slight knock.

Would have left Cox, but taken off Navarro and brought on Dicker,so we could keep the ball.

 

[Questions]

We should have gone 3 up front for thosefinal 9 minutes surely. could see no point to bringing Dickenson off for the last throw of the dice where I expected to see some long balls into the box.
The 2 midgets in central midfield were woeful.

 

[KrustyKrab]

why crofts was left on is a joke, chasing a game with two central midfielders who get nose bleeds when the ball is anywhere near their feet let alone getting into the oppositions half. bringing on mcleod to win you a game is a sick joke, as it taking off your most likely scorer with 10 to go. all 3 subs were wrong imo. but im used to being wrong as i seem to be the only person who thinks virgo is shite. his composure and distribution is comical as his pace. time and time again elphick is covering for him.

OMG SOMEONE I LOVE DEARLY!!!! Virgo is shit FACT!

 

[The Merry Prankster]

OMG SOMEONE I LOVE DEARLY!!!! Virgo is shit FACT!

I'm not a fan either.

 

[Silent Bob]

Elphick is not the player he waas 2 years ago when he played alongside Guy Butters but I think that him and Virgo have to cover each other most of the time and wouldnt put all the blame on Virgo or all the praise on Elphick.

He played more often with Lynch and El-Abd that season then he did with Butters. I think he's comfortably a better player than Virgo.

 

[BensGrandad]

Elphick not the player he was 2 years ago? Granted, he was very good alongside Butters but that says more about Tank. He's got the turning circle of a ...um...tank but there wasn't a better reader of the game in league one and I never once saw him lose a header. Just had the uncanny knack of perfect timing and awareness of what was going on around him.

But back to Elphick. Surely, everyone can see that his first touch has improved immensely from the raw talent of 2 years ago. Also, his distribution is better, his tackling is more measured and he doesn't seem out of his depth.


I worry about you at times BG.

I fail to see how he has improved over the last 2 years in fact I think the opposite has happened.

2 years ago Wolves were sniffing around at a rumoured £750k+ and we played them in a closed doors friendly, possibly for them to have a closer look, but they didnt follow it up.

I am sure that nobody would consider him at that price now but having said that he is more than adequate for Div 1 and alongside Virgo, who I think is underated by many fans, provides us with a good solid central defence.

Yes it does say a lot about tank and how he brought Elphick on but now he has to stand on his own 2 feet as an equal partner to Virgo, which I am sure he will do for most of the season. I have said on another thread, from what I have seen I think that Tunnicliffe does not get near to these 2 at the moment.

 

[KrustyKrab]

I have said on another thread, from what I have seen I think that Tunnicliffe does not get near to these 2 at the moment.

And why is that may I ask? what amazing attributes has virgo got, no voice that he should be raising since he has the armband, and all he ever does with the ball is smash it up the pitch and hoping for the best. We all saw on saturday that when he passes it with the aim of getting it to a player he either loses it or just passes it 10 yards right to andy whing, who is then lazy and never ran down the wing on saturday.

If you compare the passing to Elphick he actually distributed the ball and played them into feet right up the pitch to the forwards as the central midefielders didnt do a marvellous job with getting the ball to the strikers.

 

[BensGrandad]

Sorry you must have been watching a different game to me as in the one I saw neither Virgo nor Elphick passed the ball to either the midfield or forwards both of them passed it across the back line to usually finish up at Andy Whings feet and he then lumped it forward usually to one of the Walsall players.

Virgo's first duty is to win the ball and stop them attacking which he does very well.