Just got back...

[Innes]

Forgot to add, I thought Potter didn't have a bad game considering he's been out of the team for a while. If it wasn't for a very good save from their keeper at the end, he probably would have won it for us

[Guest arobert]

I very much agree with the summary from Innes:

Reynolds was dire, 2 cb's very good, Morrison was alright at rb, O'donnel did well apart from his kicking- didn't have a chance with the penalty, Miller not bad, O'brien didn't look much at all- needed osborne back badly, teale and sedgwick were meh, and madine yet again had a decent game- hard when he's the only forward and he is constantly pumped with long balls with 2 cb's on him.

Reynolds looked like he had never played football before and O'Brien looked like he had not played for over 2 years - he needs some reserve team games.

On the plus side Rob Jones was great and Madine not far behind.

and I haver just realised that Sedgwick was playing he was that invisible.

[darra]

I very much agree with the summary from Innes:

Reynolds was dire, 2 cb's very good, Morrison was alright at rb, O'donnel did well apart from his kicking- didn't have a chance with the penalty, Miller not bad, O'brien didn't look much at all- needed osborne back badly, teale and sedgwick were meh, and madine yet again had a decent game- hard when he's the only forward and he is constantly pumped with long balls with 2 cb's on him.

Reynolds looked like he had never played football before and O'Brien looked like he had not played for over 2 years - he needs some reserve team games.

On the plus side Rob Jones was great and Madine not far behind.

and I haver just realised that Sedgwick was playing he was that invisible.

which suggests he was neither good or more importantly bad

[Sam779]

Innes makes a good point about Potter; probably out best midfielder today and hit a great shot at the end which brought out a superb save by their keeper.

I certainly didn't hear 'you're not fit to wear the shirt', but I did hear 'you're not fit to referee'.

[Guest Briscoe Inferno]

If you play 4:5:1 [which is how England set up today] you rely on having the full backs coming up to support an attacking move.

If Reynolds [who literally loses the plot beyond the defensive third] is one of the full backs in any 4:5:1 formation then this is going to be a long 5 weeks....

Clearly Megson is scratching around for players who are committed to fill any position - whether they are capable in that position or not.

I suspect over the summer Megson will be building a team around a solid spine of Madine, [possibly JoC or a.n. Other in CM], Rob Jones and Nicky Weaver.

The rest apart from the raw but coachable talent that is RJ, can take a walk IMO.

The first player in if Bristol Rovers go down should be Will Hoskins who has looked as bright and sharp as any foil for Madine should be.

[Guest arobert]

It is suggested that Reynolds loses the plot outside the defensive third.

I disagree, he is dreadful when defending too.

That was a shockingly bad performance by him this afternoon.

He cannot control a football.

He was rightly substituted in the second half and now is the time to give him a long rest.

[Guest intercity0wl]

...to the car.

Awful referee, how he gave that pen I'll never know.

Awful tactics by Megson.

Awful game of football.

Reynolds is awful.

Lucky we have two string old fashioned centre halfs.

Awful!

Will take awful again on Tuesday if our point total is higher at the end of the game than at the start, thats all that matters for the rest of this season.

[Chris E]

I'm afraid they have pal.

I'm far from happy with a draw but I always saw this game as 'must not lose' as opposed to a 'must win'.

Correct. Forget we are Sheffield Wednesday going to little Dagenham & Redbridge and take it in isolation. We're a team in terrible form, 16th in the division going to a team that are on a good run and looking to go above us. In that respect it's a good point and is the way we have to go about things. We can't carry on thinking 'we're Sheffield Wednesday and we should be blowing these teams away just by turning up'. That's how we got into this mess.

[TheBoyBeevers]

Never, ever,ever been a penalty. The ball did hit him on the lower arm, but it was smashed from no more than 3-4 yards and Sedgwick had his arms at waist level and tucked in by his sides. Absolutely ridiculous decision from a referee who had a terrible game for both teams- no consistancy whatsoever.

We were dominated for a lot of the game, but the game plan was get a goal up and then pack the defence and midfield and ask Dagenham to break us down on a tiny pitch. The plan was working perfectly (O'Donnell hadn't had a proper save to make in about 80 minutes) and then that idiot of a ref gave them a goal and all of the players' hard work was wasted.

It wasn't pretty- in fact it was a dreadful game between two poor teams. Madine was great, the two CB's were great (Rob Jones was a monster at the back all gamelong) and the midfield bypassed by both teams.

Reynolds was horrendously bad. Danny Green must have skinned him at least 4 or 5 times and his distribution was truly abysmal. I'd love to see the stats on his ball retention and pass completion rate. In the first half, an attempted clearance from half way inside our own half was so bad O'Donnell had to punch it away from under his own bloody crossbar. I'm not writing Reynolds off, i think he needs a preseason and time to get used to life away from Motherwell where he was since the age of 8...but he doesn't look up to much as things stand. The fact Buxton (a right footed RB/CB) was brought on to replace him says it all really.

Rob Jones was outstanding. He looks a real find and is honest and committed as well- for a loanee to be shouting "f**king hurry up" to the club doctor who was taking too long to walk to the changing rooms is a measure of the man. If he hasn't worn that captain's armband by the end of the season i'd be amazed.

The midfield were largely anonymous throughout- both teams avoided the centre of midfield altogether. Teale was f**king poo poo again despite his goaland how he is getting a game ahead of JJ i don't know. poo poo set pieces, didn't manage a single dangerous cross despite getting up 1 on 1 against his full back on half a dozen occasions, and doesn't work that hard either. Sedgwick was basically JoC but playing on the wing- loads of running but always 10 yards away from the centre of the action. O'Brien didn't get a chance to do anything and (and this is absolutely no joke) i seriously think he might have headed the ball on more occasions than he kicked it today. Genuinely.

Doe clearly wasn't the brightest star in the sky- 15-20 seconds of prolonged and provocative celebrations aimed at a stand full of away fans where the tunnel and changing rooms are? Hmmmmmm.

As for Megson, it was clear what the gameplan was and had it been a different ref it probably would have worked.

Overall, a draw isn't the end of the world. It stops the losing streak and the players can go back to Hillsborough for three consecutive home games having been clapped off at the end which will be good for some of them. We still need 3 wins to make sure we're safe, and we should be aiming for 2 of those wins from the next three games against Tranmere, Brentford and Colchester all at home.

[shezza09]

It was arguably the worst game in terms of standard that I have ever seen. This was partly due to the pitch being threadbare and rock hard, therefore the chance of playing any sort of football from either side was remote. Jones and Batth played very well. Joey was steady. Madine was terrific. Miller watched the game go by again. Teale's crossing was poor. Reynolds was unbelievably poor. Can't really comment on the pen, didn't have the best view.

[sc1349]

Where in this league because we deserve to be here, so do Dagenham.

It was a hard fought fight, if it wasn't for the dodgy pen maybe it would have been all 3 points.

Perhaps we defended a bit deep at times, but they are very awkward to play against.

we'll be ok, onwards and upwards (next season).

[Geedee]

It says it all when our manager is delighted with the performance after managing to hold the mighty Dagenham & Redbridge to a draw.

Sorry, I'm all for Megson turning it around in the summer when he can shape the team as he wants it with money from Milan, but if this has what it has come down to with the players he still has at his disposal (regardless of whether they are bothered anymore) then I reckon we've hit an all time low today. 5 in midfield, none of which have anything about them whatsoever, and we could have all told Megson we wouldn't win.

Utterly embarrasing, almost as embarrasing as reading comments from here saying it was a decent result and that we were unlucky not to win. Have standards dropped this low?

I dont think its embarrssing , we are a third division team playing away from home against a team 4 places below us in a relegation battle. we get a draw we were unlucky not to win. We took 2 points away from a team that could potentially overtake us and relegate us.

Your embarassment is from our history , Megson has to deal with the problems of the present and a point today was a good result.

[BRADDAZ]

O'Donnell - Good

Morrison - Good

Batth - Good

Jones - Good

Reynolds - flipping shocking

Sedgwick - Seriously poor

Miller - Poor

O'Brien - Poor

Potter - Poor

Teale - Seriously poor

Madine - Good

First of all, I'm all for 4-5-1 (turn into 4-3-3) home or away, if the players within that team have the pace and energy (I'm talking fullbacks and midfielders) to get both forward and defend.

Unfortunately (and more foolishly Megson deploys the wrong team IMO) we don't have the necessary players to play it. The fullbacks have no intention of attacking (not their fault, they're CB). We have a midfield three as slow as I think I've ever seen and the two wingers are basically past it and cannot get up to support the striker, and on the rare occasion they do get up, they can't get back.

No energy or pace.

Huge problem.

We have Danny Jones and Jermaine Johnson who are on the bench, both have pace to burn.

Start them if you want to play this formation. Simple as that really.

If Johnson is having a stinker, you take him off. But surely he's better on the pitch than off it, considering you've got them two useless tanks on the wing?

Sort that out firstly.

If you don't want to do that Megson. Then simply drop 4-5-1. We won't win games mate.

Go 4-4-2 and get some help to Madine or we we'll be in deep poo poo come the end of April.

4-5-1, how we're set up is asking for teams to attack and beat us.

If it wasn't for a fine performance from our three defenders (excl. Reynolds), our keeper and poor opposition we would have been well beat today.

Poor negative tactics will only get us in deeper poo poo IMO.

Oh and I also cannot believe Johnson didn't come on at some point to at least get up around Madine, who worked tirelessly and deserved something from that game.

Rubbish.

I fully accept we need to just stay up this season, be it by any means necessary, but IMO playing this way will only leave us (fans) biting our nail right up until the end of the season.

I EXPECT a much more attacking line up on Tuesday, be it in 4-5-1 (with energy and pace) or a 4-4-2.

Sort it Megson.

[BRUCE LEE]

Love a good BRADDAZ rant.

[Guest wednesday83]

Never have I been so disgusted with a performance in my life. We are Sheffield Wednesday and we have gone there to support the lads and he sets em up with the intention of getting nothing other than a point at best. I can accept playing 4-5-1 if we get players forward but today there was Gary Madine in Dagenhams half and the rest of our team were all back in deffence. We scored with pretty much our only effort on goal. Even after Dagenham scored he had no intention of trying to get a winner.

Even with a few minutes left he brings on JOC when theres Mellor and Heffs waiting.

was a disgrace today. He needs to remember who he is managing or get the hell out of our football club. We do not go to teams like Dagenham and play for a point. SORT IT.

[BRADDAZ]

Love a good BRADDAZ rant.

It wee wees me off BRUCE.

I'm not one of these 'rock against' 4-5-1 people. I think it can work. I think it does work. But it need to right personnel on it.

I agree with the majority (and probably Megson) that a large portion of this squad arn't good enough. But I think Megson is picking a lot of these players in his firstl elevn and he's been TOO negative.

I'm not even against playing two CB's at fullbacks if that's what he wants (although I wouldn't do it) to make us more solid. As long as he plays wingers who can get up and down the pitch. I mean rumbleing Sedgwick on the right bless him. He can see (even I can see) he's wanting desperately to get up to Madine, he knows what he wants to do, so he starts pumping those arms abd the legs slowly circle into action like an old fashioned steam train. He eventually gets up to speed and gets to Madine. Only problem is, the ball is in our penalty area. So then he fires up again and gets back and the ball is at the other end again.

He's rumbleing too slow.

We all know Johnson is more miss than hit. But on the off chance he might have a good game, stretch it, score, create, kick a water bottle and add a bit of excitment to a boring tedious day then surely he's got to play, especially in a 4-5-1 formation. If he having a stinker then you take him off, but surely he's better on the pitch than off it to start with?

And as for him not even coming off the bench. flipping pissed me right off that did.

I wasn't partiularly arsed about going today, but after a bit of pressure from the bro and a few mates we set off this morning at half seven, even I bloody volunteered to drive and if truth be told I would have took and point, especially after seeing the starting eleven (which was poor to say the least). But after witnessing how crap Dagenham were it just struck me as with a bit of adventure, just a tiny bit, we would have got the three in my opinion.

Then when I saw O'Connor coming on, after screaming at Megson for 15 mins wanting him to make an 'attacking' change... Well... Fuming just doesn't begin to describe the feeling.

I wish Megson would have told me beforehand that he was going for a point. I wouldn't have wasted 11 hours of my Saturday, a load of money in petrol, wear and tear on my car and the match ticket.

I really hope he at least try to get us attacking on Tuesday. Just a few shots please Gary. Not too much to ask really.

Ta x

[Bluesteel]

What was wrong with coke today?

Seeing as we have totally lost the plot on the pitch since december and seeing as its up to teams like dagenham to overtake us, a draw has value (mainly because were so used to losing!).

We need to score while we're on top at home. I'm down for the colchester game to witness the carnage myself.

[Guest wednesday83]

Some people on here need to look at the league table. If you think a point is good then I guess you will be happy with league 2 next season. WE NEED WINS. Can the manager and some people on here not see this???

[TheBoyBeevers]

What was wrong with coke today?

Seeing as we have totally lost the plot on the pitch since december and seeing as its up to teams like dagenham to overtake us, a draw has value (mainly because were so used to losing!).

We need to score while we're on top at home. I'm down for the colchester game to witness the carnage myself.

I saw him and Tommy talking to Purse in tracksuits before the game in front of the media area.

Normally we take 19 or 20 to an away game in case of injury or illness, so i presume (as they were in club tracksuits) they were squad reserves.

Personally i think (even though he has had some bad games since Xmas) Coke should play when he's fit, especially in a 4-5-1 as he can score the odd goal from midfield.

[darra]

I saw him and Tommy talking to Purse in tracksuits before the game in front of the media area.

Normally we take 19 or 20 to an away game in case of injury or illness, so i presume (as they were in club tracksuits) they were squad reserves.

Personally i think (even though he has had some bad games since Xmas) Coke should play when he's fit, especially in a 4-5-1 as he can score the odd goal from midfield.

Sure somebody on here yesterday said he'd had or has flu.