1 hour ago, kevin_struggles said:

I don't see what's crazy about saying that we need better than walters if we want to progress and I fail to see how he will develop if he stays and only plays 10-12 games in league 2 because the better players are injured. Put it this way if we start next season with walters in the team we will have recruited badly and we will be in for another hard season. He has played 68 first team games, you do get  that do you, and all he we have to show for it is one goal and I think I can remember one assist in a cup game. Shorrock has had more of an impact than he has at a younger age and in less games.

 

This coaching where its all about ball retention and risk aversion is producing midfielders who look tidy but don't affect the game one way or the other. I don't see the point in having possession and doing nothing with it and players like Walters don't do anything with it.

Out of interest, which midfielder has contributed more this season? And would you like them to be starting next season?

On 09/04/2026 at 16:15, NW9Valiant said:

You've just compared him to a completely different player with a completely different role and position on the pitch. Are our defenders rubbish too because they aren't chipping in with goals? 

There are plenty of good midfielders at all levels of the game who are not known for goalscoring (some never really do, it's not their job on the pitch). Griff scored 2 goals in 209 appearances for us. 

The coaching you're talking about is just the latest trends coaches learn to teach players from the EPPP FA coaching courses. Everybody up and and down the country is doing the exact same things pretty much (maybe blame Pep for this if you want). 

I don't necessarily disagree we need players who contribute but I don't see Walters as a midfielder who scores goals, it's not why I'd have him there. 

But if scoring goals is all our midfielders do, which ones are doing the defending, the break up and link up play with the rest of the team? Sometimes you need players who can calm the game down and dictate a bit. 

Your criticism of Walters btw reads pretty similar to what I've read from others about Byers in the past. It's as much if not more on the manager and coaching than it is on the players. 

I have already said I don't think he is a defensive midfielder either he doesn't play with enough energy chasing players down, pressing, snapping at heels, winning headers, tackling back players just run past him and he gets caught in possession a lot because he holds onto it too long. He isn't an attacking midfielder or a ball player either because he doesn't supply goals or assists or carry the ball and get us up the pitch. Maybe harsh but I am sick of us losing the midfield battle game after game after game we need better and I don't think he will ever be any better he is still at the same level he was on his debut. I don't see this development you talk about. I wish I did, but I don't.

 

Its irrelevant where shorrock plays my point remains valid he has had more of an impact than walters.

 

 

 

Just wondering if you go games, everthing you say Walters isn't doing have being evident in the last two games. Brady picked him out after Tuesday for praise. He put a great ball in at Chelsea where Wain was on his heels and the same kind of ball second half on Tuesday which should have been converted. He has his faults thats why he plays for Vale.

Finally managed to bring myself to read this thread.

I really do despair at some of our fans expectations. It is clear that the intention was to stay in the game for as long as possible then try and hurry them later on with subs. 

When they got the incredibly early goal this plan flew out the window and we didn't then have the personnel on the bench to make the changes we would have liked.

This has worked in the previous 2 games but equally if either had scored within 2 minutes they could have been cricket scores. 

It was unlikely that we would beat Chelsea it was even less unlikely that we would turn up in 3 consecutive games against higher opposition. 

Our left hand side had flown halfway round the world 2 days prior. Whilst half the Chelsea team would have done similar I would imagine their flights would have been much more comfortable than those put on by new Zealand and Guyana.

We have people moaning about gray swapping shirts with joao Pedro. No one has thought that maybe pedro asked gray for his shirt as a sign of respect. Pedro was Gray's understudy for 2 years when he first came to the UK. Even if Gray asked him for it is there anything wrong with getting the shirt of your former understudy who went on to play for Chelsea and Brazil.

Was anyone happy with the result? No

Would we have liked a bit more fight? Yes

This team is poor, has no confidence yet got to the quarter final of the cup. Just enjoy it for what it was, a 5 game winning streak in a season where we have got fa points and goals. A four game run of clean sheets in a season where teams seem to have scored for fun against us. Although I would imagine half of those big fans who are complaining that they will never go again are the same ones who couldn't be bothered to turn up until the Sunderland game or come to the last 10 games of a promotion season then get a season ticket the following year expecting us to win every game.

Edited April 11Apr 11 by wotsyobeef
Corrected multiple spelling errors

I don’t think it’s really acceptable to show such little fight and effort in a fa cup quarter final at Chelsea. 

Edited April 11Apr 11 by valiant_593

15 hours ago, Alfie1962 said:

Just wondering if you go games, everthing you say Walters isn't doing have being evident in the last two games. Brady picked him out after Tuesday for praise. He put a great ball in at Chelsea where Wain was on his heels and the same kind of ball second half on Tuesday which should have been converted. He has his faults thats why he plays for Vale.

Do you mean his dragged shot?! My issue entirely, some fans are exaggerating his contribution.

On 09/04/2026 at 17:01, philpvfc said:

Out of interest, which midfielder has contributed more this season? And would you like them to be starting next season?

Ojo, Garrity, even Croasdale comes out of the wildnerness and pops up with a goal. All of the above would start ahead of him. Walters has had his chance because they have been injured and not done enough to cement his place. We need to sign midfielders with a decent injury record yes but ones who can dictate a game and be creative.

5 hours ago, Stockleys_socks said:

Ojo, Garrity, even Croasdale comes out of the wildnerness and pops up with a goal. All of the above would start ahead of him. Walters has had his chance because they have been injured and not done enough to cement his place. We need to sign midfielders with a decent injury record yes but ones who can dictate a game and be creative.

On this seasons form I wouldn’t argue with the three you mention but Garrity has been injured a big chunk of this season and Croasdale has gone missing, so Walters has justified his selection, add the fact Walters is still very young I’d rather we’d be keeping Walters above any of those 3 unless we can dictate a decent wedge for him. 

On 10/04/2026 at 17:05, kevin_struggles said:

I have already said I don't think he is a defensive midfielder either he doesn't play with enough energy chasing players down, pressing, snapping at heels, winning headers, tackling back players just run past him and he gets caught in possession a lot because he holds onto it too long. He isn't an attacking midfielder or a ball player either because he doesn't supply goals or assists or carry the ball and get us up the pitch. Maybe harsh but I am sick of us losing the midfield battle game after game after game we need better and I don't think he will ever be any better he is still at the same level he was on his debut. I don't see this development you talk about. I wish I did, but I don't.

 

Its irrelevant where shorrock plays my point remains valid he has had more of an impact than walters.

 

 

 

 

On 11/04/2026 at 10:22, Stockleys_socks said:

Do you mean his dragged shot?! My issue entirely, some fans are exaggerating his contribution.

And the  manager is also exaggerating his contribution as he keeps praising him.

13 minutes ago, Alfie1962 said:

 

And the  manager is also exaggerating his contribution as he keeps praising him.

I can only assume he's trying to fill him with confidence to get the best out of him. Lets hope he does, he's certainly giving him a chance.

16 minutes ago, Alfie1962 said:

 

And the  manager is also exaggerating his contribution as he keeps praising him.

The three players mentioned could be 10 years older and people would still probably fancy him over a young 20 year old lad because he’s got the audacity to still be a developing player. 

On 09/04/2026 at 11:03, kevin_struggles said:

Yes he looks like he has potential but those pundits don't know that he has had three seasons and 68 league and cup games to develop and hasn't added anything to his game since his debut.

 

I had high hopes but Ive lost patience with him. He is a classic show pony Looks tidy but no end product.

 

He needed to challenge himself but he never did it under DM. I have seen signs that JB is asking him for more but if byers, croasdale, garrity and ojo are fit he doesn't even get on the bench and if we want to come back up next season and progress we need to improve on those players and if we do that walters won't get a look in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put him in a better side, and I think he would surprise you

On 11/04/2026 at 09:43, valiant_593 said:

I don’t think it’s really acceptable to show such little fight and effort in a fa cup quarter final at Chelsea. 

Chelsea don’t look as clever against a team that gets into them

2 hours ago, Brian said:

Chelsea don’t look as clever against a team that gets into them

Yeah. Man City only spend £853m this year on acquiring new players. 

Ridiculous comment 

16 minutes ago, Osh said:

Yeah. Man City only spend £853m this year on acquiring new players. 

Ridiculous comment 

Some people just lack self awareness and have terrible judgement in football. 

I mean, imagine saying that and thinking a ragtag bunch of players two leagues below playing more games than an elite group of athletes can 'get into them', away from home on a pristine pitch playing much faster than anything they are used to.

Laughable.