Saddlers blog: Simply unacceptable

Unacceptable. One word that can describe everything about Saturday at Crewe, writes blogger Mark Jones.

The result was unacceptable. The performance was unacceptable. The refereeing was unacceptable. The antics of ex-Leeds flop Anthony Elding were unacceptable.

There is a history between Walsall and Crewe, so losing there is never a good feeling but losing to a team who are surely destined to spend the season in the bottom third of the table makes it even worse.

The manner of defeat was very worrying. Hopefully by now Jimmy has introduced the back four to each other and he can get to work on little things like tackling, heading or standing in the right place, maybe with the help of some simple to follow diagrams.

Call me an old traditionalist but I've always preferred to see a midfield that starts playing before the team's 2-0 down; and there's an obvious flaw in the tactic of just letting Jabo do all the work up front - the poor kid's gonna be knackered by about the middle of September.

There'd better be some hard work going on down in Essington this week.

This season there is a campaign of Respect going on, designed to improve attitudes towards officials in the game. Whilst this is very worthy, it is a two way process and referees have a responsibility to actually try and apply the laws of the game properly.

Crewe's first goal had just the two players involved in the first phase, the one which lead to the shot on goal that was parried out for Elding to score, running back from offside positions. Not too difficult to spot surely?

Also when you get on your high horse and (wrongly) book a player for diving;

don't then later stop the game for a head injury (over-exaggerated in the traditional Crewe way) when one team is on the attack, then let the opponents boot the ball out for a throw-in somewhere near the attacking team's goal line and then allow them to close down the throw.

I've no intention of getting into the habit of going on about officials and I'm certainly not suggesting that the ref cost us the game at Crewe, but Walsall have got enough problems without blatant double standards and poor decision making from the men in the middle.

Talking of respect, jumped-up little nobodies like Mr. Elding of Crewe ought to learn some. Someone needs to tell him that arrogance is not good when you have absolutely nothing to be arrogant about. Ronaldo has talent.

Throwing the ball away and gesturing to away fans just make you look like the idiot you are and you can guarantee that one day your actions will rebound on you. See you at the Banks's.

The only good part of Saturday was the Saddlers following, sizeable, noisy and behind the team to the final whistle. Whatever crowds we get at home, our away following is always tremendous. We deserve better than unacceptable.