Saddlers social: Fans have their say on all things Walsall

Richard Kendrick

There are things happening in the current regime at Walsall that remind me of Chris Hutchings’ time at the club.

Then, there seemed to be many times when a result papered over the cracks and bought the manager a few more games in charge before it looked like a change might be on the way. Tuesday night, at Shrewsbury, very much felt like that.

I’m sure that the fans and the board alike all want Jon Whitney to succeed.

He’s given good service to the club but it’s plainly obvious that it’s not going to work.

Outsiders would say we are where we should be, but us fans see below the surface.

We do not expect the world, we know we are only ‘little Walsall’, but we do expect better than this.

Nathan Briant

Newport was bad. It felt like something ending miserably rather than something kicking back into life.

I didn’t go to Shrewsbury for the Checkatrade Trophy – as a futile protest against the the competition more than anything.

Sadly it seems the only thing the club is interested in is a competition many fans have boycotted.

It was cold in Newport and there was little to warm Walsall fans’ hearts with such a lifeless performance. What was the logic with putting one striker out against the club that scraped staying in league football last season?

Discounting Shrewsbury – because, really, who cares? – the last two matches indicate if something doesn’t change, this winter is likely to be extremely hard for fans.

Dan Gilbert

Less than 24 hours before our embarrassing cup exit, a member of Walsall staff asked us all to ‘get back to pushing in the same direction’ on Twitter.

I ask, what direction is that? Because if Jon Whitney’s job is still safe after that show in South Wales then I genuinely don’t know what is deemed as unacceptable at Walsall Football Club anymore.

Why don’t you all stop hiding and come out and tell us? Come out and tell us to shut up and put up with it if you have to – just either back Whitney or sack Whitney.

By burying your heads in the sand you’re making the situation worse.

Is Whitney the man to take this club forward or not? Come on Walsall, we need answers.

We need to know where we all stand – only then can we start pushing in the same direction.

Nick Etheridge

At the time of writing it seems that Jon Whitney will still be in a job, having maintained our excellent recent record against our friends from the Welsh border.

Unfortunately for Jon, that’s as good as this article gets following a performance on Saturday on a par with some of the worst I’ve seen from a Walsall side.

The fact that it feels I’ve said that several times during the Whitney era says it all.

There are some genuinely talented players in the squad, who, with the correct guidance could at least compete in this division.

Following the defeat to Newport though, where the opposition didn’t really do much to merit a win either, it really does seem that he’s lost the players.

Once this happens, there really is no way back.

Kevin Paddock

So here we are, another week passes, another shocking defeat and Jon Whitney is still somehow manager of our club.

An inconsistent side facing League 2 opposition in the greatest cup competition in the world was always set up for a upset but it was the manner we lost again that leaves a sour taste. There was no passion, no pride and no idea.

The board must be happy that our season is again over in November (unless we're dragged into the relegation places) and I hope like myself, people reading this start to vote with their feet.

Until the board show they are capable of doing their job at running a FOOTBALL club, I won't do my job at supporting this current set up.