Saddlers Social: Walsall fans have their say

Richard Kendrick

So here we are – it's squeaky bum time with Dean Keates inheriting a mess many of us had seen coming.

The club has allowed this to happen and their previous plan of crossing everything and hoping for the best simply wasn't good enough.

Regardless of how late coming it was, they did at least act positively. Now we have eight games to stay in League One.

We play five of the bottom eight so it's in our own hands.

The fans have never been against the players, regardless of what the previous regime said.

Now is the time for everyone to stand together for the team we love.

Let’s hope the decision hasn’t been made too late.

But even if the worst does happen, we’re in a better place now with Dean Keates in charge than we would have been otherwise.

Nick Etheridge

The international break arrived at the perfect time for Dean Keates.

It has given him the time to take stock and assess all of his options.

The Wigan game was never going to give him a fair reflection, although it did further highlight our defensive frailties.

The most important thing for me is that Dean quickly settles on a formation that suits the makeup of the squad. However, it will be tricky for him to play his favoured 4-4-2 due to there being a real lack of width in the playing squad, bar Kieron Morris.

Pushing Luke Leahy further forward could be a possible solution.

Tom Miner

So the has Messiah returned, or that’s what it feels like around the Banks’s Stadium at the minute.

The appointment of Dean Keates as boss has certainly been the shot in the arm that the fans needed after a couple of years of absolute apathy.

Judging by the statement coming out of the board, I’m positive that the decision to relieve Jon Whitney of his duties and replace him with a club legend had hardly anything to do with footballing reasons.

They recognised that something had to give with the toxic atmosphere around the club, and it had reached a point of no return.

I’m still cautious, Keates’ honours that he won here mean diddly squat now, he’s got to replicate a stingy defence that he created at Wrexham, and quickly if we are to stay up.

Dan Gilbert

So the Dean Keates reign starts properly this weekend against Portsmouth and I'm sure he saw enough during that Wigan game to know what he needs to improve. But it isn't just down to him.

It's time for the players to step up now, they've had an easy ride with most of the criticism being aimed at the former boss but it's time for a fresh start and for them all to show what they can do for the final eight games.

None of them are easy, we're either playing sides fighting for a top six spot or sides fighting to stay up.

If we don't match them and give everything then we'll be in serious danger of relegation.

If we do though, we'll all quickly forget the last six months and can look forward to a hopeful summer.

So come on boys, it's time to stand up and be counted.

Kevin Paddock

The defeat against Wigan was probably a blessing.

With new manager Dean Keates watching from the stands he will have had more of an indication how big a job he has to keep us in this division then the rebuild task in the summer.

I said after the loss it summed up the Jon Whitney era which is finally over.

Ian Sharps on the touchline seemed to line up how Jon would have done and his comments after the game were from the Whitney hymn book.

We need to start from a clean slate whatever happens this year - we have gone backwards two years!

The players are bereft of confidence but lacking in serious quality also.

With this 10 day break, I'm hoping that Deano has managed to organise them and install some much-needed confidence with some big games ahead!