Saddlers Social: Walsall fans have their say

Ian Newbold

I’ve read a lot about the type of player that Darrell Clarke likes to employ. Footballers, whether they be experienced or in the early stages of their career, all have to come with a point to prove and a desire to do so.

It’s a fabulous principle - if you can stick to it - and one that I think yields another great consequence.

This squad, without obvious exception, seem grateful to be footballers.

Even the ones that have been there and have the 500+ appearances t-shirt. They seem to know how lucky they are.

As a collective they are showing a real and genuine interest in the community aspect of our club’s work, and an absolute appreciation that without the fans there would be no club.

Over recent seasons that hasn’t always been obvious. There have been notable exceptions, all the retained players, alongside the likes of Nicky Devlin clearly like to give something back to the game they love, but there have been plenty of others that simply didn’t care or clearly didn’t want to be plying their trade at the Banks’s.

It’s a real privilege to kick a football for a living, and it’s so much easier to get behind a team that show they know that too.

Nick Etheridge

It seems that we have found a way to break down the opposition. Be it from a tap in off a midfielder breaking into the box (how long has it been since that happened?), or a centre half scoring an overhead kick (which has never happened). Saturday we didn't rest on our laurels and really went for the jugular. Going in at the break two goals to the good, you never felt we were going to drop points given how tight we have been at the back.

A big part of this has been Zak Jules, who has been a rock since taking over at left back. I'd love to see Cameron Pring in front of him when he's fit to give us natural width going forward, with the excellent Wes Mcdonald starting on the other flank. Credit to him for changing Clarke's thinking in terms of formation.

One final thing is Elijah Adebayo opening his account. His barren spell has taken the focus away from his excellent hold up play and ability on ball. The inclusion of McDonald means that he can focus on being in the box himself, rather than creating out wide, which is exactly where he was to score hopefully the first of many.

Kevin Paddock

Three games ago people were already beginning to get their knickers in a twist but it was never that bad was it? There was really no need to panic. We are in safe hands with Clarke.

Since Darrell Clarke has come into the club you have found yourself believing every word he has said and that rings true when he said patience is needed and results will turn...and boy they have.

Whilst victories over Morecambe and Scunthorpe was well deserved the win on Saturday against a buoyant Crawley side was probably the result of the season so far. We played them off the park for the opening 45 minutes and we can finally get a sense of the side Clarke is trying to assemble.

McDonald for the third successive game caused the full backs problems, Zak Jules was a wall and our skipper scored another contender for goal of the season - probably one of the best goals I’ve seen.

If we are to challenge at the top end of the table then these three are vital to us.

We now face two of the divisions most struggling sides and if in two weeks we have another two wins we will be firmly inside those top seven places.

James Kenealey

Needed the last couple of weeks, didn’t we?

It speaks volumes about the trajectory of the club in recent times that the back-to-back 1-0 wins were our first consecutive league victories in 13 months. In truth the last three years have been a steadily accelerating runaway train, and one that’s taking a colossal effort to stop and reverse.

A new manager, a mostly new squad and crucially a new owner marks year zero as far as I’m concerned. Yet within just six or seven albeit disappointing results, there were already a vociferous minority (and in fairness it is small) shouting their dissent, as if faster results were somehow expected.

I think this betrays the enormity of the top-to-bottom rebuild faced by not only Clarke on the pitch but Pomlett too, mending a supporter relationship long since worn out by the previous regime.

As usual, hand-wringing was at its worst across social media. A number of trolls began to wake from hibernation, ‘joke’ Twitter accounts in really poor taste started appearing again and questions started to be asked of Pomlett already.

And look - a bit of time to settle, a few wins come and we’re all back to reality again.

Clean sheets in 50 per cent of our games and three back to back wins. No, the world around Walsall Football Club isn’t all rosy again, but by my reckoning we’ve just about managed to stop that runaway train and at least started to think about moving back up the tracks. It will take time, of that there is no doubt.

Year zero. Increments. Patience.

Stuart Cox

What a difference 11 days can make…Heading up to Morecambe, 21st in the table with six points…and now four wins on the bounce.

I’m sure no one is going to get too carried away here as out of those last three games we only really looked threatening in the first 45 minutes at Crawley, but those points on the board are what the fans and the players needed, allowing us to start looking upwards a little more.

Our defence has continued to look a solid unit - something we could have only dreamed about last season – and there is a real desire to succeed from all of the players on the pitch.

Special Mentions? I would have to start with Liam Roberts. He seems to have found his confidence again, no doubt helped by Maik Taylor who I feel can successfully fill that void left by Neil Cutler. He was a man drained of any ounce of confidence and self-belief in that appalling game at Accrington last season and I wondered if he would ever find that form that he had when he first broke into the team.

Dan Scarr has to be the most improved player this season and could be so important for us this season. Finally, Wes McDonald, who on Saturday tore their full back to shreds. He has to start again on Saturday.

On a personal note, I bought Fifa 20 this week. The first two things I did – look to see the size of Stuart Sinclair’s beard which was pretty disappointing and then try and replicate a certain centre-back’s overhead kick. I failed...!

Robert Dearn

Well, the last three games have certainly been what was needed.

Nine points and a rise up the table have certainly helped to relax the fans and give us something to cheer about. It seems DC has finally got his team to click going forward, something he had been telling fans would happen.

I think DC’s recruitment has been very interesting. The signing of Gaffney has completed a trio of key players who he has worked with before. I feel Gaffney adds a calmness, and an experience in this league that has helped the rest of our attack develop and grow.

Sinclair in midfield is a terrier, the ground he covers and the way he gets stuck in is exactly why DC signed him. Then there is James Clarke. After a mixed start to the season, his growth into the role of Captain and into the team has been remarkable. He’s committed, solid and has chipped in with 3 amazing goals. With Gaffney, Sinclair and Clarke, there is a solid core of a team that understand DC, know what he wants, and have helped others around them flourish.

Dan Price

Three games played, five goals scored and two clean sheets but most of all nine points on the board. I think the introduction over that period of Jules and Wes has played a huge part, Jules looks so commanding and comfortable and every time Wes gets on the ball you feel the buzz around the ground as he looks to be direct and beat his man.

A personal favourite in that period was the passion shown by Robbo at Home Vs Scunthorpe. You would have thought we had won the league when that final whistle blew but that’s what that win and clean sheet meant to him. He has come in for a lot of stick over the last 16 months but this season I feel he has saved us numerous points already and have no doubt he will be close to topping that clean sheet league come the end of the season with already having keeping five clean sheets in 11 league games.

Can we keep the momentum going, I sure hope so. I think Salford visiting on the back of conceding eight in two games is a great game for us to keep the run going but with the like of Adam Rooney and Danny Lloyd they clearly have a constant threat.

With Injuries and Gaffney Ineligible the likely forward line of Adebayo and Gordon doesn’t currently fill me with optimism but if all else fails let’s put our joint top scoring defender up there to show them how to hit the onion bag!!

Chris Saunders

What a difference a few wins make! From doom and gloom of a couple of weeks ago to upbeat optimism after three straight wins, we Walsall fans at least always have it interesting.

Social media can be a polarising place and this season has been no different. I have read opinions that our squad is mid-table League Two at best and even Conference standard, however signs may be there that we can achieve more.

Clarke got his experienced spine in and I believe he was fully justified to do this, when the early results didn’t go our way these players haven’t let a rot set in. James Clarke has certainly played a captain’s role and even added worldie goals to the mix to help, however the younger players seems to finally realise that they can play with a bit of freedom.

Jules and Scarr at the back have benefitted most and become commanding at the back, but it is the performances of McDonald who caught the eye, with his torturing of full backs.

Add in a first Adebayo goal and suddenly things look much brighter, keep the positivity up and who knows where we this squad could go?

Jack Talbot

I know we have had a new owner who has bought into the club and things will change over the coming years but I believe there is a couple of key things they need to address first on a match day.

Ticket prices being one of the issues. I believe this has been an on going issue for a number of years, especially with the clubs around us (Blues, Albion, Wolves) charging their fans the same price or less than us so it is hard to compete at £22 a game.

I will watch Walsall whatever the price but there will be some fans put off with this.

I believe there needs to be more ticket offers to bring the fans through the gate. For example, the £10 a ticket in the Homeserve stand was a great offer and certainly did bring a bigger gate and a better atmosphere on a Saturday afternoon.

We also used to provide a ‘Half Season’ ticket around Christmas time which I use to take advantage of as I couldn’t commit to a season ticket.

I strongly believe that if our prices were dropped then our fans would come through the gate and make Bescot a fortress again!

Jon Taylor

Three Wins in three Games – five goals, two clean sheets, what a difference 10 or so days in football can make.

Going into the Morecambe game after the loss at Bradford the atmosphere around the club had every danger of becoming a little toxic which Walsall FC have been far too accustomed to in the past couple of seasons, however the gloom is lifting somewhat and the idea of the team clicking is coming to fruition.

Personally I think the addition of Gaffney’s link play and McDonald’s trickery on the wing has given the team more attacking intent which Clarke has advised is his style of play. McDonald was my MOTM against Scunthorpe and looked menacing each time he was given the ball always looking to go forward, where in many games this season we have been guilty of going sidewards or backwards and I hope he continues to get a run in the team.

My head is looking up the table rather than looking down which feels unfamiliar, the arrival of the Class of 92 boys on Saturday gives us a chance to keep the momentum going.