Saddlers Social: Walsall fans have their say

Ian Newbold

Let’s hope this season is forgotten quicker than the European Super League, remember that?

It’s been a drab week. We’ve been poor again and after a couple of positive results that’s doubly disappointing. However it isn’t surprising given what we know and have seen of this team and management.

We still don’t seem to know the best formula of players and formation for this group. And as it’s largely been the same personnel for two whole seasons that speaks volumes.

It looks like this term is going to peter out with us in relegation form, rather then end positively.

That form stretching back over 20 matches. Not exactly inspiring to get fans back to the Banks’s Stadium, despite the mass desire of fans to return to live football matches in general.

I wonder what our new Football Director makes of it all and what his recommendations to the board will be? And in turn I wonder what affect those recommendations will have on bums on green spots come August.

Chris Saunders

So after a couple of wins to pretty much ensure survival we get a couple of dismal performance defeats. This presents quite the conundrum as if we finished the season strong a few tweaks were needed but now we are starting to look at larger wholesale changes again. It simply isn’t good enough to be here again and hopefully the appointment of a new Technical Director brings the first part of a structure to stop this ever happening again.

On the pitch we have some players who may as well have their mobile phones with them to contact their agents mid game to discuss their next move and that leaves team mates who will stay to pick up flack alongside them and it’s just not fair and not right. Real questions need to be asked and we need to field sides between now and the end of the season full of players youth or first team who want the chance of being here next season and anyone else should be frozen out the squads now.

As for the coaching side Dutton or no Dutton isn’t my main concern, the lack of coaching depth is. How can you have one coach supported by a goalkeeper coach in the bench and your only other first team coach on the pitch? We need more of a coaching team in place whoever is in charge otherwise you are asking far too much of one person in my opinion.

Finally I’ll be glad to see the back of this season like most fans will be I imagine, but we need large improvements across the first team playing and coaching and people who want to be here in order to give us any chance of any sort of success.

Roberto Petrucco

Well, what is there to say. Two drab, lacklustre, and effortless performances, after the side had finally built up some promising form. The season is ending with a whimper, and for us fans, the end cannot come quick enough.

It feels like the same issues over again. Five at the back simply does not work. There is no progression through the thirds, and the attack get zero service. Without Holden, there is no game changer, and that is a big concern. We cannot be going into next season reliant on Holden each game. The pressure on him cannot be good.

It is going to be a busy summer, and I for one will welcome a clearout. Let's hope Fullarton has a plan, as we all expect him to be pulling the strings to bring in a gem or two.

James Kenealey

Among the many excitements of Tuesday night, I think what delighted me most was the fact that, to a man, the players wanted to be taking part in it just as much as I wanted to be watching it. That’s a rare experience. Feeling that connection, that sense of oneness between myself and the eleven players on the pitch, was wonderful to behold and reminded me of better times when I’d have sandwiched that feast of footballing excellence in between two 80 mile car journeys.

As always, creativity was our real forte, carving out loads of chances against the visiting side, menacing and threatening from the first whistle to the last. Though European developments would have dominated Gary Neville’s thoughts on Tuesday night, you can be sure that at least a little bit of his concern still lingered on how his beloved Salford lads were going to fare against the take-no-prisoners ferocity of our latest project.

It was incisive. It was well-drilled. It was finessed. After a long season of adopting a consistent plan and style, everyone knew exactly what their job was and they executed it to perfection.

A performance that elevated us and a real statement of intent for 2021/22. Mark my words, League Two, you better watch out. With a fair wind behind us I can see us seriously challenging for 17th next season.

So forget your closed-shop, top flight, elitist Super League vanity projects aimed at tapping into a global audience for financial gain. What global franchise ‘soccer’ fans really want to see in midweek behind a paywall is what I was lucky enough to experience on Tuesday night. Get it on the telly, and pronto.

Stuart Cox

Two drab, uninspiring performances.

For the first time this season I actually gave up watching the Salford game (yes, I did sit through 90 minutes of Barrow at home).

We looked clueless going forward, Salford were streets ahead of us in every department. Five at the back appeared again despite it not working in many previous games. LP stated in his address recently that Brian Dutton needed wins….I’m sure that two wins in 17 isn’t enough….Let’s hope Mr Pomlett and Mr Fullarton between them can recognise that a massive clear out (including the manager) is needed in the summer.

There are handful of players that could do a job for us next year, no tears shed for the rest. Thankfully this season is nearly over - time to build again - but it is a rebuild not a redecorate.