Well, frost, flood, fire and brimstone permitting, it’s Kevan Broadhurst’s home debut as manager tomorrow and boy, do things look different. He’s had three games in charge, all away from home, and we’ve not lost and got five points against teams challenging for promotion or, in the case of Tranmere, in the top half of the table when we played them. What a difference a bit of proper training and organisation makes.

It’s going to be a different challenge at Bescot on Tuesday, however, as a team struggling near the bottom and needing to be broken down, presents a very different set of problems.

Oakes will be in goal, with a choice of Roper, Gerrard and Westwood at centre back. Mills will be missing for two games, having picked up 10 yellows this season. That leaves the full backs as the only doubts, as we wait to see if Fox has had no reaction to his injury after Friday night and the manager makes his mind up whether to bring Pead back. There is no news of Mark Wright’s injury from Friday night, so right back looks like an area for some thought.

In the middle of the park, Simon Osborn is also suspended for picking up 10 bookings this season. That means Wright, Devlin, James, Leary, Smith, Demontagnac and a possibly fit again Dean Keates are likely to fill the midfield berths.

Up front, the extra creativity of the fit again Mads Timm will be a temptation (especially as one of the loanees, Mills, is unavailable), but fitting him in is, as ever, a problem. Barrowman, Fitzgerald and Constable are the other candidates.

As for Yeovil and their under fire manager Steve Thompson, they have real problems. They even tried to get Michael Chopra in on loan last week as they are just running out of bodies. They are still hoping to get some reinforcements in for tomorrow night.

Striker Phil Jeavons, might be back for the game, but is more likely to get a place on the bench, following his injury. They will be without midfielders Barry (knee) and former Bristol City stalwart Tommy Doherty (ankle), who is on loan from QPR.

Key defender and captain Terry Skiverton returned on Saturday for their 1 – 0 defeat at Bournemouth, but they lost another man from the back in the warm up to that game, Colin Miles, and he is considered doubtful.

Predictions?

Well, Yeovil are one place below us, in 20th position, with the same number of points. However, it is their away record which is just about keeping their heads above water at the moment, being:-

Played 19, won 5, drawn 3, lost 11 goals for 21, goals against 33, points 18

That makes their record much better than ours, for example. However, 21 goals in 19 games shows where one of their major problems lies and, if we can get our scoring boots going, two goals should be enough. With the upturn in fortunes brought about by the arrival of Kevan Broadhurst , I’m going to be optimistic enough to go for a home win. 2 – 1 to the Saddlers.

Tranmere manager Brian Little decided to go the whole hog in the second half, sending on Delroy Facey to join the other two strikers and it worked at first.

Walsall got pushed further and further back until, eventually, Oakes could only parry a shot from Facey and Greenacre was on hand to score.

Kevan Broadhurst now showed his tactical nous, as he switched formation to 4 5 1, in order to try and get a grip on the midfield. It certainly worked.

Grant Smith got his head to a Kevin James cross to knock in his second goal of the game.

Walsall were indebted to two great saves from Oakes to keep the lead, but, in the main, Walsall reamined reasonably comfortable with the more solid formation.

According to wfc_2uk, this was a wonderful, well organised team performance in which all the players did extremely well, although Mills was the best player on the pitch.

Kevan Broadhurst must be delighted with three games in charge, all away from home, against teams in the top half of the league and he’s undefeated with 5 points and we are out of the bottom four. My word, things have changed.

Kevan Broadhurst sprang his usual surprise in his team selection, as Craig Pead disappeared completely from the 16. Mark Wright took his place at right back, as the Saddlers lined up:-

A Oakes, M Wright, I Roper, A Gerrard, D Fox, K James, P Mills, S Osborn, G Smith, P Devlin, A Barrowman Subs: R Gilmartin, C Westwood, M Timm, M Leary, I Demontagnac

wfc_2uk reporting from the ground says that the new look team did not perform very well at first, defending far too deeply, despite the encouragement of some 300 very vocal fans.

Slowly but surely, however, the Saddlers began to get a better hold in the game, which, accordingly, started to turn a little scrappy. They were indebted to Oakes for making what may well be one of the saves of the season, however, tipping a goalbound header onto the cross bar.

Mills was the pick of the Walsall side, as we got a fairly even share of the chances created, but it was a moment of sheer quality that made the difference between the two sides.

Barrowman, not for the first time, chased another lost cause in the fortieth minute, squared the ball back for Smith, who knocked it up with his right foot and volleyed home with his left. A great goal to leave Walsall 1 - 0 in front at half time.

Ah, Prenton Park on a balmy Spring evening, with the cry of the seagulls complimenting the lapping of the waves on the seashore. Pity it never happens isn’t it? Yes, it’s a trip up a twenty mile long cul de sac to a ground where it’s almost bound to be cold and, probably, wet, and where we have to put up with plastic scousers and those that think living on the south bank of the Mersey means that they are part of the county set. Never mind, eh?

After three tough away games (Colchester, Southend and Swansea) and three draws, comes a visit to Tranmere and a team more at our own level.

Kevan Broadhurst will have Ian Roper back in defence following his suspension, but there is still no news of Danny Fox, criticised this week for not being able to make his mind up about his fitness. Pablo Mills will be available prior to his two match ban for picking up ten bookings, so the defence should come from:-

Oakes, Pead, Roper, Gerrard, Westwood, Mills, Fox and Smith.

The midfield resources are also looking better, with only Darren Wrack out with his long term injury, as Dean Keates should have recovered from the strain which kept him out at the Liberty Stadium and Mads Timm is fit again. Like Mills, Simon Osborn will be playing his last game before a suspension, so the middle of the park looks like coming from:-

Wright, Devlin, Osborn, Leary, Keates, Smith (if not at full back), Timm, Demontagnac and Standing (wherever he might have disappeared to).

Up front, no new striker has appeared and James Constable has had an injury which resulted in him being pulled off in the reserve game, but should be fit to play. Expect a choice between:-

Devlin, Timm, (both if not playing in midfield, of course), Barrowman, Constable, Fitzgerald.

Whatever the personnel, it seems that Broadhurst favours 4 4 2 and I don’t expect a formation change. His major selection dilemma may revolve around not being able to pick all six loan players for the match day squad!

What about our opponents? Well, the only long term injury they have is to goalkeeper John Achterberg and they don’t seem to have any other selection problems for Friday night.

Their main dangerman is former Sjoke striker Chris Greenacre, now trying to rebuild his formerly impressive reputation after a poor time at the Potters. He’s got 16 goals this season. However, they also have the big, awkward Calvin Zola, the pacy Delroy Facey and the midfield goalscoring prowess of Sam Aiston. A team to be watched.

Predictions?

Tranmere stand in 11th place, just eight points ahead of the Saddlers, in what has been a poor season for them. The team was widely expected to be challenging for the play offs again this year, but, after selling some key players and not properly replacing them, only a good recent run has made them look respectable (they have had back to back wins against Swindon and Chesterfield). They are 14th in the home form table, having played 18, but they have drawn 8 of those and lost 4. In fact, their home form is very comparable to our own (we are 17th in the home standings), so it’s not that bright. I feel moved to predict another away draw.

Good news and bad for those in search of a pint in the suburb of Birkenhead that is Tranmere.

Good news being there are two bars right by the stadium, and beer is served in the ground. Bad news is that in all three outlets it’s fairly bog standard beverages all round.

The two adjacent pubs are once again both reasonably away friendly, although understandably The Mersey Clipper behind the main stand is very much a home pub, so purely for convenience I would plump for the Prenton Park Hotel situated a few score yards behind the away end.

A more family orientated option that combines the convenience of parking, food, and a better choice of beer is The Halfway House on Woodchurch Road (A552), about 10 minutes walk from the stadium. Real Ale in the shape of Wadsworth 6X is usually available in addition to various keg stuff including Ansell’s mild.

The Halfway House is also worth patronage for its striking appearance on the street corner, it looks like something out of a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale with a big pointed clock-tower.

From here to the ground cross over and walk down Woodchurch Lane and you will pop out on Prenton Park Road, with the ground and the other two bars just a little further along.

Walsall are facing up to losing both Pablo Mills and Simon Osborn for two crucial matches in the relegation battle.
Mills and Osborn both collected their 10th yellow cards of the season in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Swansea.
They will be available for Friday’s League One trip to Tranmere, but they will miss the home matches against Yeovil and Bradford on March 21 and 25.

“Both Pablo and Ozzy picked up their 10th bookings and they will both be big players to replace,” said Broadhurst. “But Ian Roper will be available next week and hopefully Dean Keates and Daniel Fox will be back as well.

I was also very pleased with the way Chris Westwood came back from his injury. I thought he was absolutely enormous when he went on.

I was disappointed for the two lads who got booked because in both cases I thought it was down to poor defending.

On both occasions poor defending from other players forced Pablo and Ozzy to make the tackles that got them booked.”

Walsall were cruelly robbed of all three points by a deflected Akinfenwa shot just two minutes from time this afternoon, in a game they had done enough to win.

Despite high flying Swansea dominating the possession for most of the game, Walsall had made the better chances all the way through, taking the lead with Paul Devlin’s first for the club.

Indeed, just before the equaliser, both Kevin James and Scott Fitzgerald had had chances to wrap the game up, at a time when Swansea seemed to have run completely out of ideas.

The last two minutes and the four minutes of injury time were a different story, however, and we could easily have lost the game.

All in all, a tremendous away performance, making it three top teams visited without defeat, in the shape of Southend, Colchester and now Swansea, so an upturn in home form should now see us safe.

It’s a Sunday kick off, thanks to the Welsh Rugby Union, as we set off for Swansea for the second time this year, following the LDV Vans Trophy excursion. A similar result would be welcome.

Kevan Broadhurst has been concentrating on getting the squad fitness levels up to a more respectable level, so last week’s postponement will have been welcome in some ways. Not so the reserve’s fixture at Bradford falling victim to the weather in the week, as that stopped the manager getting some more ideas as to the preparedness of his squad and, crucially, who to play up front.

Chris Westwood should be available again in defence, having, hopefully, recovered from his hamstring injury, and is likely to replace Ian Roper, suspended for one game.
Danny Fox, however, looks as if he won’t make it, so the defence is likely to be:-

Oakes, Pead, Mills (or Westwood), Gerrard, Smith (or Fox).

In midfield, Mads Timm is also back in training and Paul Devlin is available again, having served his ban. He has been suffering from an injury as well, though (he wouldn’t have played last week anyway), so is likely to be on the bench, at best. That should give midfield options of James, Wright, Devlin, Osborn, Leary, Keates, Standing, Smith (if not at full back), Timm and Demontagnac. Perm any four from ten!

Up front, the choice would seem to be from Fitzgerald, Constable (another due to play for the reserves in the week, so may miss out from lack of practice), Barrowman, Atieno and Timm, Devlin or James, depending on formation. Even young McDermott might get a look in, as we desperately try to increase our options. Kevan Broadhurst has made enquiries about two strikers who are playing in the Championship. One has decided against a move, while a decision is expected to be made by the other next week.

Swansea have worries about star striker, Lee Trundle, forced out of Tuesday’s LDV Vans Trophy clash with Colchester United, so they may be forced to choose from one of the other 10 strikers listed on their web site!

Welsh International defender, Sam Ricketts also picked up a knock during the 1-0 victory over The U’s.

Tom Williams and Rory Fallon are available again after being Cup-tied on Tuesday, and midfielder Darren Way - who made his debut for The Swans against Walsall in January - has overcome a thigh injury.

They have also increased their defensive options with the loan signing of Wolves youngster, Keith Lowe, making up for the farcical on/off transfer of Brent Sancho from Gillingham.

Predictions? Swansea have slipped a little from the flying start they made this season (which included that 5 – 2 win at Bescot) and are down to fifth in the table. They are, by co-incidence, also fifth in the home form table. They have only lost 2 games at their new stadium so far, but have drawn 7 of the remaining 16, so that is their weakness.

Walsall have already found some resilience since Merson’s departure and have got draws at both Southend and Colchester, so I can see a similar result here. Draw.

Just two weeks ago, Paul Merson went to Tamworth, despite having offers from clubs in the first division and even the Championship, according to the player.

In a recent interview, he said that his one regret at Walsall this season was that he hadn’t been able to play one player more times – himself. He said (inaccurately as it happens) that we hadn’t lost when he played this season.

After one 90 minute appearance for Tamworth in the Conference and one game sitting on the bench, he has decided to retire from football.

Perhaps the whole sorry episode has been brought to an end at last.

Walsall’s plans for Sunday have been thrown into some disarray by the postponement of the reserve game at Bradford.

Kevan Broadhurst’s plans to try and bring in a loan striker appear to have met with frustration so far, so the reserve clash had taken on far more importance than usual.

The manager has said “We’ve had no joy at all. We’re very, very, frustrated at the moment but that’s life. It’s one of those things in football, it’s not unusual and we’ll just get on with and work as hard as we can”.

He had, therefore, lined up Devlin, James, a recovered Constable and Mads Timm, also back from injury, to play at Bradford, to give him an indication of who should start at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday. Those plans having been dashed, it’s back to square one in the puzzle of who will start where exactly.