I thought about starting the match preview with “it’s the big one on Saturday”, then decided that it isn’t. Why, you may well ask?

This game against Leeds is already warping the season. It’s to do with the effect of having them in this Division, I think. It’s suddenly becoming the be all and end all of some fans season up and down the country, whether they beat Leeds United or not. That’s wrong. You see, people are falling into the trap that has been set for them. Shall I let you into the secret?

Leeds United are NOT a “big club”. No, they are just another Third Division club, albeit a very good side, whether their fans like it or not. They can pretend they are only “on loan” to this Division and rail on and on about how unjust the 15 point deduction was, but that doesn’t matter. They are in this Division because they were rubbish last season and were justifiably relegated. If they do gain promotion this season, then they will have deserved it, just as they deserved that relegation. I (and, I suspect a lot of others) would have a lot more respect for them if they just accepted the fact and started acting with a bit more humility. Too much to ask, I suspect.

Anyway, Walsall should go into the game with a clean bill of health, other that Dobson (who may be back for the Christmas fixtures) and Boertien. That should mean a 4 4 2, with Sweeney returning to the fold, having been held back from the Cup tie by Stoke.

That means a line up of:

Ince, Weston, Gerrard, Dann, Fox, Sonko (or Hall), Wrack, Bradley, Sweeney, Ricketts and Mooney.

Ricketts should, of course, be relishing the prospect of playing against his former employers.

The revolting little Mr Wise will be missing one of his first choice strikers, as Tresor Kandol is suspended, but Beckford is dangerous enough and Kandol’s replacement is likely to be Tore Andre Flo! Leeds, of course, have been so hard hit by going into administration that they only have a paucity of resources, with a mere Norwegian international coming in and can leave a host of talent on the bench that would walk into most Division 2 squads. Of course, you can afford to do that when you only offer your creditors a few pence in the pound.

Predictions?

I can only see us getting anything out of this if we play at our very, very best. A point would be enough, certainly, but the main thing is that we get through this and into the Christmas period with no major injury problems for our paper thin squad (after all, we live within our means).

Cyclothymic’s generosity with his time and desire for more glory than his vanity publishing effort allows has led him to provide the following match report - proving once and for all that it’s not just Geordie who gets on the front page:

 Let’s start with the good bit.  Ishy has been causing them trouble since he came on.  He breaks down the left, cuts into the box and is brought down.  Not a horrible challenge, but enough to have the referee pointing to the spot.  As Mooney has been taken off it falls to Ricketts to take the penalty.  He converts it powerfully and we all celebrate the chance to go home after 90 minutes.

For much of the match a goal looked totally out of the question.  Northampton were shooting so wide the linesmen were ducking and, although our defence was solid, we were struggling to link up more than two passes.  This is perhaps unsurprising on a freezing Tuesday night playing a team for the third time in recent weeks.  This must be what it is like for teams in Scotland!

Sonko did little and was taken off at half time.  Hall and Mooney were replaced during the second half.  A lot of people seemed surprised that Ricketts was left on when Mooney was working harder (as he always does).  In hindsight DD got it right I guess.  Ishy, Troy and Nicholls came on - a great advert for our youth system.  Once we scored we looked lively and the young lads up front looked dangerous too.  But it was always going to be one goal that settled this match.

Who had the best of the game?  They passed better than us, but could do little in the shooting department.  We defended well, ensuring that most of their shots were from distance anyway.  Right on the final whistle they had the chance to level from about 2 yards out, but the header went over.  If it was on target Clayton would not have saved it, but it did go over, and we go on to meet Millwall on the 5th.  And just like tonight’s match that will be another tie that may seem a bit boring and repetitive … but also is very winnable.  Just imagine the media frenzy when we are drawn against Arsenal 75 years after we pulled off that amazing victory.

Thanks, Cyclo.

What can be said that we’ve not said already, as we face that Cobblers team for the third time in as many weeks?  Plenty, methinks.

This time out the Cobblers have a couple of injury problems and suspensions (influential players Crowe and Bradley-Johnson), and together with cup-tied loan players we’re likely to face quite a different team this time out.  In our favour, this should mean a weaker team - there’s been little depth at Northampton for some time, as they’re still recovering from John Fashanu’s buyout attempt.

Despite the low, low prices (copyright Lidl, 2007 ad nauseam) the crowd won’t be turning up in force from their end.  At home they’re rather small and quiet, and despite this being their first away game at Banks’s in over 7 years all we’re likely to get on the supporters’ coaches are the dregs from St. Giles’ graveyard and the overspill from the Racecourse, banned from the tote for swearing at the turf accountant.

Northampton is famous for being England’s third-largest mafia town, and despite this there’s still no investment in a local football money-laundering scheme, although it’s been championed at certain larger clubs.  This means that they’re only famous for being the town where Darren Bazeley was born rather than anything more substantial.

One hopes the replay cash in the bank is worth the drain on the players, but I don’t see us having to step out of second gear against Northants.  It would be nice to reverse their biggest victory over us (10-0) but we might have to settle for equalling ours over them (8-0).  A draw, and us crashing out after penalties it is then!

Crewe Alexandra. I hate Crewe-bloody-Alexandra. It isn’t just the “we’re special because we’re the only club that ever produce any decent youngsters” nonsense, or even the former Manager and “Darling of the Press” Dario Gradi, who I always found to be one of the most ungracious of losers every time we beat them. No, it’s more than that.

After all of the success of the late seventies and early eighties under Buckley and the roller coaster ride of Terry Ramsden’s tenure as Chairman, all Saddlers must have been wondering if the good times would ever come back after the move to Bescot. Then we got into the play offs in 1993 with a chance to make Wembley for the firt time ever in the club’s history. What happened? We met Crewe. Bloody Crewe. We didn’t just lose to them – we were bladdered, home and away. Humiliated. Look at it:-

Crewe Alexandra 5 Walsall 1, Walsall 2 Crewe Alexandra 4
(Crewe Alexandra won 9-3 on aggregate)

It doesn’t matter how many times we beat them ever again, that will live on in the memory. They didn’t even have the grace to win the final, either, as York won on penalties.

Walsall are playing their cards close to their chest, but it seems that we don’t have any injury worries for tomorrow’s short trip up the M6, other than the continued absence of Dobson and Boertien. That probably means an unchanged side, with Clayton Ince returning to his former club, of course.

Crewe will be missing former Bradford City midfielder Steve Schumacher and Nigerian defender George Abbey (formerly of Macclesfield and Port Vale).

Predictions?

Crewe are having a funny season. They are 14th, four points behind us at the moment, but have a reasonable home record of won 5, drawn 1, lost 3. Trouble is, one of those defeats came on Tuesday night 2 – 3 to lowly Gillingham, so they do seem to be rather inconsistent.

Our win in the week against Forest shows that we needn’t fear anyone in this Division, but we also have to hope that the game didn’t take too much out of the players. Personally, another away draw will do me.

Crewe, despite the awful grimness of the place itself is often a cracking day out with a plethora of pubs within five minutes walk of the ground. On some occasions however when we have taken a large away following it has been known for the pubs around the ground to be closed early, or even just closed full stop so with that in mind I have checked with The Royal (see below) and they inform me they are open on Saturday before the game.

Although the ground is on the edge of the town-centre it does of course have the massive advantage of being only a two minute walk from Crewe’s railway station. As such the logical and most convenient drinking establishments for those arriving by train, are those dotted along Nantwich Road, most of which have a reputation for being away friendly despite doormen operating at most.

The Brunswick can be iffy about letting away fans in so the Royal Hotel across the road from the entrance to Gresty Road is usually the away fans pub of choice. Bouncers will direct away fans to their own bar. The latter offers a decent selection of lagers and keg beer and has Sky Sports. It does get absolutely packed after 2pm however.

Personally, if it’s worth shifting from there I wouldn’t bother with The Bank, or the Barrel which has had an American style refurb, but head instead to The British Lion which does hand-pulled Tetley and dark mild.

There are numerous other pubs within 10 minutes walk of the ground generally, including the family orientated Brocklebank (Brewsters) which is handy for families or anyone daft enough to drive and end up parked on the nearby industrial estate.

Those venturing away from the ground might like to try The Borough Arms on the edge of the town, (about 10 minutes walk) which is probably the best pub in Crewe for choice of ale, and offers a more traditional and relaxed atmosphere to those adjacent to the stadium without being too much of a bladder-busting hike come quarter to three. Take a right down Mill Street (after The Royal), then right and right again into Earle Street.

There are two ways of winning football matches. One is to outplay and outperform the opposition. The other, when they have an abundance of class within the team, is to battle and fight and win the right to play your own game. It was the latter last night at the Banks’s Stadium as, in a classic game of two halves, Walsall withstood the classy play of their opponents in the first half, then took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second. By the end, Forest were showing signs of “not liking it up ‘em”.

Forest were the better team in the first half, as the makeshift Walsall central midfield had trouble coping. Forest had two attacking central midfielders who were taking it in turns to move into the “hole” and that was giving Wrack and Bradley real problems. The result was that Forest carved out three golden opportunities, only to see them wasted by Tyson (twice, once with a header and once with his left foot on the near post) and once by the normally dangerous Commons, who also put a header wide. However, The Saddlers were also making shooting opportunities and only some wayward finishing from Wrack, Sweeney and Mooney prevented the Saddlers from testing the keeper, while Wilson produced possibly the best piece of defending of the night to nick the ball away from Ricketts when he looked as if he’d been put through by Mooney.

Ricketts made up for that within a minute or so of the restart, however, as Sammy Clingan, the former Dingle, miss timed a back header. Ricketts ran onto it, held off the defender superbly, and smashed the ball home off ‘keeper Smith’s body.

From that point on, despite the pressure that Forest tried to exert, and despite the changes made by them, Walsall always had the edge. More to the point, as Forest gambled more, the Saddlers always looked the more likely to score. Only some last ditch tackling and interceptions from Forest prevented the lead being doubled.

Forest attempted to throw the kitchen sink at Walsall as the half went on, but the Saddlers defended superbly from the front and knocked their opponents out of their stride time and time again, even Ricketts tracking back and getting tackles in – something he didn’t do when he was 20! The spirit within the side was summed up by one superb run towards the end from Danny Fox, at the end of which he was within a whisker of putting Ricketts in on goal, all while he was playing with a heavily bandaged head, following a collision with Scott Dann.

Ricketts almost had the final word when he put a free kick desperately narrowly wide, having bent it around the “wrong” end of the wall, then had a goal chalked off by the linesman for offside (the crowd wrongly concluding it was for a non existent foul on the goalkeeper).

The crowd erupted at the final whistle at a performance which can be summed up by the fact that, despite the quality of the opponents, Ince did not have to make a single save in the entire game.

Man of the Match went to Anthony Gerrard and it’s difficult to disagree, but Weston, Fox and Ricketts must have been very, very close behind him.

Tuesday’s visitors to the Banks’s stadium are the Florists from Notts.  We’ll expect a fair few to make the short journey, as according to their fans “the drive is horrible, the parking is horrible, the location is horrible, the ground is horrible and we’ll lose.”  Nothing like positivity from the men in tights, is there?

There’s good reason for their apprehension though.  You’d have to go back to February 2000 for their last win against Walsall, and we’re unbeaten in our last nine games against them.

On the team side it’s the usual suspects out for us, and Notts have pretty much their whole squad to choose from for their cup final, excepting Julian Bennett, who’s faking a hammy to save his blushes against his old team.

Given the relative strengths of the two sides you’d have to expect the Bitter Tree Huggers to come out on top of this game, but there’s two reasons this  shouldn’t happen.  Firstly, we’re their bogey team, and that psychological edge is a vital tool.  Secondly, and more importantly, manager Calderwood edged out Dickie Dosh to take the Manager of The Month award, inevitably the kiss of death.

Expect at least a share of the spoils as Notts will also have their eye on preserving their team for a cup replay and potential money-spinner next round tie against the Liverpool Stealers.  Who knows - they might end up in Europe!