First – a request to our readers. After the game a visiting Portsmouth fan was viciously attacked near the railway station in town. If you saw anything or know anything about this incident, in which a middle-aged chap who was in our fair town for the match had his jaw broken in two places by some young thugs, please come forward. The rabble were ravelling in the front car of the train to town, the victim and his wife in the rear.

If you can help, please call the British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or contact the West Midlands Police on 101. Please help bring the perpetrators to justice, or this little gang of scumbags will carry on their cowardly assaults and things might be worse next time.

In the meantime on behalf of UTS we extend our best wishes for a speedy recovery to the victim.

On to the game, which unfortunately the victim suffered too. UTS regular ihatethecorps was there, and had this brief word to say:

Excellent performance today hugely impressed by Darlow, Westcarr (great footballing brain), Brandy (pace that scares the life out of defenders), Chambers, Grigg (best game i’ve seen him have) and Benning (looked like a seasoned pro). Infact the whole team were blooming brilliant

I think it’s fair to say he enjoyed it. I did!

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[update - admin wrote his post while I was waiting for a report. Never mind! Two is better than none, and it helps to rub it in just a bit...]

What a difference half a week makes. After exactly three months waiting for a three point match, we get two games, two smashing wins, and all of a sudden things look a lot better than they did.

To win away at Suicide City was the stuff of dreams, at least according to betfair and their mates, who had us up as high as 9/1 against, but the Saddlers didn’t stick to the script. In the end Franchise gave us a very welcome late present by rolling over at home and conceding four goals in one game where they’d previously conceded only five in the league all season. It’s always nice to be able to pass on the stuffing at Christmas, especially to the plastic club with no history.

New(ish) UTS regular Tracker34 was at the match, and after several celebratory ales has come up with something resembling a report – thanks mate!

4 shots on target – 4 goals!!

Certainly unexpected but well deserved – keep it going to Orient!

McCarey 6: Felt he could have done better with the second goal and wasn’t too commanding of his area today, may have been down to the wet and breezey conditions, but still not convinced he is anything better than Grof.

Purkiss 7: When Taundry was in I think we all knew that Purkiss was a superior player however I’d forgotten just how much better. Willing to get forward, able to catch defenders trying to run past him down the wing. I’ll even forgive the odd HOOF!
Butler 7: As you’d expect, won a few headers, liked a tackle, took a booking for the team…
Downing 7: You don’t really notice him on the pitch, doesn’t get much wrong which for a young defender in the early matches of his career is ok with me!
Taylor 8: Few strong tackles, few good bursts forward and some great defensive work especially considering that he had little help from Paterson infront of him.

Mantom 6: Good running performance but didn’t really do too much. A bit hesitant in closing players down in first half but improved
Chambers 8: Another great performance. I wasn’t the biggest fan of his return to the first team but has certainly justified it these last two games. Got stuck in.
Patterson 6: Don’t get me wrong it was a great finish for the goal and don’t mind a few misplaced/overhit passes on a day like this but he was unfortunately the worst in a Walsall shirt today. Certainly needs to harden up and also find a way of getting some defensive nous.
Westcarr 7: Looks like he’s starting to get a good link with Brandy going. Best I’ve seen him play for us.

Brandy 9: He seems to terrify teams, also seems to win 90% of our free kicks. Good running all game typified by his burst and trickery at the end of the game to win the free kick leading to Patersons goal. Can do a mean somersault too – worth watching the highlights for!
Grigg 9: Well he’s an international striker isn’t he!! Looked stronger today, looked confident. Didn’t see his second too well but great turn and finish for his first. Keep it up!

Cuvelier 7: Came on, looked classy when he got the ball, will be great to have him for a full 90 mins!!

Just a quick one on MK – I like the place, I like the facilities, I like the set-up, the stewards are friendly, they sell bacon rolls. It’s such a shame they are an odious club of the highest order.

Onward and upward, hopefully. Next up – Leyton Orient away.

Thanks to MK mongs for the six pointer. Can we play you every week?

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Great away result earning us our first three points of the season and propelling us up to the giddy heights of mid-table mediocrity at the expense of star-laden Notts County. OK, half their team were out injured, but that’s no excuse. Oh, and their ginger hero didn’t score. Maybe he’s past it.

At the match, nottmsaddler was on hand to provide the match report:

The comments using woeful, abysmal and pathetic are well wide of the mark. The first half was not great, but far from terrible. We were under the cosh a bit but they didn’t create many (maybe one) clear cut chances I can remember, and Grof had little in the way of saves.

We were the better team in the second, and the goal was coming because the longer it went the more comfortable we looked. Even in the last ten minutes they failed to create clear chances even though the ref did his best in injury time. Whereas with a couple of better timed runs, we could have had another goal or two.

All in all a massive improvement on the last two seasons here, and plenty of encouraging signs. Purkiss did struggle (I’d prefer Stewart and Chambers moving to RB personally) and Grigg didn’t do anything but that apart the others were good, a couple were superb and the support was first rate.

If the first half was “as bad as ever seen”and on the whole, we were pathetic and abysmal then the posters must have missed Oldham, Dagenham (cup), Notts County to name but three at the Banks’s last season. Because what I saw today was a hell of a lot better than that.

And I am not part of the UTS clique – I only posted this because I couldn’t believe some of the garbage and negativity on here. Fair play to the sarcastic responses – shame the recipients were too miserable to even get them!

Those interested in the sarcastic responses could do no better than to check out the thread on the message board. Registered Saddler had a great example that cleared a few peoples’ heads:

I find it unfathomable how Grof managed to keep a clean sheet. Presumably Notts County had no shots on target otherwise they would have been certain goals against our clueless and confidence-shot young goalkeeper.

What is more, Smith’s substitution and formation change midway through the half must have cost us any chance of a more comfortable victory, bearing in mind how he only ever makes changes that unsettle and disrupt the side.

Remember how we looked on enviously earlier in the pre-season at the fact the Notts County had made all those new signings? Their Hereford rejects were brilliant, their signings were made in June, their players had names we’d heard of; for all these reasons I knew that Notts County were a far superior club to Walsall in every way imaginable. This result has stunned me and I fully expect Walsall to return to their abhorrent worst by Tuesday night. Thanks a lot Smith, Gamble and Bonser. League Two here we come

Messageboard thread here!

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So, after the fund raiser against the Dingles that taught us nothing there’s three more games this week for Deano to run the rule over his new signings and prospects. Better hope one of them is a big, physical target man, as we’re missing that particular type of player, and our forward line looks lightweight at the moment – physically at least, according to fans who’ve seen the formations and players so far.

Tuesday sees Walsall travel to the Harriers for a 7.45 kick off at the splendidly named Aggborough Stadium. There’s bound to be some pubs nearby as there’s nothing else to do in Kidderminster. The King & Castle is right next to the station, Harriers Arms by the ground and there’s a supporters club too. Info taken from internet, at the rate pubs are closing not sure if they’re still there.

Wednesday is a visit to Redditch at Valley Stadium (I think). This’ll be a cut down ‘Walsall XI’ rather than a squad game. Again, a 7.45pm kick off. Bar at the ground, or try the Golden Cross (Unicorn Hill, near the station) for a jar.

Saturday is a friendly away at Burton Albion‘s Pirelli Stadium. Should be a good day out, with a 3pm kick off spoiling a tour of Burton’s excellent pubs. Take your pick of the pubs round here – traditionalists should find Cooper’s, which is legendary. Apparently.

Have fun those who are going. If you know anyone who’s proper nawtee, leave them at home, we don’t want delinquents at a family club.

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Three friendlies this week to check out the latest signings, youth prospects and triallists at.

Monday sees a Walsall XI visit Pelsall, playing at the Bush Ground in Walsall Road. Dunno how much it costs, but worth a visit as an excuse for a Monday night ale at the Old Bush pub, handily located for further refreshment should the football not be any good. Kick Off is 7.30.

Tuesday sees Walsall travel to Telford. There’s a 7.45 kick off at their Watling Street ground, and you can get in for only eight notes. The Swan Hotel is just up the road, not sure if it’s any good.

Saturday sees the Saddlers hosting the Dingles at the Banks’s's stadium. Tickets twelve quid, or twenty the pair if you buy a ticket for the Baggies game on August 7 at the same time. Kick off for this game is the Saturday standard 3pm.

The good news is that as it’s a full game Saturday, there’s bound to be loads of big name signings this week. Probably for Wolves, made by Stale Sandwich as he tries to make the team his own.

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Walsall went down 4-2 at home to a more spirited Bury side.

First, a quick poll:

Are we going down this season?

• Yes, we're doomed (50%, 150 Votes)
• No, we'll survive (27%, 82 Votes)
• Yes, unless we change the manager (23%, 67 Votes)

Total Voters: 299

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WFC_Rob, a messageboard regular, was at the match, and sums up our dismal day as follows:

If Smith doesn’t stick to the statement he made a couple of months ago and ship those players out who just aren’t good enough, we might as well give up now.

Yesterday’s game was strange in that nobody had an absolute mare, which suggests to me that the lot of them just lack the quality needed at this level. In the second half, Bury found a gear which was about four gears higher than the one we were playing at – man for man, they looked leagues above us.

Things just aren’t working for Dean Smith and he needs to see that no amount of drills on the training ground will turn this group of players into anything other than bottom six strugglers.

I could list four players who started yesterday’s game for us, yet probably wouldn’t get into any other league one side.

Beevers is solid enough, but does he really have the quality on the ball to help us keep the ball?
Manny Smith – same as Lee Beevers. Great as long as the opposition use the same long ball tactics as us, but that rarely happens.
Gnakpa – really wanted him to prove me wrong, but he gives us nothing other than someone to aim goal kicks at. Laziness like his is unforgivable.
Nicholls – One month on from what many considered to be his best game for the club and we’re back to where we were before. No presence, no threat.

The other players are ok, but don’t have quality in such abundance that they can carry a handful of their team-mates. For all the hype about Paterson, he wastes more of the ball than he uses wisely. That will only improve with time in the side, but is he really likely to develop into the player he should in this team, under this manager?

The disappointment yesterday wasn’t that we lost – it was that we were absolutely battered in every single area of the pitch by a side who are mid-table at best.

So, some things to ponder for Smith and the gang as Walsall get comfy in the League One departure lounge.

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Keeper sent off, form team can only score two. What would it have been otherwise? Yet again, the Saddlers get the wrong throw of the dice. You make your own karma, one day it’ll come our way. Plenty of fans were at the game and those that were there don’t think we should dismiss our keeper or sack our manager. Here’s a match report from UTS regular Brackley:

I have got to congratulate the lads on a gutsy performance todayfollowing Wacka’s sending off, which for the record I thought was an absolute joke! Assuming the lino was right, it would have been that marginal and was never a clear goalscoring opportunity as their man had our defenders around him…….

I can never remember a season thats only a 1/3 of the way gone, where we have had so many players sent off and from recollection all poor decisions……… as for the standard of refereeing and linesmanship it is nothing short of abismal – I have never seen anything like it!!

Immediately after the sending off, with Beevers taking the gloves we conceded 2 poor goals……… you couldnt of course blame the lad………. and as im sure we all thought the afternoon was going to descend in to a complete farce and an embarrassing scoreline.

Deano – I dont know whether Grof picked up an injury in the warm up or whether you decided to go it without a keeper on the bench……… if it was the latter, there is no defending what is an extremely poor decision at this level and particularly when you can name 5 subs….. ????

Tactically, we had no choice but to make the changes we did and for me they worked extremely well and vindicated my previous view of how we should be using Gnakpa……..Paterson is most definately the cream of our youth and was most certainly worthy of his place.

The second half for me was a total credit to all the players…….. what a performance when we looked dead and buried at half-time. We hit the post, we had numerous half-chances from headers or snap shots when in good positions and the lad Paterson had bullet of a shot from 25 yards palmed away when it looked destined for the top corner. We defended in numbers, we got behind the ball and we broke down their play extremely effectively and then counter-attacked with some intelligent play at times…….

Im sorry….. but we are on the most appalling streak of dare I say bad luck, judging the last 3 games – the lads deserve better. We have the nucleaus of a workmanlike but dogged Div 1 side that needs 2 or 3 players to bring some results and consistency.

The defensive unit was again solid, the midfield was organised and looked settled in the 2nd half and acquitted themselves well and the front line of Gnakpa, Paterson and Nicholls inter-changing brought some hope that we may claw our way back whilst Beevers showed his flair between the sticks.

You can hold your heads up high for that today fellas – there was no shame in that result or performance!!

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From the blogosphere, it looks like some information has been leaked, then covered up, surrounding the future of Dean Smith, currently our manager to the end of the season.

Looks like BRMB’s ‘thegoalzone’ jumped the gun, tweeting about a two year contract for Deano, which was picked up very quickly and retweeted by Darren Byfield. ‘thegoalzone’ have now taken down their original message, but too late.

Now Late Kick Off are saying that a Midland club have a press conference tomorrow.

If this news has a kernel of truth, it would be rude to offer it without a poll:

Two years for Smith is...

• a good thing (77%, 226 Votes)
• too early to tell (20%, 60 Votes)
• a bad thing (3%, 9 Votes)

Total Voters: 295

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An away defeat that didn’t feel so bad? Paradox? No, a measure of the way we’ve become a club transformed since Hutchings was given the heave-ho just in time to join his old mate Jewell. Fans have become pragmatic instead of suicidal, and the effort is plain for all to see.

UTS regular Stu made a last-minute decision to go to Colchester. Albatross. He made these comments on the message board, and if you click the following link you too can have your say, once you log in or register

Well, back home now having made a spur of the moment decision to go about 12.30…

A little disappointing in the sense that we offered nothing going forward really. One of those occasions when we could have played for 90 weeks and not scored, let alone 90 minutes. Lots of nice approach play at times, but we had no idea how to then create a chance… It was good positions down the flank and poor balls in or nobody to aim for, or it was just given away in the middle of the park.

This is going to sound strange, we didn’t play too badly, but to be honest, we could have lost 5 or 6 quite easily. Walker made 3 good saves, they missed a sitter from 6 yards after 2 minutes, Lancashire flicked a header onto the inside of his own post and twice they went around Walker only to see Butler and then Gill clear off the line. They seemed to cruise around in 3rd gear for 90 minutes, yet still had the skill, guile and movement to carve us open at times.

For me, the balance of the team was wrong again. Taundry might run around, he might be a little terrier but he has no output or quality to his play, but putting him on the right wing is just soft as he continually comes inside. I lost count of the number of times Westlake had the ball with no option in front of him but to hoik it 20/30 yards down the flank or come back inside. On a big pitch like that, it was crying out for two traditional wingers, I was hoping to see Grigg or Price come on for Taundry and move Nicholls to the right flank for some pace.

The ref was poor, but we can’t blame him for the result, as said, they could have had 5, 6 or 7 today. The first goal was contenious in that Butler was claiming a goal kick, but the Ref gave a corner. He didn’t seem to protest too much though. Corner came in, fell loose, Macken got half a clearance on it but nobody picked up their bloke on the edge of the box who rifled it in. I can’t comment on the penalty and I don’t think any Walsall fan can really, it was 70/80 yards away from us on the opposite side, however we can comment on the fact that the entire Walsall team were absolutely livid with the Linesman for giving it. For me, the players reaction was more than enough to say it must have been a poor decision and I base my decision on that.

Started out 4-4-2, appeared to go 4-3-1-2 in the 2nd half with Gray taking up a very central role behind the front two. I think that was a mistake personally, as we became really congested and no real outlet on either flank to get around the back, and we didn’t have the pace or creativity to carve them open through the middle.

Walker – Super game, made 3/4 quality blokes from angled 1v1s and a superb 2nd half save from a pull back.
Westlake – Decent game, looked solid, got caught out a couple of times but bearing in mind he had nobody in front of him at times, its not surprising.
Lescott – Okay, not great, not awful.
Lancashire – Okay, not great, not awful
Butler – MOTM, the bloke is a brick wall. Sensational goal line clearance in the 2nd half, this bloke should be signed up now and be captaining this team next season.
Taundry – Poor, sorry. He might be a Walsall lad, he might run a lot and chase and harry, but there is no quality or output in his play. Sort of reminds me of a young Dean Keates, headless chicken at times, but without Keates’ quality.
Richards – Used the ball nicely, but faded as the match went on.
Gill – Shame that we’re losing him, lots of energy although, gets around the pitch, uses the ball well. Fantastic goal line clearance in the 2nd half when he clattered into the post in the process
Gray – Good first half I though, hugged the touchline, used the ball well, tried to get to the flank but nothing really to aim for. Didn’t do much in a central position in the 2nd half
Macken – This bloke gets so much stick, but he holds a ball up well. Just as he did on Tuesday, if he doesn’t hold it up, our forward play doesn’t exist. Struggled more today, was manhandled by their centre half for 90 minutes, but again, had very little support and Nicholls couldn’t read what Macken wanted.
Nicholls – Pretty anonymous I’m afraid. Doesn’t seem to read balls or runs.

Subs:
Marshall – Anonymous
Grigg – Tried, but little success and little impact
Price – lol, the only footballer I’ve seen who seems to go backwards when he runs, the lack of pace is shocking, like Grigg, tried but little success and even less impact.

Sometimes you just have to put your hands up and admit you were beaten by a better side, today was one of those days. Could have been a lot worse, could have been 5, 6 or 7 which would have crushed morale. So, just chalk this one off and move on to the next episode of the Great Escape

PS: Chicken Balti pie was bloody awfull, worst I’ve ever tasted

Thanks, Stu. Anyone reading this far will have noticed your Bescot plug in the last line.

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The sacking of Chris Hutchings brought a small change of fortune as Walsall managed to come back from the depths against a poor Tranmere side who thought they’d done enough to win over 85 minutes and forgot that a f ootball match lasts 90. Still, one point is better than none as we look to arrest our appalling run of form and turn it into something decent enough to give us at least a chance of survival. UTS regular The Red Prince was at the match:

Whilst we were a bit unlucky with the own goal, and their 3rd when Butler was down injured, apart from the last 10 mins we were crud!

We were trying hoofball against a big, physical Tranmere side, and I don’t think the players knew where they were supposed to be (Variously Nicholls, Paterson, Jones and Grigg were playing the wings).

However, when Gray came on we became more balanced, with Nicholls back on the right and Grigg up front with Macken, this, combined with a change to playing along the ground seemed to work wonders and the lucky 2nd goal gave us a real lift, and you always knew the 3rd was coming. Richards could even have won it in the dying seconds.

As for the team:

Bevan: Looked much more solid than Brain (that said, so does a paper bag), couldn’t really do much for the 3 goals, but could do with a bit of work on his kicking. Also has a lovely beard.
Westlake: Got turned a few times but got a few tackles in.
Lescott: Sunday League footballer
Smith: Managed to keep Showumni fairly shackled.
Butler: Distribution was a bit patchy but showed some class
Paterson: Seemed to be playing on the left at first, which really didn’t suit him, switched to the right which didn’t either. Tried to take on his man and failed most of the time – needs to be judged in his proper position though.
Jones: Ineffective
Marshall: Poor at taking corners, sweet shot as we pushed for the equaliser which was well saved by Warner, but didn’t look up to it.
Richards: MOTM; Industrious, took his goal well, maybe wouldn’t have scored the OG if he had hair on his slap bonce.
Nicholls: Fairly anonymous, tried a couple of shots but not much else.
Macken: Had no chance with the hoofs played to him against Goodison, much better when Goodison went off – he held the ball up much better when passed to feet.

Subs:

Grigg: Looks promising, showed some good touches.
Gray: Balanced the midfield out.

Lets hope the change of play in the last 10 mins, and confidence it created can be carried over to Tuesday. We can play well when passing it around (we seemed to control the ball much better too) and we have a keeper we can be more confident in, however unless we start getting wins it may be too little, too late.

TRP’s comments regarding our comparative success playing football instead of hoofball have been echoed by many other fans over the season – we have a team that can play OK when they’re allowed to and when they put their minds to it – here’s hoping they can believe in themselves enough over the rest of the season to continue to do so.

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