An image of optimism

All About Walsall
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I am genuinely disappointed for Dean Keates but today’s dismissal was inevitable.

In an attempt to inject some positivity, let me suggest a REALISTIC way forward for the club…

O’Connor takes the reins until the end of the season and tells the players that they are fighting for their contracts at the club.

The first thing I would do is drop any players who won’t be at the club next season because they are out of contract.

I would send Jarvis back to Norwich City (where he can retweet about playing for Wolves 10 years ago and compare his wheels with teammates bound for the premier league).

I would get the players that I wanted to build the team around and get them on board with my project. Any players on longer contracts (like Norman) I would play. I would also play Jack Fitzwater and try and get Connor Johnson into the matchday squad. I would encourage Laird to offer his experience to the back line.

Leahy, Devlin and Guthrie should be dropped.

I would tell Kinsella that he and Dobson will be the engine-room of the club if they want to commit to his project. Cookie and Flash can be the equivalent of Rambo and Brissett. If I was O’Connor, I would also put my arm around Ferrier and tell him of an exciting addition to the coaching staff in the summer…

In the close season, I would try and get Darren Byfield in as number 2 (I believe he is at Stratford Town at the moment). A flair player mentality like his would add a little to the industry and heart of O’Connor and the fans would give him time. When I die, I imagine Byfield’s goal at Cardiff v Reading will probably be the last image I see before I meet my Maker!

I would then try and arrange for some trials and a pre-season tour in the summer to Bermuda with ‘me old mucker’ Kyle Lightbourne.

Byfield and O’Connor have enough midland links, non-league links and ‘old mates’ (like Aranalde at Watford and Paul Hall at QPR) to get the semblance of a squad together based on young players, loanees and the odd non-league gem.

Add to the mix, Adam Chambers working with the youngsters and even get his brother, James back to be an ambassador at the club and you have a nucleus of good people who would bring a fresh new impetus and positive vibe for the players.

All would work within the budget (I imagine), all know the club’s infrastructure and all are hungry to move in the right direction.

Incidentally, a positive press story where young black coaches are given an opportunity would do the P.R. of the club the world of good.

As a man with a Jamaican girlfriend, who counts Charlie Ntamark and Romaine Sawyers amongst my favourite players to wear the Walsall shirt, I honestly feel that we can bring the good times back, whether we get relegated or not.

Right now, I am absolutely gutted but I hope my vision of joy can lift the mood of some fellow Saddlers supporters. Rum and coke is on offer to anyone who ‘likes’ this message too :wink:

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I really think we need to move away from appointing managers and staff with Walsall connections. It just ends up very messy and taints the legacy of some of our best club servants.

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I do like rum and coke mate. Mount Gay is my rum of choice.

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Thanks for that uplifting post jjunior - I enjoyed reading it

I would love to believe it was realistic but you appear to have missed a point - our owner and his approach…

Your interpretation is ultra positive, inclusive and well thought out - however that aint the way Jeff does things is it?

I’m up for a rum and coke with you anytime mate :grin:

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Totally Agree. All previous players etc dumped WFC for there own personal interests. They come back because the green grass was not as green as they thought. Ship them all out politely and let’s start again. As for MOC - stick to talking xxxxxx on WM. it pays more!!

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Is that Fitzwater and Johnson who haven’t played a minute of football for months? Is that laird who looked completely off the pace the last time he came on for a cameo?

The problem here isn’t the players as such. It’s the way they have been managed and the fact that they haven’t been properly prepared, mentally and physically, prior to a game.

The same team that started the last few matches before today is capable of saving us if they can be turned around in time by a good manager/coach.

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Agree

This ain’t over yet.

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It is now!!

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I’m pretty sure that that defence have had their chance. They deserve to be dropped. It is up to the players that come in to prove that they deserve to keep the jersey. At the moment, garbage players are undroppable and they know it. Even worse, the same players are shirking challenges, talking to other clubs and giving it the biggun on Twitter.

New manager, new players, new opportunities. Fill the squad players with confidence and who knows where it will take you. Face facts: Leahy, Devlin and Guthrie will not be at the club next season. Scarr and Norman will (probably).After 5 consecutive defeats, a new mentality with new personnel is a must, especially when the players mentioned have not performed and have no intention of staying at the club.

Were Norman, Fitzwater and Johnson that much worse when they played? If I was them, I would want to be given the opportunity and a 5 game season is worth going through the pain barrier for if it means another year contract next season for a manager that believes in me.

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Byfield is at Walsall Wood he certainly is no answer to our problems.

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But football isn’t just about one player being technically better than another. At this level it’s about the. 1% difference between being fully prepared mentally and physically and not. And a large part of that can be confidence and a team spirit and togetherness which includes the manager.

Those same defenders have done much better at other times. They were much better at the start of the season. So what’s gone so badly wrong? Lack of management, loss of confidence, loss of team spirit. You won’t get that back by making wholesale changes. It may already be too late but the only chance we have is to get a good man manager in and hope he has an effect like has happened at man utd, where a new manager instills confidence and a desire to play again.

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Paul Hurst in, Bonser out, Gamble out, Mole out. Then we might start going in the right direction

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Now i’ve calmed down again after going to watch the game , I am with you @Belphegor .

Sad how it’s finished with Deano but it had gone on for to long .

When it’s still in our hands we have to fight and try and save ourselves , when have we not been up for a fight , so now after throwing my toys out the pram yesterday and saying never again , i’ll be back , like so many more of us fans and try to push us over the line yet again.

It wouldn’t be Walsall without a dog fight , so it’s not over when we can STILL save ourselves , so lets brush ourselves down and go again .

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There’s a big job for someone though, to turn these players around. That third goal yesterday! Contrary to how some would like to shape the narrative, Devlin is a player who would run through brick wall if necessary and yet he really couldn’t be bothered to chase that loose ball. That’s a shocking indictment of the atmosphere in the team.

We need a huge and immediate turnaround of the type when Whitney took over from o’dismal!!

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