Extended Highlights, might have to load through youtube as doesn’t always load in UTS
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From the highlights you see the importance of Taylor Allen. Not just the crosses but the overload down the left which creates space and opportunities.
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The highlights, er, highlight the importance of the second (and third) goal in any game. Cheltenham didn’t deserve a goal - but they got one from nothing, whereas we were unlucky not to be 3 or more in front at that point. Having said that, it was a really good performance and a thoroughly deserved win. This team looks as though it has goals in it and, barring injuries, it’s early days but we could be looking at a very good season.
UTS
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Does this change in Walsall’s fortunes mean that Saddler is not “tactically inept” and that he wasn’t a PE teacher ?
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Nah it’ll be because O’Kelly’s in the building, nothing to do with Sadler…
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What a great start to the season. We have greatly improved the squad and must be serious contenders for automatic promotion.
It is not correct to say that a team only have three opportunities to bring on substitutes, because they can in addition bring on substitutes at half-time. When Liam Gordon was injured on 40 minutes he looked very unlikely to be able to continue, but since we had already brought on two substitutes it made sense not to make the change before half-time. It was an error to send him out for the second half. Making the change at half-time would have meant we retained a final chance to make a couple of changes.
There must also be a question about the decision to start Josh Gordon, who was playing with a huge sticker on his leg muscles. He would not need one of those stickers unless he had a problem, and the damage he did means he is now further away from full fitness than he was at the start of the match.
Our run of suffering more injuries than usual could be just bad luck, and we do have enough information to know if it could be due to some poor decisions by our physios.
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I agree with that. The other thing would have been to bring on more than one sub when L Gordon had to go off.
For those of us watching on Saddlers+, we had the worst of the WM commentators but counterbalanced by DD, who always comes over as a good influence. He reckoned that Walsall were super-fit this season (injuries apart!) and well capable of lasting the pace. It also turned out he is best mates with Owen Evans and George Miller.
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Going from tranmere away it means he’s still learning but finding the right players to fit how he wants to play.
I know about bringing on subs at HT but we decided not to do that for reasons I understand.
Looking at the table we may have had a kind start with the fixtures, but also I look at the other teams in the league and who is there to fear?
Funny what a few wins does for your mood!
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Doncaster looked very clinical up front against Vale
Chesterfield hit the woodwork 3 times against a good Gillingham side. Also beat Crewe 5-0.
Wimbledon have started well. In terms of teams who can cause Walsall problems in a game they concern me the most.
Mk Dons should click into form at some point too.
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No issues with a player having a pop. We have been trying to walk the ball into the net for too long. If you don’t buy a ticket, you won’t win the lotto.
I am glad that you understand why we did not substitute an injured player at half-time, which would have enabled us to retain the chance to make a couple of changes later in the game. I consider that to be an inexplicable error.
Liam Gordon broke down almost immediately after the restart. If the physios had thought this to be a possibility, then they should have given him a fitness test during the interval. If they did not think this a possibility then they made a serious error of judgement
We were lucky that we did not get a further injury during the second half, which would have reduced us to 10 men, and that our less fit players managed to last for 90 minutes.
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I did think this at the time why did we send Gordon back out if there was any doubt, very risky and limiting in what we could do regarding subs second half.
I didn’t see properly what happened when he got injured early in the second half, due to the constant stream of people coming back to their seats late. I thought it was another hefty challenge that caused it though? If that is the case then maybe he was alright until that happened?
It was a fairly contested 50/50 but it looked like either the impact of the challenge or the landing had jarred his knee. He was in a lot of pain, surprised he carried on let alone came out for the second half.
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On to Blues away Tuesday…
Only 20-30 minutes down the road.
Turn up in numbers. Why not?
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I think he just went down knowing he wasn’t going to be able to continue, there was no challenge I don’t think.
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Because it’s the boycott cup that’s why
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When he came out after half time we were surprised … he looked in some discomfort even just stretching before the second half kicked off.
To you maybe. Support your team.
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