Coventry City (A) 16th Feb, 3pm

Match Centre 24/25 Match Centre 18/19
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"Coming up England by a different line for once, early in the cold new year,
We stopped, and, watching men with number plates
Sprint down the platform to familiar gates,
’Why, Coventry!’ I exclaimed, ‘I was born here…’"

(Philip Larkin)

It has always been tempting to look at an upcoming fixture with one eye on the current League One table, to see where three points would place us … the unfortunate truth about this season is that it’s more likely that our gaze will be over the shoulder to see how many teams will overtake us when we lose. And the disturbing facts are that not only do some of the sides below us have a game in hand, but if results don’t go our way we could well find ourselves in the bottom four … and based on our previous meetings with Coventry City (with their 2 ex-Saddlers) there’s probably nobody that would take greater pleasure in sending us that way than the Sky Blues!

Surprisingly, given Dean Keates’ activity in the January transfer window, Mark Robins has easily the larger of the two squads - 39 is the current count, with another 5 loaned out. Perhaps he has found the secret of combining quality with quantity, as Coventry are comfortably mid-table (11th place, 43 points) - but we have actually scored one more League One goal than they have!!! (But we’ve shipped 13 more, which accounts for much).

Coventry’s current League One form:-

5 Jan Scunthorpe United (A) Lost 2-1
12 Jan AFC Wimbledon (H) Drew 1-1
19 Jan Plymouth Argyle (A) Lost 2-1
26 Jan Blackpool (H) Lost 0-2
2 Feb Gillingham (H) Drew 1-1
9 Feb Rochdale (A) Won 0-1

It has become apparent in recent weeks (and months!) that opposition managers have done their homework on this Walsall side, and realised that our only tactic is to lump the ball up to our old-fashioned centre-forward in the hope that (a) he can control these long range missiles, and (b) someone will be near enough to take advantage of any knock-downs. Patently, it isn’t working, and the only real alternative of playing an attractive passing game to build an attack isn’t available because we don’t seem to have players with the necessary skill.

Prediction? As it has got to the stage of team selection being impossible to predict, so it goes with trying to forecast a score. The best we can realistically hope for is a 1-1 draw, with Jordy Hiwula scoring for the Sky Blues in reply to an Amadou Bakayoko own goal…

UTS

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7-0 Walsall. Keates to resurrect Diana Spencer to supply cocktails and fellatio on the coach home.

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If this was Whitney’s team I would fully expect them to pull a rabbit out the hat to prolong the managers career. However with this bunch and a manager already claiming we are ‘favourites for relegation’ I can only see a defeat.

3-1 to Coventry with Cook scoring first just to get our hopes up so they can be cruelly dashed.

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This is the updated version of a “Big Baz beating”, I take it??

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Walsall 1-3 Coventry - Bakayoko hat trick

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Just browsed the Cov forum. They seem to think they are on a run and are nailed on to blitz us.

I can’t really argue with that.

One thing I will say is there’s an awful lot of people saying they “can’t stand us” and “can’t wait to give us a hiding” and then one guy saying he doesn’t understand why WE’RE so eager to make a rivalry out of it :joy:

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Strangely this will be my first visit to the Ricoh…any recommendations for parking?

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It’s worth paying to go on the stadium car park. Outside of that it’s a bloody nightmare. Even all the street parking anywhere near is residents only.

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Just hoping we make a fist of his, and keep up our record as Cov’s bogey side.

4-4-2 anyone?

Like to see the Villa lad this weekend, mind I guess we need Zeli on the field as our only competent penalty kicker.

Third time unlucky for Bakayoko?

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What EH said. You can park at the official Ricoh 1 for £5, and as I remember it was relatively quick to leave afterwards.

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Across our six yard box.

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Having beaten them twice already we have no chance.2-0 to the Sky Blues.

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Ricoh on-site parking looks like its £10. have you got a link for the £5 parking?

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Cherry Tree Social Club.
I think its £3???

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Try this one:

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Top man, thanks

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2-0 defeat. Wimbledon showed we are getting desperate. A lot of efforts being sliced wide and rushed. Here comes a spell of not even being able to score.

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Catch the train and a taxi :joy:

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4-1 to the Sky Blues, heaping more misery on our appalling minus goal difference. Baka will obviously score against us, it’s the law, and he will just love it…still doesn’t alter the fact that he is a useless waste of space…Coventry are welcome to him.
Cook with the goal inevitably, our colander prone defence leave their brains back in the dressing room and trust Roberts to pull off a string of great saves to avoid an even worse drubbing.
On a positive note it will be sunny and not too cold!

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Thats still an option :+1: