L 2-0 vs Hartlepool United (A) - League Two - Sat 21st Aug, 3pm

Saturday takes us to the North East, with a visit to Hartlepool United, which used to be quite a regular occurrence until they dropped in to the National League.

The Monkey Hangers are back in League Two for the first time since 2016-17, and are currently 12th after registering 1 win and 1 loss from their opening 2 league games (their 3rd was postponed due to Sutton not having got their new grass pitch down in time)!

Their results so far:

7th Aug - Crawley Town (H) - Won 1-0
14th Aug - Barrow (A) - Lost 3-2

Of course, those of you who are travelling will see a couple of ex-Saddlers on their team, namely Nicky Featherstone and everybody’s favourite Darrell Clarke signing, Gary Liddle.

For The Saddlers, I wouldn’t expect too much difference to the starting XI to what we saw on Tuesday night, as I think that is possibly our strongest team, with maybe the exception of Tyrese Shade coming back in if he’s fit enough.

It’s encouraging to see that we are trying to pass the ball about, but we need to be more clinical and make
these moves where it will hurt the opposition. What do you think?

As far as predictions go, I think we will gain another point here, but hopefully we will see a few more goals being scored first and foremost. If we play to the levels that the individual players can play to, as a team, we should be taking all 3 points, but that’s easier said than done.

I won’t be going due to work, so to all those Saddlers going up, enjoy, and make sure you get a foot-long hot dog in the ground if they still do them, superb bit of food, and usually served perfectly.

For more information on Hartlepool and to liaise with their fans, check out their site here - The Poolie Bunker • Index page - once upon a time I’m certain we had a few Poolies on here that joined from this site!

Don’t forget to send in your photos from the game!

Hartlepool United vs Walsall - Match Result
  • Hartlepool United Win
  • Draw
  • Walsall Win

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Going up Friday, leaving at 9am, three cars of us, meeting at a pub on the way up, then carry on up to Newcastle, minibus all booked to get us to Hartlepool for the game Saturday which I doubt I’ll even remember. Good times are back :joy:

Expecting a positive performance though and would be happy with a point away from home and a couple of goals, all about building the confidence.

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Tempted must be losing my mind.

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First long away trip of the season and a new ground for myself, feel like we’ll edge this one 2-1.

Looking forward to this, god knows why! Was planning on staying over but everywhere decent is booked up! So just driving up and back, introducing my scouse gobshite LFC supporting mate from cat rescue to proper football. Good to see the Poolies back in the league, proper club with proper fans. Heading for the Millhouse. UTS

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Hartlepool hold the record for most re-elections into the 4th Division. Younger Saddlers may not know that, until 1986, teams at the bottom of the league were not automatically relegated but had to reapply for membership of the League. Walsall did it successfully 7 times (although from the old 3rd divisions North and South, never from Division 4) but Hartlepool did it 11 times, successful on each occasion. Gateshead only asked once but were booted out, replaced by Peterborough.

Sounds like Labadie is out as well then. Two knocks in two games and now injured. Newport fans did say he was prone.

Need strikers for that Matt.

Holden up for surgery Aswell. They could both be long term and they are our 2 big players :confused:

Leaves us really light in forward areas. At least two attacking players still required and another left back to cover for Ward.

The manager reckons we’re going to score a hatful of goals at some point and I hope he’s right.

From what I’ve see so far it’s more likely to be a fascinator rather than a bearskin.

It was always going to be an issue with a small squad of players as soon as we lose 2 or 3 first teamers it’s going to be a struggle,we haven’t started well and now we have injuries welcome to management Matt.I was going to travel up Saturday but I’m not going to bother it’s a long way coming back in a losing car hope they win for whoever’s going but even the mighty Hartlepool away looks a tough test nowadays.

At a quick first glance, I read the first line as “Bullshit boss Matt Taylor” rather than bullish :grinning: I thought that’s a bit harsh!

I am sure there will be games where everything goes right and we score 3 or whatever but to be a threat at the top end of the table you need to score 2 on a regular basis, and as it stands I don’t see that happening.

If you can’t do that then it is even more important to be tight at the other end. We were winning in injury time the other night and conceded an awful goal.

As disappointing as it feels even after 3 games I feel the top 7 is going to be out of reach for us this season. Getting a couple of quality signings in may change that, but the manager is clearly still learning himself. Obviously still behind him and rooting for the bloke to do well, think it may require a bit of patience. That being said, win Saturday and everyone’s mood changes.

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If we cant pick up a point at least from this I’m going to go into a deep depression :joy:.

Id keep the side the same, no need for any changes, not that im sure we can even make many with injuries.

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Agreed mate me and my dad said exactly the same and that was before Scunny equalised,this league last season was a bit of an anyone can beat anyone league not so sure it will be this year which sort of makes it even harder to get out of.I don’t feel this team will be anywhere near the top 7 and most of them are on 2 year deals and will only get older obviously :rofl: but you get my drift.I would love to be wrong as you would about this but would a couple of strikers and a left back like many want make us a top 7 team? That’s the question

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I dont buy the “this league is crap we should be beating everyone” argument, from some fans. There is a reason its crap, because there are 24 crap teams in it who can beat anyone on the day :laughing:

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My personal opinion is this league will have 8-9 teams that kick away from the rest towards the end of it,we played Forest Green the other day and all they had were 2 goal scorers in stevens and Matt and they pressed us all over and delivered good set pieces that caused problems it doesn’t look that hard to do does it? Or is it me

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In theory its not, in practice its different.

Forest Green had some very good players all over the pitch, and exploited our weakness to devastating effect. They look a good bet to finally get out of league two this year that’s for sure. Not to mention we could hardly get the ball of them.

That said i was expecting better vs Scunthorpe which we sort of were, and im expecting us to play better on Saturday. There is no excuse for poor set pieces though, Earing taking the corners made us look threatening off them, so hopefully this improves part of our game.

ill take a point anywhere away from home.

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