I don’t think any of those play the same type of game as Sadler, so probably not. For example, I couldn’t see him in MK Dons team given the way they like to pass it around, but that would apply to the likes of Notts County as well. Since he has been here though we have done pretty well as a team, he has started the majority of the games and scoring goals hasn’t been a problem for the team, even though he hasn’t contributed much to that tally.
I’m sure that there are better out there so it will be interesting to see if he signs for us next season or we go for a similar type of player that scores more regularly.
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In the last 12 months, Josh Gordon has made 44 first team appearances as striker and scored 1 goal and is credited with 1 assist.
It was perhaps a risk worth taking to sign him on loan in January, but to continue to start him every match is baffling. He works hard, but rarely creates chances for others or himself. It would be ridiculous to sign him up for next season.
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Yep. We can do a lot better.
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He’s a dream for any decent defender to deal with, we need more and I’m sure the club realise that.
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Its not baffling though is it. We’ve averaged play off form in the games since hes been signed. Faals miss against Barrow was set up by Gordon, so its a myth he never sets up chances.
Why cant we try supporting players who clearly try their best for Walsall?
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As was Hutch’s v Tranmere
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Excellent point - 100% agree.
Generally talking about expectations. Whatever one expects might happen, I don’t think it is good enough that if we do better than expected then that is somehow acceptable.
You play with the hand you have been dealt with and if we do not make the playoffs this season with this group of players over 46 games then in my book, whatever my expectations may have been 9 months ago, it will be definitely a missed opportunity. Whether Sadler will be able to learn from his mistakes this year only time will tell.
UP THE SADDLERS
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Nonsense. I sentence you to watch the Crewe and Harrogate away performances from last season on loop for a month.
We’ve made huge progress this season, particularly over this second half of the season, from seasons of stagnation where we’ve consistently sat 20+ points off the play-offs. Even if we were to sneak in this season we’ve still got at best a 1 in 4 chance of promotion through said play-offs. Sadler has made mistakes granted, most managers at this level do and it’s his rookie season, he and the players can be better for this seasons experiences.
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My current wish is that Trivela budget for Watto to identify and bring in the best goalkeeper available who is prepared to operate at our level. That is in League 2 if we don’t make it.
Our clean sheet record is very poor and a good keeper massively helps to achieve that. I like Jacko but he is still young to totally rely on at present.
As for Evans my expectations dropped when I heard he was in last night. You only have to review the second killer goal for them and wonder what a good keeper would have done.
Missing gilt edged chances match after match doesn’t help.
Josh Gordon and Faal and DJT aren’t good enough to be lead strikers and hopefully move on. The DJ situation is baffling.
At least Jamma is inspirational on the field imo.
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Mk were a much better team than us but had Mo put away his two chances in first half we probably could have scraped a win.
Just as at Sutton 2 goals down and we were beaten.
Ultimately we should look back on the 6 points from 18 against the bottom 3 as what has done for us this season, if we fall short
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(L) Gordon was the only one who showed any quality on the ball last night, that was the issue.
Too many hit and hope moves that amounted to very little.
Think Evans should’ve done better for the second instead of just letting the CBs deal with it. Rooted to his line and also lucky not to concede a few minutes before when the corner went right along his six yard box and it was just about scrambled off the line.
What was up with Smith? Hopefully it’s only a niggle and he’ll be back in for Saturday as Evans won’t be here next season.
Only one team has lost less games, defensively in the top 6 despite how many mistakes people seem to think we make every game and a 50%+ win ratio.
Whichever league we end up being in next season, no one can say we haven’t improved this season and i fully back the owners to give us further improvement to the club on and off the pitch to what they’ve already done in the last 18 months for us to go one better next season, if we don’t quite do it this season.
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Couple of things…
It’s a shame that the final league position is based on the entirety of the season… and not just half a season.
Second, to assume we will carry on this form (next season) is a little naive for me. Theres a lot of variables at play in the summer. We have a decent core… but if we lose hutch… I’d be worried; and I’d also be concerned if we gave all 3 of Matt DJT and Gordon new deals too.
Still, long way to go in this season yet. We can still plausibly finish anywhere between 14th and 7th.
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But it’s better to have the form we’ve been in over the last 22 games in the second half of the season, over the first half; and still with 4 games left of the season be in contention for a top 7 position.
See Notts County and us/Doncaster as examples of that.
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A regular occurrence, in terms of actually beating a man. Looks like the only one who can do it in the squad when Knowles is injured.
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Liam Gordon is a real talent. Mostly sound defensively (could stop more crosses in a perfect world). Senses opportunity to intercept really well and carries the ball brilliantly.
Just that final ball which unfortunately is what we all remember as it is the final action.
His final ball is so poor compared to the rest of his game that looking positively I cannot believe that this will not improve with time as he clearly has the ability. Great cross for Gordon at home to Doncaster for example.
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Correlation is not causation, and there are many other possible reasons for our better results since Gordon was signed. Perhaps our improved results have been caused by Draper leaving, or by injuries to McEntee, Daniels, Farquharson and Knowles.
Everyone appreciates the work done by Josh Gordon, but it is reasonable to question how effective he is.
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Hopefully goes down to the final day, it’d be a great day out having something to play for, even if we wouldn’t necessarily be favourites to go up needing Crawley to probably drop points.
Either way it’s a massive improvement on any other season we’ve had in League Two since relegation and we can actually look to improve the squad properly, hopefully be more of an attractive club to some of the better players around at this level and we can all say we should be aiming for the top 7 and have something to back it up rather than just because we’re Walsall which doesn’t matter one bit.
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