Evening gents - not sure you’ll read this but thought I’d give it a go
Everything is still to play for and we remain top of the league after what has been (so far) a generally fantastic season…
However, I’m over 60 and my ticker is starting to flutter at the thought of another potential WFC capitulation as we hit the business end of the season…
This is unfortunately not uncharted territory for us Saddlers (especially those a bit longer on the tooth like me…) - so please please please, whatever happens during the next two months or so and moving forward, can you find the resources to sign genuine forwards that are actually our players because I’m personally fed up with loan recalls completely derailing the good work done up to January (particularly this season which has been exceptional……)
Folk are getting agitated by the loss of form of so many players since January and whilst we all know other key factors like the durability of player fitness and dodgy pitches clearly contribute to the situation, it can’t be purely coincidence that this downturn in levels seems initiated by the departure of our leading scorer up to that point.
We all understand the need for loan players at our level and frankly, we’ve had some crackers (and equally, some misfires) but one thing is certain, they give the squad and the manager little if any guarantee of consistency - this is exactly what’s happened to us the past few seasons and we simply can’t keep falling into the same hole on an ongoing basis…
It must be as frustrating for you guys as it is for everyone else and like us, you’re fans too (as well as custodians of our great club) - the difference is that you can influence a change, we, as fans can’t…
Apologies for the late edit but does DJ have a clause in his contract limiting him to a few minutes per game??? He’s a proven L2 scorer of some repute I may add and we have stopped scoring so there seems to be a missing link somewhere….
I think the problem is, how do you get a forward as good as Lowe without spending an absolute fortune, and even then they probably wouldn’t come. It is clear what a big difference he made and without him I’d imagine we’d be in a similar position to last season.
I agree with the sentiment, but I’d rather have Lowe for half a season, rather than someone half as good all season.
I agree with your sentiments but it would just be our luck to spend big and for the bloke to get injured or lose form!!! Lowe was exceptional at this level and if rumours are to be believed we wanted Draper for around £200,000. so the Club clearly wanted a permanent signing but I think a fee of that sort will be needed.
Back in August we waited to get two decent loans in - Lowe and Cleary.
Lowe was good but it turns out Cleary can’t get in Hartlepools team in the National League. At the time we signed them though I thought they were about the same. I also thought that if one turned out decent then we’d be doing ok.
Next season I absolutely want us to get more loans in. Yes - they might be recalled if they do well. But they also might be rubbish - in which case we send them back. We don’t know unless we give them a chance. We’ve had some great loans over the years:
Joachim
Steiner
Rushworth
Draper
Bennett
…and loads others. We need to continue doing it. UTS
If Stoke stay up and we go up, does anyone think we may sign him on a permanent? From what I am hearing from a Stoke fan and reading online, they think he is nowhere ready for the championship. He could then develop in league 1 and if he continues to score regularly then could bring in a good fee.
Lowe is potentially worth a lot of money and is on a long term contract at Stoke. If they sold him he would be way out of our price range.
We pushed for boat out in order to sign Freddie and it wasn’t enough
Not while I’ve got a hole up my arse, is the phrase that comes to mind.
I hope January has been a huge learning for the two Bens.
Us lot have been burned so many times at this time of year that there are permanent scars that struggle to heal.
What happens every year is that teams with something to fight for spend. Sometimes recklessly, sometimes out of panic but they spend. Which means that those around you tend to be better after January than they were before.
So if you do nothing (see 2015/16) then you will be worse in comparison to your competitors (see Wigan and Barnsley). If you do weaken then it’s a double whammy. You are regressing whilst others are progressing and a season can unravel really quickly (see 2007/2008).
Both Bens have overseen a 2007/2008 moment. Once Draper fell through we scrambled and despite their injuries being more in good time for the window to play out, we evidently haven’t filled the important gaps left by Hall and Earing.
What we didn’t have in 2007/2008 was the luxury of the kind of buffer we earned before this window. Which means it still may not be catastrophic. But the fact that it might be, means that whether we’re celebrating or commiserating come May the two Bens need some time for contemplation and reflection which hopefully means that we begin managing January far far better than we ever have done.
I said at the time. They are both young and so i suspect have had their pants pulled down and bellies tickled by more hard nose execs at Lincoln; Mansfield and whoever else.
Might be worth looking at the Silkies to see if we can loan one of their up and comers.
Why didn’t people see the first week of the window we were going to struggle. The writing was on the wall. There are people who disagreed when I made this point in January now all over various threads going typical Walsall.
I was hammered on the Nathan Lowe thread and the Transfer Rumours thread for saying good clubs have options A, B, C, D, E, F, G and move quickly to execute their plans. They have the deals lined up. That’s how football works.
I said in January that for all the self congratulations for a good summer window - the January Window with us well and truly on top and in charge of the Division was the one where we should have been flexing our muscles in and strengthening when we were on top.
I see a scenario in the Summer where we again prepare for another season in League Two. But our stable mates in Ireland and Denmark are preparing for European Football … then perhaps clarity on where we sit within this multiclub structure will become clear and apparent. When we were hoping for support in January - Trivela were cementing things in Denmark and preparing the Drogs to go full time in the LOI.
These things are there and in front of your face. You can’t afford to be blinded by good runs, gimmicks or leaders who’ll respond to your tweets or make fluffy videos talking about how great you are as a fanbase.
Yes, we have. The only noticeable departure is Nathan Lowe who wasn’t our player and was out of our control. With the factors within our control, the squad is stronger.
The question is, is the manager utilising the squad of players - in my opinion no. There lies the problem.
Mate, I think too many of us were enjoying our moment in the sunshine far too much to get over analytical at that point.
We were sweeping all before us and romping the league. Rare and glorious times for a Walsall fan.
Sometimes it’s just better to stop and smell the roses for a bit because we know as Walsall fans it’s 80% manure.
Fair play to you for the reality checks but I enjoyed a few months of gay abandon and top of the league dreaminess. It was fun while it lasted. Honestly, it was.