Loved Butler when he was here and if it were Butler and Sadler or Butler and Clarke I would be fine with it, however with all three in the squad the budget and the hampering of younger players development would be a concern for me. Also it could lead to Clarke ending up right back and Butler/Sadler as a centre back pair in some games which would leave us open to being ripped apart by pace in games. I agree Johnson would be a good punt but I am also excited to see what our younger players can do. Think for Butler unfortunately this is 2 years too late for a return, especially as Sadler is now a player/coach and Clarke has said he is ok with his backroom as well.
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I think traveling back and forth to/from Yorkshire was the more tolerable excuse. We all hated to lose him, but I completely understood his reason for leaving. The travel and living out of a suitcase gets old.
There’s no doubt Andy loved the club, that was reflected by his performances on the pitch, the fans fell in love with him for the way he just absolutely bossed the back.
Someone will pick him up.
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Andy Butler is and always will be a legend for Saddlers fans but recent experiance has taught us that it’s for the best that legends don’t return.
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Looks like he’s given up on being a ref when he retires then.
Yeah thought he was great when he was here but he only played 11 times for Scunny last year so it just wouldn’tr be the same.
Already came back once before in 2014 when it seemed he fell out with Nigel Clough a week or two after joining.
He lived locally (Cannock?) when he first played for us but his wife was homesick and he was forced to move his young family back to Yorkshire. I’ve absolutely no doubt that he was paid more money at Doncaster Rovers.
He went to Sheffield United first before going to Doncaster. To be fair it was a bigger club, more money and closer to where his family wanted to be. You cant really knock him for that.
I don’t recall us making bid for him, before he went to Doncaster after his loan spell with us ended?
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It is technically correct to say that he was a Sheffield United player but his stay there was VERY brief! He left us in June 2014, no doubt tempted by the much bigger pay packet, as well, then returned to us on loan in September 2014 before being shipped out by the Blades to Doncaster, his home town club, in October 2014. His brief sojourn at Bramall Lane was clearly unhappy as he did not make a single league appearance.
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Yeah he and Nigel Clough fell out for some reason pretty early on. Add in a poor start to 14/15 and a few injuries at the back (Dean Holden appeared from nowhere to play some games) and he came back and did pretty well IIRC, as if he never left.
At the time Donny were yoyo ing between championship and league 1 so didn’t look a bad move but they went out of league 1 the other way. Still a shame he couldn’t have scored the winner v Burton as he then would’ve had a shadow of him put up outside the Saddlers club.
As well as realistic targets we can sign on permanent deals, any potential loans we could try and get?
For instance, Alexis Sanchez doesn’t seem to have any future in the Man Utd’s first team …
Neymar is reduced to doing adverts for men’s anti-polecat, perhaps we could offer him a route into English football? Pork scratchings for life, how could he say no?
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Alexi Sayle more like.
@Belphegor Alexei Sayle wouldn’t be my first choice for Walsall’s main summer signing: “Still, mustn’t grumble!”
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Had to look twice then. I thought, blimey, Oztumers let himself go a bit.
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Morning All,
After many years of not now being on the board, I wanted to get back on. Firstly I hope you are all keeping safe and well as well of course your respective families.
Back to football, with the player’s released by Clarke, I think he made the correct decisions. I would personally like us to attempt to get back Rory Holden and Cameron Pring from Brizzle City. I would personally like to see a more experienced goalkeeper to challenge Roberts and also help his progression. With that in mind what about Joe Murphy who has previously had two loan spells with us. I know he is 38 but for a goalkeeper this is not a barrier as long as he is looking after himself. Admittedly I would only give Murphy a one year deal but he would also bring experience into the dressing room.
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Great to see you back.
Judging by what DC said in the paper today, he’s looking to bring back some of the loanees we had last season. Holden, Pring and Rose. DC liked them as players, their attitudes and how well they got along with the group.
I would welcome them back.
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Ian Henderson has been released by Rochdale, he’s getting on a bit now (35) but every time he’s played against us he runs the game and looks a cut above.
He could even help fill the void left by Marcus Stewart in terms of mentoring and developing our younger strikers.
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I can see Pring ending up going to a League 1 club, wouldnt mind him back here though.
Henderson would be a cracking signing.
I know we said we wouldn’t need a striker but we would only need a couple of injuries and we’d be bang in trouble. I wouldn’t mind Jamille Matt just realeased by Newport.
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