Clarke might have had a chance if he hadn’t had his best striker and one of his best defenders sold behind his back, and instead been backed with a couple of decent signings instead!
Clarke is certainly showing atm that he isn’t a duff manager. I’m starting to think any manager has their hands tied behind their backs when they come here.
I repeat what I said earlier though, I think our current side is worse than under D.C. as Simon says () though, the real time to judge will be after the summer window…
But I dunno, it’s very hard not to judge and be reactive abojt it all when it’s just so poor at the moment.
Kinsella being sold for 80K what a nut job in todays climate Kinsella is worth at least 5 times that amount.
Not sure at what point DC teams were so much better than this. On a par fair enough but you’ve got to have a pretty short memory to say better. Pretty sure we were 21st at one point in DCs first 6 months.
After the Vale win we followed that a few days later with a no show at Carlisle.
After the comeback and fantastic late equaliser v Newport we follow that in the next game with a no show at Stevenage.
A pattern emerging?
A fair point… but even WITH that best defender and best forward (who is now scoring in the Championship) and after 18 months of building that team/squad, Clarke still never at any point had us seriously threatening the top 7.
We are two points worse off than we were at 23 matches last season. We’ve won the same amount of games, drawn two less and lost two more. Our current goal difference is two better.
Last season started poorly, and it was only a purple patch of goalscoring in early December where we managed to win four games on the trot despite continuing to concede heavily that we were respectably placed in January.
Because we were so inconsistent and defensively poor under Clarke (yes, Thanny) we couldn’t sustain that form when the goals dried up, and the Port Vale win prior to the sale of Adebayo and Jules was our first in six (including home losses to Scunny and Carlisle).
The rot was already set in, the December winning streak hid the smell and the transfer window put the nail in the coffin.
Taylor out? Not even a consideration in my mind at this point in time. I don’t think any/many Walsall fans are at that stage yet anyway.Yes he is making mistakes, what did we expect when you appoint a young manager with no experience at this level. It goes with the territory. Whether he was the right man for the job in the first place is another question.
I think a closer look needs to be taken at Fullarton and who appointed him. Pomlett made it sound like it was a long standing vision of his to appoint a DOF. I don’t think that was the case at all. It was a reaction to DC walking out. Not an exact quote from Pomlett but something along the lines of " Managers come and go, DOF’s don’t" Great if you get the right man, all kinds of problems if you don’t.
Too early to judge Fullarton maybe after just one window, but as was seen during the Clarke era, that first window you get is very important and can be very damaging if you get it wrong. There were some oohs and arrs as we signed some players that appeared to have a decent pedigree. Taylor, Labadie, Monthe, Wilkinson. Other areas of the squad have been neglected though and left us with some major problems.
The fact we only have one natural left back at the club is a disgrace in itself. Then take into account that left back 36 or 37 years old and it is even worse. We absolutely have to rectify this in this window.
We started the season without a recognised striker. In my mind I think we signed Wilkinson to play that role. Even though he has since said he isn’t a striker. Did this not come up in the diligent checks that were said to have been done before making any of our signings? We eventually signed Miller on loan, which still leaves us without a natural striker on our books and very few options in a position that can often be a game changer.
There are quite a few other things I could pick up on but I think if we had just got the left backs situation right from the off we would be in a better position. It is clearly costing us dearly, and most teams we play have worked it out now. A decent striker as well and who knows?
Spot on.
What we do in this window will help dictate what I do regarding a season ticket next season.
He needs 2 or 3 seasons.
Chopping and changing has done us no favours and the last time we gave someone time and patience it worked out quite well.
You best find a new hobbie mate.
My thought exactly, not every manager we have is useless. Look at Clarke before and after us.
Can someone post on here exactly what our home record is during the last 4 seasons as to me it seems to have been a dreadful period to be watching Walsall. I have been bored, annoyed and very frustrated.
Since we’ve been relegated to League 2
54 games
17 wins
16 draws
21 losses
Scored 60
Conceded 70
Points 67/162
Thanks for that. It’s not a good record and if you add in our last couple of seasons in league 1, it would be even worse. Little wonder I don’t look forward to going any more.
Add our last season in League 1
Played 23
7 wins
5 draws
11 losses
30 scored
37 conceded
26/69 points
I make it 42 home league wins (did it quickly so maybe one or two out) since the season we finished 3rd
That’s dreadful.
That’s not good. Add all the off-field issues and little wonder people are getting fed-up.
It’s not as if we even have a bit of glory in the Cups either, a handful of exceptions apart, we’ve been appalling for over a decade and a half. Even the Wembley (non) appearance and the Chelsea game were in 2015, seven years ago.
I’d forgotten the Chelsea game was that long ago! Wow, we really have had a long spell of sh!te to put up with.
Lovely watching Salop coaches heading up the A41 going to collect their 500k payday. Cheered us up no end.