I know it’s stating the obvious, but the penalty miss cost us that game. Had we gone in front it would have forced them to come at us, thereby creating some space. As it was they sat back and we were unable to break them down.
To be fair to them, they clearly know how to defend, having not conceded a goal this season.
Frustrating, more possession, betterr team,we look better away from home this season.Earing for Lakin is a must.Cleary and Lowe need time to settle in.
Watch the game long enough and you see matches like this - nothing goes for you, no luck in front of goal, and the opposition get one chance and gets a lucky goal from a deflection.
Tranmere’s game plan was to spoil the match - and they did that very effectively - and add in a weak, gullible ref and the result was a foregone conclusion.
As the poster above said - at least we don’t have to watch Tranmere - and Cameron Norman - each week!
Positives and negatives.
I thought Ryan Stirk was outstanding, on the ball he’s fantastic in that recycling role. Liam Gordon was brilliant too, all over the place playing wing back, centre mid, attacking mid, centre half. Earing was excellent when he came on. Lowe looked really lively. I think we looked ok on the ball, obviously we lacked that killer pass. They never caused us any problems either.
Negatives … Sadler has read that game wrong. He’s kept Matt on because he’s causing them problems, which stopped in about the second minute. Barrett was excellent and Adomah should have come on, but for Jellis in my opinion, which then gives you the change for Cleary too. Simkin has to control his area better, every game there has been a dodgy moment. I also don’t know who’s on pen coaching but that’s two missed from two in open play now, and both were piss poor. Lakin … I’m not sold, Earing looks a far better player. Jellis was also guilty of giving the ball away, and a horrific effort on goal first half (improved second half though).
On the whole I think we were slightly unlucky.
We have lost to an extremely ordinary Tranmere side because we offered no guile to create a chance. All we did was aimlessly pump the ball into the box.
I am at a total loss to explain how bad the quality of ball into the box was today. Liam Gordon should be banned from crossing the ball. He is unable to get the ball above waist height. I lost count of the number of times he hit a defender who was only 10 yards in front of him.
Of around 100 crosses into the box, the ball either did not make it in there at all, or it was straight to a Tranmere defender. They should look at that stat next time they are staring at their i pad for inspiration. We never ever looked like actually creating a chance and scoring.
Also, why do we keep falling over at every opportunity - we should stand up and concentrate on playing the game.
Poor today and alarmingly no plan B.
UP THE SADDLERS
Frustrating result but useful in that it still shows our deficiencies when teams sit back and allow us the ball, we don’t have that spark or nous to unlock solid lines.
Guessing Flash had to come off given his injury last week (leg was heavily strapped) so would have thought Cleary was more suited to playing with Matt - Lowe and Jamma were too similar.
Game like that shows me why we should go all out on sawyers or a midfielder of similar ilk
We have nothing in midfield when we have the ball for sustained periods other than earing
I’d change the team a little for the next league game and start earing over Lakin who has been ineffective so far , I’d start Adomah over jellis and anyone over Matt
Impressed with Lowe’s attitude when he came on. He will be good for us. He did really well for Earing’s goal.
Still think we need something else in midfield. Maher ain’t ready for league two football, take off the blinkers of he is one of our own, and he looks powder puff and lost most the time.
No doubt there is a player in Lakin but he isn’t showing it at the moment, been disappointed so far. That leaves us with Earring and Jellis, a first year pro up from non-league.
I thought we would make a permanent signing up front, I’d be tempted to spend cash on a quality midfielder now.
Really frustrating game but fair play to them, they really dug in and defended well. Can see why they haven’t conceded a goal yet.
Although frustrated, not too downhearted after this one. Just one of those days where it just wouldn’t fall for us in the box. The ref was awful as well, nothing wrong with that disallowed goal at the end. We also have Cleary as an option. Still positive we’ll have a successful season this term if we keep this group together and mostly fit.
Knew It was too good to be true to get a decent run of refereeing at this level like in the previous games . Back to the normal atrocious level . They somehow make an attritional league 2 game even harder to watch . Must be so frustrating to play in let alone watching it .
Maybe Weir can get into the team. International duty for Gordon will force the manager’s hand. I like the potential for interchanging Weir And Allen between LB and LCB.
One of those days today.
Another positive, is the young bucks deserve a chance up front. Lowe and Cleary will need time and patience, but if Jamma and Josh don’t deliver, they can’t complain if Sadler shuffles the pack.
In fairness, if the same players are fit and available, you can’t change a team that won 4-0 away, the previous week.
Matt’s constant whining and moaning at the referee goes against against him and the team, can’t he see that.
You’d have to be absolutely mental to drop Liam Gordon on that performance 
people whinge about his crossing, he’s aiming at FA most the time.
Very frustrating match. Tranmere were very poor but we could not find a way through. I agree with others and would have taken Matt off and tried to play it on the ground. Our inexperience also showed at times and we need to impose ourselves on teams like Tranmere. Anyway it is just one game and hopefully we will have games when things go better for us.
Very frustrating. Lacked the nous and composure once we missed the pen.
The good news is that generally we are better than all three sides we’ve played so far.
We dominated without creating much at all. Missing the pen turned the game. A defeat but no need to be to downhearted. There has been enough if the first 4 games to suggest we can challange this season. Ref seemed to have the attitude today. " I have give you a penalty you were dumb enough to miss it. Your not getting anything else". I am still confident we will finish in the top 7.
Agree about RAM
Surprised he came on in such a rough house game tbh. Struggled to get in the game.
Classic Walsall FC 2018-2024 result.
Not shocked
Soooo typical Walsall display after the euphoria of Swindon, we looked as though they had all met for the first time in the changing room, no spark, creativity , we allowed a really poor wannabe scouse team to engage us with negative tag wrestling which we allowed to happen. Why on earth did Matt take that penalty, anyone but him, Sadler again looked bereft of ideas regarding system change, I think we all need to temper our expectations again as we look likely to be good one week and shite the next.