Tranmere Rovers (H) Jan 11th, 12.30pm kick-off

Match Centre 24/25
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"I saw the last of Waring …
Oh, never star was lost here,
but it rose afar!"

(Robert Browning)

Having failed to fulfil last Saturday’s 12.30pm game, we’ll have another go in the hope that the freeze doesn’t return. In the quest for club records this match could be our 8th win on the bounce, which hasn’t been done too many times in the past.

Tranmere Rovers are somewhat precariously poised in 20th place in League 2, on 25 points (a mere 5 points above the drop), and in their 23 League 2 games they’ve only managed to score 17 goals. Their current first team squad includes 3 ex-Saddlers in Cameron Norman, Kieron Morris and goalkeeping coach Joe Murphy, still available for selection at the age of 43yrs! A name in years gone by was Manny Monthe. Their current League 2 form:

December 7th Chesterfield (A) Lost 3-0
December 14th Harrogate Town (H) Won 2-1
December 21st Doncaster Rovers (A) Lost 3-1
December 29th Barrow (H) Drew 1-1
January 1st Morecambe (A) Lost 2-0
January 4th Carlisle Utd (H) Won 1-0

The jumble of results so often seen in League 2 resulted last weekend in our lead of 12 points being slashed to a paltry 10, with Crewe Alexandra and Salford City currently occupying 2nd and 3rd places, both on 42 points. On Saturday Crewe travel to Swindon Town, who aren’t as much of the basket case as they have been in the past. Salford are still in the F. A. Cup, and have a much needed money spinning fixture (and a local derby to boot) at Manchester City.

Mat Sadler (with his freshly announced contract extension) is no doubt fully engaged in exploiting the January transfer window - at the time of writing we still have Nathan Lowe and Tommy Simkin, but he can no longer call on Reyes Cleary and George Hall, who have both returned to their parent clubs. Jack Earing is another absentee, through injury. Perhaps Danny Johnson may get more than his regulation 10 minutes at the end of the game, who knows?

An interesting statistic trotted out recently - apparently the Saddlers have scored just over 72% of their League 2 goals in the 2nd half, a definite tribute (a) to Mat’s half time team talk, and (b) to the overall fitness of the squad. Long may that continue!

Prediction? Well, it really should be 3 points gained -a score of 3-0 wouldn’t surprise me…

UTS

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Going to be a cold one I know that! 2-0 Walsall

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Would put money on it being called off.

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Feeling very confident tbf if it goes ahead.
We have showed on many occasions this season how we dig deep even in the worst of conditions to win games.
These lads deserve a decent crowd down there Saturday. And it would be a bit disappointing if we don’t get over 6500 for a team that’s making us proud and a chance of braking records with 8 wins on the bounce…
2-0 to the reds 6650 in attendance.

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Walsall P-P Tranmere
Att. 0

Temperatures below freezing right up until kick off really can’t see it going ahead.

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Minus 4°/6° Friday night .
Not looking good.

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And barely above zero during the days before it warms up a bit from sunday onwards. As much as the rest was much needed so last week’s postponement may not have been such a bad thing, could really do with this being on to keep momentum but not looking good.

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Hope it’s on good time to play these rather then later on in the season when they could really be scrapping for points to stay up.

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According to what I have seen the last of the very low temperatures is on Thursday night so there is a chance it might be on if we have managed to protect the pitch. If its on I will go for a 2-0 home win.

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No chance of this being on, I don’t think we have anything to protect the pitch.

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Did we sell the braziers? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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2-0 to Matty Sadler’s super Saddlers. Both goals in the second half kicking towards the big stand. Standard.

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Really shouldn’t be going ahead, temperatures barely rising above freezing if at all between now and kick off. Hopefully another proactive early decision is made in the best interests and welfare of all players and spectators.

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Blimey your Mistress must love or perhaps dread Saturdays in Winter :wink:. as you seem to favour postponing most games.

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I’ve been told on good authority she’s actually started walking bow legged…

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No chance this will go ahead

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I know the feelin😁

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We’d be playing Saturday and Tuesday well into July if he was making the decisions.

I do think this Saturday’s game will be off though. That is why I was disappointed last weekend. It was okay saying the players needed a rest, which is fair enough, but two games off in a row and the momentum we have could easily die on us. We have a resilient squad to be fair though.

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I agree. If the forecast is correct, there is no chance of us playing and we really do not want to have weeks off without a game. I guess there will be a lot of games off though so others will be affected too.