W 1-0 vs Sutton United (A) - League Two - Sat 30th Oct, 3pm

October ends with a trip to EFL newcomers Sutton United who gained entry to the Football League through becoming National League champions last season.

Sutton United

The Amber and Chocolates are led by manager Matt Gray who has been in charge of them since May 2019, and they come into this game sitting in 10th in League Two having taken a couple of games to really settle in.

Player wise there aren’t many recognisable names but two stick out to me - Craig Eastmond who is a former Arsenal youth / reserve player, and some Saddlers may remember Will Randall who we once had on loan from Wolves.

Sutton United’s last six fixtures have been:

2nd Oct - Northampton Town (A) - Won 2-0
9th Oct - Port Vale (H) - Won 4-3
12th Oct - Portsmouth (A) (PJT) - Won 2-0
16th Oct - Crawley Town (A) - Won 1-0
19th Oct - Swindon Town (H) - Lost 2-1
23rd Oct - Rochdale (H) - Lost 3-2

Onto the Saddlers now…

Walsall head into this game on a six-game unbeaten run, which isn’t to be sniffed at, but on the back of a rather deflating draw against Barrow who of course equalised in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

That said, The Saddlers appear to be becoming a more stable side, with team selection now a lot more rigid than it was at the start of the season which can only be a good thing, and the signs are there that we are a good team so hopefully it is only a matter of time now before it all clicks together nicely.

Rory Holden and Liam Kinsella of course will still be missing through injury for this game, but providing everyone else comes through training unscathed they will be the only two casualties.

Team selection for this game will be interesting with a near-fit squad to choose from. Personally I would like to see Brendan Kiernan back in from the start, possibly in place of Emmanuel Osadebe, but other than that keep it as it was for the previous game.

The best striker in the English Football League George Miller is really enjoying his football at the moment and will be hoping that he can add to his tally of 7 goals in 9 games so far.

A new ground for many, that we appear to have sold our entire allocation for, so let’s make it loud and let the team know we are there. Are you going?

Game predictions and starting XI predictions welcome, along with any other info that might help fans on the trip to the game such as parking etc.

Sutton United vs Walsall - Match Result
  • Sutton United Win
  • Draw
  • Walsall Win

0 voters

This one worries me.

Look at the goals Sutton score.

Look at the goals we concede.

A perfect storm of one team’s strength corresponding with another’s weakness.

I also worry about Matt’s post match comments. Lately, any disappointment is aimed at the forwards not being ruthless enough rather than our inability to stop crosses and mark.

I shan’t be ticking this one off this season. Think I’ll get another go next year. Hope everyone travelling has a better time than my pessimistic tone suggests they will.

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I was going to post on here earlier and ran out of time. I was going to say pretty much what you said, I don’t fancy this one at all for the same reasons you mentioned.

I also agree about Matt’s comments post match. Scoring goals obviously changes the way matches go but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t defend properly. I would hope that he knows really and it is just his post match speel.

I’m not going either, had to choose between that or Kings Lynn and chose Kings Lynn as it is likely we will get to go to Sutton again at some point.

Tricky place to get a result, a draw would be a decent result but seeing as we dropped 2 points yesterday it feels a bit like we need a win.

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Happily take another point from this one. Will be a very dodgy place for any side in this divison to go too by the looks of it.

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Going for a win for this game , Simple reason we need to bounce back as yesterday’s game felt like a defeat and the players should still be angry and smarting from that and determined to bounce back ,By the way is that a green parakeet top of there badge?,I think we need one how many I see around Walsall these days :rofl:

According to Wikipedia, so obviously correct, it is a popinjay…from the shield of the Lords of the Manor of Cheam.

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Against Rochdale, they were reduced to ten men but still managed to run them close, scoring a couple of goals in the second half - both from corners (our Achilles heel)! They present an obvious aerial threat which will test our suspect defence.

More ornithological news just in…

I’m not a bird watcher but on a recent walk in the Arbo I thought I saw a green parakeet (not a puddycat!) -I knew they were seen in the South East but not up here. So I googled it and I was proved not to be hallucinating.
There were many theories how this non native bird came to breed here, one being that Jimi Hendrix released some into the wild from Carnaby St in the 60’s! So Swiftlydoesit you might get to see one after all.

Big test for MT this one. We all know what will be coming at us from them. I’d take the draw now.

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Looking forward to the new ground but not much else, can see this going badly. They are obviously quite physical gong by reports and the number they are having sent off. Not too worried about the physical side as we have the biggest and probably hardest team we have had for years. We should be able to handle that. But they seem to score all their goals from set pieces which with our inability to defend them doesn’t bode well. We seriously need to sort our organisation and defending at set pieces out quickly, it is costing us goals and points. Tek a point now. 3 would be very welcome!

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Pre Barrow I’d have said we could give this a real go, but I have to say I’d take a point right now if offered.

These lot turned over Vale two weeks ago so won’t be easy at all. Also won at Northampton who are top 3 now. Bigger banana skin than Hartlepool was start of the season and that was a poor defeat.

Would be happy with a point from this, keep building steady away form which is why home games like Saturday are so frustrating as that was proper two points dropped.

Many parakeets around here…too many for my liking. They are loud and I think a threat to our native birds. Back to the match.I think we will win. 2-0

Bloody Parakeets, coming over here and building their nests in our trees :smiley:

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Exactly …glad you agree with me for once :wink:

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I agree with you on a lot of things, apart from your loony right wing views :wink:

Well if I am loony right winger I don’t know what that means for some on this board :joy: It also makes you a rather potty left winger :wink:

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:grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:
Back to the match, I think we will win this by two clear goals.

I agree… :grinning: :grinning:

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Jimi is innocent! They were around for years before Jimi came over, but it’s a good story, one of those rock myths that keeps being told, like Mama Cass and the ham sandwich.

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