W 2-1 vs Salford City (A) - League Two - Sat 9th Sept, 3pm

We are going large at Salford, going to twist their melons man, 1:2 Walsall win, Owen Evans O/G before DJ and Stirk turn it around in the 88th and 94th minute. In front of a disappointing 2341 of which 875 are travelling Saddlers who will invade the pitch carrying Matt Sadler around the ground as the full time whilst is blown

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What gives me hope is the improvement v Grimsby, we had clearly been working on defensive shape and it showed, likewise the improvement in balance and transition v Colchester again a forward step.
So the coaches are coaching the players are listening so with glass half full another clear week working with the team hopefully will be better placed to gain a win.
Gordon will be a miss, not sure I’d play Allen at LCB verses better strikers than Colchester had although he did well Saturday.
0-1 to the Saddlers

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Salford have lost 3 of their 6 opening league games, so they can’t be that amazing.

Get Johnson back in the side and hopefully defensively we are learning then we should look to getting three points off this lot.

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Have we had a penalty since Johnson left? Williams scored in the Cup but Johnson was still with us then, I think, just not allowed to play.

Johnson scored at Stockport, he had been subbed when we won the penalty.

Can’t remember us having a pen since, or many shots for that matter the second half of last season.

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Ah, yes, I remember now. So we went half a season and now 6 matches this season, 8 if you include the cups, without getting a penalty. We conceded a few in that time.

My first visit to Salford City so looking forward to it. Taking my Grandkids for their first ever Saddlers away match so hoping for a victory. Saddlers win for me, 1-2 Johnson double :+1:

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Try to avoid them wanting a pee whilst they are there…their portacabin, usually swimming in the usual, make our bogs look like something from the Ritz!

Again to drivers making the journey, avoid the local streets, not saying they ā€˜will’ have ya towed away, but they will!

Disappointed missing Gordon (wish him well of course), will Sadler persist with the Matt up front experiment? Hope to god not, even though he showed glimpses of what he ā€˜could’ be capable of last Saturday, we cannot afford to have our goalpoacher on the bench again.

I used to work with Salfords boss Neil Wood for a couple of years. He was a postman who was forever arguing with managenent.

A game where we will very much need our subs to play a big part with this heat, I’ll go for a 1-1.

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Good call on the heat being a factor.

Imagine their back 4 wilting in the heat, only for a fresh Freddie to come off the bench on 60 minutes!

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We have got to win away eventually haven’t we and it would be nice to do it against Salford. If we can get 3 points table will look a lot healthier and I think 11 points from 7 would not be a bad start.

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Yep, as every game passes we are one game closer to our next away win.

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With a huge thanks to @LucasB (again), I will be there.

My guess is that Hussey will come back into his usual slot and Allen will move over to LCB to fill in for the missing Gordon. DD, PF and Knowles to complete the back 5 (Evans keeping his place over Smith).

In the middle, definitely Stirk and Hutch but now a bit of a head scratcher for the 3rd (and maybe even a 4th?) McEntee is the way Sadler has been going when he’s not been required for CB duties, and I think many would agree with a more defensive setup against these away (at least to start with), but Tierney has showed more than enough when he’s started games to be given another chance in there - and now there’s also Griffiths to consider (expect him to get on the pitch at some stage). There is of course also Riley, but I’d expect him to start on the bench as primary cover for Knowles (Foulkes being squeezed out now we’ve got a slightly larger squad to pick from). My gut feeling is that it will be McEntee.

Another option is Oteh or DJT as a 4th midfielder to play deeper behind a lone front man, but more likely it will be a front 2 like nearly every other game so far - and it is that area where there is most doubt in my mind. I know the fans favourite would be DJ and Draper but I also agree with @mossa that the weather will be a big factor, so Matt alongside DJT or Oteh would make sense to tire their defence a bit before bringing on the Dream Team for the last half hour or so rather than starting them then having to change down later when they’ve succumbed to the heat. It’s got to be a balancing act of a starting XI able to at least match Salford against a bench capable of being able to change things up if/when needed.

But then MS could confound us all and do something completely left field. In a lot of ways I hope he does, and it comes off, as it will show development as a head coach and might earn him a bit more kudos than few on here have given him so far.

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We normally stay for a couple of nights when going to see us against Salford, there are some nice bars/restaurants on Salford Quays

The Northern Quarter and ā€œNew Islingtonā€ (aka Ancoats) districts have loads of nice bars, restaurants, and hotels - but then so do many of the areas that have been redeveloped across the whole city centre.

If you’ve not been there before, this place is a bit of an institution amongst Manchester locals and well worth a visit:

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Will be happy with a point, but wouldn’t be surprised if we win this.
I’ll go for 2-1

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A point would be a good result, but as we all do I want all 3

I think I speak for every Walsall fan when I say I want to wipe the smug grin of this bellends face.

4-2 to the Saddlers. DJ back at it with a hattrick.

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Would love a win. 4 point from the next two games ideally

Sneaky 1-0 Walsall, DJ, 750 Saddlers

Expect 2 changes from last week.
Hussey for Gordon, and DJ for Matt.

Also Griffith on the bench for DJT.

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