Arsenal struggled to play with a 3 v Leicester and Jermaine Jenas commented that the players looked like they didn’t know where to be. Sound familiar? Ironically, the George Graham and early Wenger era was based on a solid defence of a constant GK and back 4.
If internationals can’t cope what chance do Walsall standard players have? Both teams look like confidence is shot, both teams have managers who look totally deflated and crestfallen…
A wise man once said, keep it simple!
Rose
Kinsella
Clarke
Jules
Pring
Guthrie
Sinclair
Gordon
Hardy
McDonald
Lavery
Not perfect but surely that could look a bit more dangerous going forward. Would play that v Cambridge in the unlikely event they’re all fit.
Don’t worry neither does Darrell 
Seem to remember when Clarke first joined he was talking a lot about developing and improving players. When he signed up Marcus Stewart the feeling was that he would pick up strikers and players that had lost their way and give them an opportunity to kick start their career again. Those were optimistic times. Since then it appears that he has decided that he’s not an arm around the shoulder manager and prefers to call his players mentally weak and belittle them in public. I mean we’ve all been creative in job interviews but this is a pretty dramatic about turn. Can anybody think of a single player that has improved under his excellent coaching skills. Marcus Stewart seems to be stealing a wage at the moment. Really wanted him to do well and thought he would after what he said in the summer. That’s what makes it such a kick in the balls that he’s not the manager he said he was going to be. Walsall boss Darrell Clarke keen to focus on developing youngsters | Express & Star
Replace Scarr with K Roberts.
Clarke with Facey
Definitely Bates over Guthrie.
Then we have the best team. If we can get a winger on the right or left - I miss you Keiron Morris…It will add much needed balance.
This is what gets me.
He said all the right things for a manager perfect for a rebuild like this.
However since then all he has done is call them out. You can’t have that if you’re in a rebuild, during rebuilds there will be difficult times but calling them out isn’t the way to go. And it’s all he ever does, along with mentioning his promotions and how he and his staff have proven success, almost as if we are lucky to have them here.
Yep. He mentioned a ‘siege mentality’ again in his pre-match interviews. Why? We’re not out to get the team, they’ve already had a glimpse of the support they’ll get from a Walsall crowd if they’re even remotely successful (Northampton, Crewe, Orient etc).
IMO, one of the easiest aspects of his job was assembling a squad in the aftermath of one of our most toxic group of players that the supporters could get behind. To not capitalise on the good feeling around his own appointment, Pomlett’s takeover and a new squad is a huge failing on Clarke’s part.
In July and August it was ‘we’re going to rebuild the relationship between the Club and supporters.’
In November we’re now hearing, ‘siege mentality, batten down the hatches etc.’
The only person that continues to make the divide exist is Clarke himself.
Not 'arf.
And I miss Joe Edwards
And my team to get us to 2020, when we desperately need a full back, a winger and a striker, would be a 4411 formation
Rose
Kinsella, Clarke, Jules, C-Mollett
McDonald, Bates, Sinclair, Pring
Hardy
Lavery
Rose
Facey/Norman, Clarke, Jules,Pring
Kinsella
Sinclair, Bates, Hardy
McDonald
Lavery
We are really missing a Joe Edwards in this side. Maybe he wanted to go closer to home, but if not then it’s probably the one release he got wrong, possibly Devlin too, he could have done a job in this league in this side with the way we play.
Devlin is a massive miss for me. I wasn’t bothered by his release but we could really do with his width down the right. It would at least have given us a bit of balance down that side with Holden consistently hiding in midfield
Everyone poo pooed me when I said he would be a huge loss. Sadly I’ve been proved right. We need someone who can play both boxes and he could. He could have even filled in the fullback positions better than what we have
I think Edwards was probably one of the higher earners though (he was rated decently when we signed him) , and was never going to take a pay cut.
As for Devlin I wasn’t too fussed, but He’s also been a big loss. I think we miss his endeavour more than anything else. Again though, I don’t think he was ever gonna accept a pay cut over a move to SPL.
Just looked at the teams nearly everyone pick with the odd differences, so why can’t Clarke pick these players?
Is he deliberately thick? Stubborn? Or most probably hasn’t got a clue.
Why Pomlett is being patient with Clarke’s ineptitude shows a degree of weakness…we’re drowning, but a boat will be along… eventually I’m sure…
Think Pomletts stuck between a rock and a hard place tbh probably knows Darrell’s not up to the task but also knows it’s gonna cost to get rid and then whoever comes in might still struggle with this poor bunch of individuals it’s not an ideal position for him so early into his reign it can’t be easy for Leigh in all honesty can it
The best keeper at the minute is Rose, the left side combo of Jules and McDonald that Clarke stumbled upon and then binned would be my pick. C/midfield has to be Sinclair and Bates, Up front if Lavery is fit he has to play. So that leaves centre halves, the right flank and who to play with Lavery from what’s left. I want to see Hardy given a run, but the negative there is Hardy Lavery Sinclair and Bates is like the diddy men in the fourth division, so with that you will get good days and bad days. The alternative is 4-3-3 with maybe Gordon or Adebayo who as we both know arn’t great at scoring in the front 3 with Hardy and Lavery, bearing in mind we havn’t got a right winger to speak of there’s some logic to that, but again we will be over-run and out-muscled on bad days. Centre-halves perm any 2 from about 7, same with right back. Only thing I wouldn’t bother with is Pring as a starter, a sub yes but not to start in front of our own players.
Definitely see Rose as our number one keeper now, although I don’t think he’s the most confident keeper in the world when defending his own area on set pieces.
Can see sides targeting that and sticking someone on him for corners. Hopefully it’s just a confidence thing and still has a bit of rustiness from bench warming to shake off. That said though, he’s still better than Roberts. The save onto the bar on Saturday was one Roberts would have conceded, probably fumbled into the back of the net as he really struggles to get down quick enough for those types of shots.
I think we could still do with a proven goalkeeper in the january window
What no pring do you watch walsall best player out there no wonder you Geordie s windon ____all