Agreed, we still need more quality in my opinion.
I think we are 3/4 quality, proven players short of a real challlenge
2 Likes
I also agree with Geordie that we have a short pre season with few games. When we played Crewe it was their 5th game.
It seems that we are we so far behind in prep, with few friendly’s
I agree with some of the posters above.
As has been pointed out, there some good teams in L2, we know we need some quality signings, but usually, they cost money.
Just don’t think our club has it to spend. Sad to say, I believe LP has juggled the finances as best as he was able… just to keep us afloat. I doubt there is any spare cash in the safe
Our saving grace would be a Rico Henry sale, the more clubs after him raises his value, much to our benefit. We obviously can’t rely on that happening though time will tell.
I think going in to the season with not too high expectations as fans is the key. I do agree, we just lack that little bit of quality to make the difference. So a lot will depend if any further signings are just to make the numbers up, or we do find one or two who are of the required quality.
Brilliant. 
Best post of the new season so far, sets the bar high. 
1 Like
Didn’t we perform pretty well against teams in the upper half of the division last season? I wouldn’t say quality was the problem, more like consistency. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love if we could add a bit more to the squad but the current group are capable of making the playoffs. When it clicked we were more than a match for the better teams.
If we can find a way to beat the poorer sides then I’m confident of making a genuine push for the top 7
A good point, and a lot of it was down to chopping and changing, not just personnel, but formations, systems, etc. I don’t buy Clarke’s “Every game is a new project” You play to your strengths, of course you might need to adapt, but little tweaks, not a complete overhaul every game. Once we had a more settled team, it certainly looked better.
1 Like
Spot on there…I think we will do well and be in the mix for promotion. You have to remember the improvement we saw towards the end of last season. I think it is safe to assume that it will continue as our young team gets more experience. If the Manager is sensible he will settle on a system with these players only tweaking it for the odd game. Too much chopping and changing will not help.
1 Like
I am holding back any kind of idea in my mind how we might do, the best I can. I always say though, as a Walsall fan, if you can’t be optimistic before a ball has been kicked, you probably never will.
We certainly looked a better side before it was all stopped, and we had a bit of character about us too. I am clinging on to that, but in the back of my mind, Clarke’s need to tamper is still there. Not that I dislike him, not at all. I believe he has the knowledge to be a good manager, he just seems to have too many ideas going on. We also seem to be a fair bit behind fitness wise, and Clarke’s teams aren’t renowned for good starts. Maybe playing in front of no fans at home for a while may just help, we aren’t exactly the most supportive bunch when things aren’t going well.
5 Likes
I’ll be lumping on again 
1 Like
On what mate?
I’ll see what the markets are doing over the next couple of weeks. Nowt on the spreads yet but I’ll mostly end up there. 65+ points would be nice.
2 Likes
I think the team is coming together well.
Our recovery from the despair I felt away at Accrington 15 months ago has been quicker than I had hoped for. I honestly felt we were heading towards a flirtation with a relegation battle last season and around October my fears were being realised.
Not sure we can compete with the big spenders at the very top of this league but a play off much feels within our grasp.
I just want to get back to watching them to be honest. A bit of me has been missing for the last five months.
2 Likes
Don’t half of league 2 teams have about 5 contracted players at the moment? I’m sure Colchester released half of the squad (just had a look on their wiki and half of their 20 man squad are just youth teamers) so not sure how they’ve strengthened from reaching play offs last season.
Not sure top 3 is realistic but certainly fighting for 7th should be in this climate.
Need more goals though, these two friendlies are a warning. Started last season with two goals in the first 8 games.
1 Like
Have all the non league players been culled yet P.T (remember your mass rant after Oldham away last season. 
)
Just had a look at the 11 that played that night and they’re all still there apart from Rose, Pring and Gaffney. Liddle unused sub.
1 Like
I wouldn’t read too much into the lack of goals just yet as I think (well at least hope) that DC is only playing with different formations and personnel in various positions and we haven’t yet seen his Plan A in action.
Then again, given his Tinkerman track record from last season, mix-and-match starting XI with the formation changing every 5 minutes, and 11 substitutions at HT may be the new normal? 
We have lacked goals for years now and I don’t believe that will change, although I think we will be hard to beat.
1 Like
Exactly that! Sort the defence 1st, then you’ve got all season to work on creating & scoring goals.
“1-0 to the Saddlers” is a song I could happily get used to.
I genuinely believe it will decide how well we can do, whether DC finds a set way of playing and adjusts slightly, or goes in to full on rotate everything mode. You just have to play to your strengths. Without trying to be rude, I am sure there are some very intelligent footballers at our level, but in the main they aren’t going to be able to take in different systems, formations etc all the time and make them work on the pitch. I think Ray Graydon made this point.
You would hope that the first half of last season was a getting to know you, see what works, even if it was taken to extremes at times. From reading comments from Bristol Rovers fans on various platforms, I’m not sure that is the case though.
1 Like
Yes. And even with the benefit of 9 months to calm down a bit I still think that was the worst game of professional football I have ever seen. And I’ve seen some really bad ones.
I watch Marine quite regularly (tier 8) and it was worse than much of what I’ve seen there too. My word it was bad.
But - post October we did improve to the point where when the season finished we were as good as the top sides we played. Credit to loads of people both on and off the pitch for that. Given that much of our improvement was in the attacking third, my only fear now is how much the now departed Marcus Stewart contributed to that. No goals in two friendlies hasn’t exactly allayed those fears.
1 Like