It is safe to say it has been a good week for the Saddlers who beat rivals Port Vale in an impressive victory on the road. However, it will count for nothing if they lose against Carlisle.
Carlisle are in poor form, the worst in the league, and joint worse in the top four tiers of English football, and if there is ever a match that Walsall will slip up on, it is this.
Carlisle
It does not make for pretty reading. In the last 10 games, Carlisle have drawn three and lost seven. The stats look even worse, with only three goals scored and 19 conceded. Their goal difference is the worst in the top four tiers.
This is a team that have dropped off from the one that were threatening to push the play-off’s not so long ago.
It is difficult to pinpoint the issues in the side. The likes of Lewis Alessandra and Tristan Abrahams up top have experience in the league, but they cannot get going this season.
Defensively the team are struggling, and it is perhaps down to an imbalance at the back. Rod McDonald leads the defence, but around him is a lack of experience, and a lack of consistency.
Keith Millen has been brought it to try and change the Cumbrians fortunes. He has had just over a month in charge, but results have not changed.
Walsall
The Saddlers must take advantage of Carlisle’s poor form. The win against Port Vale will be irrelevant if Walsall don’t win tomorrow, especially looking at the table, where three points will solidify a place in the top half of the league.
This is a fixture that historically Walsall slip up in. It has already happened this season against Scunthorpe, and last season against Southend.
Matt Taylor will have the team prepared and ready to go, although he may be missing Brendan Kiernan through injury.
The squad looks very balanced at the moment, with depth in the squad allowing for rotation and changes in match. Kiernan will be a miss, but with Shade, Phillips and Khan on the bench, it is not a concern.
The biggest issue in the side, for the fans, is at left-back. Ward has been inconsistent in matches, and for all his experience and years of know how, playing all match every match is a worry for his fitness. Zak Mills may come back into the team once he is fit to allow Ward a rest, although Carlisle may be too soon.
The Saddlers now have a bit of expectation by the fans, and the next couple of games will be a test to see how they cope with a fan base that have growing expectation.
Featured image – Reuters
