In a few days time, Walsall play Barrow. The game is being branded, a must-win, not only for the points, but to salvage some dignity for a team that are slowly sliding. So what has gone wrong? And why are the Saddlers in this position, where they are looking at their lowest league finish, since 16th place Division Four finish, in 90/91.
Relegation Scrap?
Walsall sit 9 points above the relegation zone, with a game in hand on Southend, who occupy 23rd position. All season, the club have been adamant that the play-off’s is the target, however with 14 games left, and a 13 point gap to make up, this is not exactly looking likely. Fans would take a repeat of last seasons 12th place finish, however even this looks tough to achieve.
Barrow is a big game, especially as Crawley and Bolton are next up for Walsall.. Bolton have found their stride and have shot up the table, and Crawley are a mid table side, that have won 3 of their last 5. Points against Barrow, are key. There has been a lot of talk about mentality, and at the moment, the team don’t look like a side that believe the can win, and that has been one of the biggest issues this season.
Walsall still have to face four of the top seven teams, in their remaining fixtures, and if recent games against these types of teams is anything to go by, points are looking tough to pick up. Although the Saddlers are still a long way off relegation, a loss against Barrow on Friday would be disastrous, and would mount a lot more pressure on the board to fill the managers position.
The big concern is, that looking at the three teams that are slightly cut off at the bottom, Walsall have only scraped 3 out of 12 points against these teams so far. If the side struggle against those at the top, and those at the bottom, who can they pick points up from?
Mistakes at both ends
So many points dropped through mistakes, missed chances, and lapses in concentration this season. In the first half of the season, it seemed that the Saddlers were conceding one goal a game through a poor mistake. This has resulted in many points dropped over the course of the season, and confidence was visibly dropping. In the second half of the season, it has changed to a lack of goals that is the sides downfall.
The mistakes have not just been in the defence. Penalty misses, glorious chances hit off target, and sometimes, open goals missed, have been seen far too often this season. The simple fact of the matter is, Walsall haven’t scored enough, and conceded more than they should have, and this is a trend that has been going on for a few seasons.
Mistakes are also not exclusive to shots and goals conceded. The side have been guilty of not being able to break well on the counter, or simply keep hold of the ball. The decision making has been poor. The choice of long ball under Darrell Clarke didn’t really ever see the side in control of games, and now that Dutton is trying to mix it up. the side are very unfamiliar, and are struggling to effectively adapt. Although it seems the mistakes have been ironed out, to an extent, the frailty is still there, and Walsall never seem to control a match, or even dictate large parts of it.
Aimless Recruitment
Darrell Clarke’s mass changeover of personnel, in his first season, was always going to be tough. He managed to keep a core of the team that, most fans would agree, had potential. However the recruitment this season has not been particularly strong, with the only a couple of players living up to what was expected of them. The impending exodus that could hit this summer does not actually concern fans as much as previous years, as the current group have seen a 12th place finish, and as it stands, a bottom third finish.
There has been no rhyme or reason to the recruitment policy that Darrell Clarke had in place, and it is more evident now that he has gone. There was never a style, or a formation that was ‘Walsall’s style’. Recruitment seemed to be the players that were available, rather than to fit a style that the manager was trying to play. Tyreik Wright has been a fine addition to the side, but before that, we did not have a proper RM for a season and a half. It took Clarke four windows to get a RM, except for Nolan, who he refused to play.
Overall, there are many players that simply have not been good enough for a side wanting to finish in the top half of League Two, let alone promotion pushing teams, which we have not been in the two seasons in League Two. Whoever is in charge over the summer, has to recruit to fit a system. If it is Dutton, then fans will want to see a plan in place, and suitable players to play his style coming in.
Pomlett not to blame
It is easy to forget that Leigh Pomlett has had just over a season and a half as Walsall chairman. He has been dealt a tough hand, and so far, has had an incomplete season due to the pandemic, then a financially draining season with no fans in. Revenue streams elsewhere in the club stopped too, completely draining the club. He has done the best for Walsall, and as a fan and businessman, each decision he has had to make is not being made for his own back pocket.
Many fans are relieved that Pomlett was the person in charge for the pandemic, but even with him at the helm, the effect of it has hit Walsall hard, and ultimately, this has had a big impact on the pitch too.
Fans have stuck with Pomlett, and are also eagerly awaiting what will happen to the club in a more financially prosperous time. The fear is, that the club will have slipped even further, and an even bigger push will be needed to lift the club out of a dire position.
