Matt Taylor’s Walsall are back in action taking on Barrow at home. The Saddlers are looking to extend their unbeaten run to six games while Barrow who are without a win in four. Despite Barrow’s recent results, they will be a threat as they will be desperate to put an end to their poor run.
Barrow
Barrow sit 11th in League Two on 17 points, one more than Walsall, with a record of four wins, five draws and four loses. It’s been a solid start to the season for the Bluebirds, however, more recently it’s been a struggle.
They haven’t won since the beginning of the month with their previous four games ending as draws against Leyton Orient and Scunthorpe and loses to Port Vale and Fleetwood in the Papa John’s Trophy.
One player who has been key for Barrow is Robbie Gotts who signed in the summer from Leeds. The 21-year-old has mainly played in central midfield and has racked up two goals in eight games, averaging 2.25 key passes per 90 which has seen the youngster jump to the top of the list with a WhoScored rating of 7.12, the best of any Barrow player.
A couple other players to keep an eye on are Oliver Banks who has recorded five goals so far this season from a centre midfield position, as well as former Saddler Josh Gordon who scored two goals so far this season.
Barrow have some experience players in their ranks such as Banks, with others such as defender Mark Ellis, and keeper Paul Farman, who are all tried and tested at this level. All know what it takes to win in League Two, and they all will be wanting to get Barrow back to their early season form.
Walsall
It was a brilliant display on Tuesday night which saw Walsall pick up their first away win of the season against Oldham Athletic. The 3-1 victory showed that the Saddlers are really learning and improving game by game. Whilst fitness and set pieces remain an issue, the Saddlers managed to see off the game and secure all three points as well as extend their unbeaten run five games.
The Saddlers go into this game in good spirits. The return of Conor Wilkinson has been a massive boost, especially as he managed 70 minutes on Tuesday night. In addition to this, the signing of Otis Khan has got everyone excited. Walsall have been looking for reinforcements in attack and the former Tranmere winger looks a good signing. Khan was on the bench against Oldham and whilst he didn’t feature, we could see an appearance against Barrow.
George Miller is leading the way with a WhoScored rating of 6.92. The loanee has managed an impressive five goals in eight games and looks like scoring every time he steps on to the pitch. Monthe and Menayese again will be crucial their defensive partnership has developed into a strong foundation for the team.
Finally, Emmanuel Osadebe will be a player to watch as over the past month he has got his head down and focused on his game. Oldham was the culmination of all that work, being by far the best player on the pitch.
This is a game both sides will be desperate to win. Walsall will want to continue their march up the league and Barrow will want to stop their slow slide down it. Walsall have shown they can create goal scoring opportunities and have the players in the squad to put the chances away. One of Barrow’s strengths is attacking set pieces, Walsall will need to be one their toes and try and avoid giving away too many set pieces as it’s a known weakness.
Featured image – Action Images via Reuters
