Brian Dutton has started to settle on a system for his Saddlers side. The system has plenty of attacking players in it, however these players are not firing freely, and its tough to see where the goals will come from.
Strikers not coming up with the goods
The woes in front of goal has been a trend for the Saddlers in League Two. Last season, the lack of goals was a worry, and this season has followed suit, however things have a taken a turn for the worse, and Adebayo leaving has been the trigger.
Since Adebayo left, Walsall have scored 4 goals in 7 games, which is a goal-scoring record that puts a side in the lower reaches of the league. The even more concerning element, is that two of those goals, have been from defenders. Caolan Lavery has scored twice, one brilliant strike, and one good press early on, but overall, the strikers are just not coming up with the goods. Josh Gordon has not done anything of note, to live up to his player of the season award from last season either, which only makes the fans view of the attack, even more disappointing.
The Saddlers have not replaced the gap left by Adebayo. Jayden Reid was brought in to replace Scrimshaw, and has only managed 45 minutes, in which he didn’t show anything to excite fans. The there is Osei Yaw. Yaw has shown that he is raw, and has potential, but like with Adebayo, he needs time to nurture and grow. He won’t have that chance at Walsall, with the nature of a 6-month loan. Quite simply, the players brought in have not been good enough.
Only a couple of players have stepped up
Lavery was something of a forgotten man in the first half of the season, however he is the only player to step up. He has taken his chance, and with two goals in seven, is on a better run compared to his spell earlier in the season. He knows he has a chance to hold down the starting striker role, and at the moment, is the player who deserves to be.
Tyriek Wright has been a great player since joining on loan. He has a certain spark, and technical ability that is rarely seen in League Two, especially when he has only made five appearances in men’s senior football. He already has 3 assists to his name, and the creativity he provides is extremely valuable, especially if Brian Dutton can figure out a way to get Wright and Holden playing together, when Holden is back.
