Brian Dutton secured a first clean sheet as manager of Walsall last night, and managed to break an unwanted record. However there are concerns at the other end of the pitch, as the Saddlers once again failed to threaten the opposition goal.
Defensive mix up worked
When the team-sheet was announced, many fans were concerned, as the side had four Full-Backs, and only one Centre-Back in the starting line-up. It was a risky decision to make, especially when facing Exeter, who are the leagues leading scorers. Dan Scarr was moved to the bench, which came as a surprise, although the ball playing system has not seen him play his best games for the Saddlers.
Walsall’s defence were tight, and although there were moments where Exeter did create, they were limited to only three shots on target. Liam Roberts remained largely untested in goal, and that is the sort of performance that Walsall will look at as the bare minimum. Hayden White has a better game defensively, but still continues to divide opinion. He won the ball well, both aerially and on the ground, however he did look shaky with the ball at his feet.
Mat Sadler and Stuart Sinclair showed their experience well last night. Sadler commanded the back line well, and Sinclair, who has been starved of minutes this season, shielded, and broke up play well. Melbourne continued to play well on the left, and fans will be hoping that Leigh Pomlett stays true to his word about a contract come the end of the season.
There is still work to do. There were still errors, and Callum Cockerill-Mollett and Hayden White were in positions that aren’t their usual roles. One thing that the mixed up defence did show, was promise. The run of 21 games without a clean sheet (in all competitions), has now ended, and Walsall can leave it behind, knowing that the more they keep, the more likely they are to win games. It is a simple, but something that the side desperately need to be doing more consistently.
Blunt attack
Brian Dutton may have sorted the defence last night, but going forward, the attack looked lacking. There were a lot long balls, searching for the strikers, however they were rarely found. This was gifting possession back to Exeter, who looked comfortable on the ball. The lack of potency up top is a big concern. The Saddlers really don’t look like scoring. Jayden Reid barely had the ball at his feet, and fans are none the wiser as to how good or bad he is.
In Dutton’s five games in charge, Walsall have had only seven shots on target. This is a big concern. With the lack of clean sheets, it means Walsall need at least two goals a game to win a match, and at the moment, they barely look like scoring one.
There are some players severely underperforming. Josh Gordon has not looked the same player this season. His work rate and effort is still there, but he is not looking like a productive outlet. Osie Yaw has struggled to hit the ground running, and the system last night did not help Reid either. This leaves Lavery, who has a high work rate, however he is struggling to get the chances to add to his recent goals. The most creative looking player is Wright, however he was unable to really get on the ball last night, as the defence and midfield were looking to go long, rather than play through the thirds. The times Walsall looked brighter, was when Wright was able to run at the defence.
There are players there that can score, and can create, however the balance is off at the moment, which puts a big responsibility on the defence to continue to keep tight. Gordon needs a goal, and the attack need more urgency, which has been lacking, unless trailing in a game.
