The story so far…….

What a start to the season, three wins and a draw after four games. Not bad really, as a lot of the media predicted that the Saddlers would fall short of mid-table obscurity because they were in decline, like Stockport (no disrespect to them, but fair comment I think). However, if they had bothered to do their homework they would realise that we are not a sinking ship, more a ship with a new engine that goes at a million knots that has replaced an engine made of chewing gum and spit; or management as they call it these days. I mean, who was the manager last season, or even managers, as there were five that plied their trade in the Bescot dressing room in an attempt to save the club; Paul Merson, Mick Halsall, Kevin Broadhurst, Mark Kinsella, and technically Richard Money as well at the end of the season. We just needed a manager, like ‘Dickie Dosh,` to come earlier last season to sort it all out, while preparing to achieve promotion challenge back to the Championship for this season. That one worked out differently. Thank God he has come in now though, when, under ‘Merse,` we may have been clinging onto the door frame of the conference door with arms made of straw this year.

So anyway, what`s the future like for Walsall, well play-offs at least, surely? It`s going to be a good one no matter what happens. I see league two as a five horse race between us, Swindon and Darlington being the main challengers, with Shrewsbury and Peterborough chasing behind. Why shouldn`t we win it? We`ve done it before, albeit over 40 years ago, but hey we have just beaten mediocre Championship club Plymouth in the Carling Cup first round 1-0 (who only lost 1-0 to Real Madrid during pre-season), so why not? However, we do need to sign another full back. After long consideration of where the team needs strengthening, right backs are thin on the ground, thin in the air, just generally pretty trim. So its time for ‘Dickie` to spend his ‘dosh` and bring in a player that do well for the club and get Walsall back to a reasonable level of football, because I find it a little embarrassing to tell people up in the north when I`m at university that we are just one division above St Albans FC (no disrespect to you either, but again fair comment) and in the same division as Accrington Stanley (again, fair comment), and we all know who they are. So let`s pack our bags and get a first class ticket to League 1 and then settle down there. But we only want a single, as this journey is only going one way and that`s up. Ooops, famous last words!

By Richard Pugh