Walsall Wednesdays

I was impressed, very impressed indeed. I am of course not referring to England, but to Walsall`s courageous performance at the National Hockey Stadium on Sunday. There was tenacious defending as well as swift attacking excellence that nearly gave us two extra points. Trevor Benjamin was such a nuisance that Martin Allen was waving an ASBO at him by the time he exited the pitch. He never seemed to stop chasing and grinding out shots, which produced good save from ex-Saddler Lee Harper. Darren Wrack showed why we missed him last season, as his left leg seems to be stronger than before (don`t get me wrong, he`s no Robopolicman). It was an all-round classic Walsall performance. You did us proud; unlike the referee. I am not a football manager, so I can say what I like, without going down the lines of libel obviously. Lee Probert must be the worst referee I have ever had the horrible pleasure of witnessing during a game of football. I could annoy every censor by going into detail to describe his incompetence. Sue me if you like, but the MK Dons match proves my point. Two disallowed goals: both of which were onside (as Gerrard was in an offside position for Wrack`s goal, so why didn`t Butler`s count?). A penalty: ok, maybe not entirely his fault, but he had the final say and he wasn`t exactly in Australia when it happened. He was fussy, blind, arrogant, idiotic, etc. I could go on, and I shall! He just would not know how to referee a drinking competition in your local boozer – rubbish (in a word).

At this point, you may expect me to go into England`s performance, or the lack of it, from Saturday. However, even that will annoy the censors. Instead, I will finish this week by sounding my displeasure at the lack of centre backs entering Bescot Stadium last Friday on Deadline Day. It maybe easy for me to say this now, and it is, but DD has cocked up big time. I was opposed to signing Matt Carbon, but we were pursuing defenders left-right-and-centre, and yet somehow we ended up with Trevor Benjamin. We only have one more centre back that could play now, as Scott Dann and Ian Roper have both been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to injury. Allan Picken, the guy-from-down-under is that only other stopper in the squad, and even he is not 100%, not even 80% fit. We are screwed! Well, maybe not, as Westwood and Gerrard have been suspended this season and the only way they will be again is if one of them receives a red card. Then we really are up a huge creek with only a tooth pick to save ourselves. We needed to bring in a defender, even if it was Matt Carbon just to increase the numbers. At this moment in time, we have nothing, not a sausage. The only other defender we have in our midst is DD himself. Oh dear, oh dear me! League Two title: that`s already in the north east.