Walsall Wednesdays

The summer is now starting to kick in, with gale force winds, rainy sunshine, wet roads, and no football. Great, but it just isn`t really, is it? I am looking forward to the Champions League Final, as it is the only football match that will be available for my sport loving eyes for the next two months, when preseason will have passed. I know some of you will be thinking ‘what about England?` My response to that would be if you call that football, you`re having a laugh! We play Brazil in June at the New Wembley, and God help us. I personally can not wait for League One, but as I have said, there is a long way to go before August comes.

Even though the weather might be rubbish and there is a lack of footy on the box, but the summer does provide a certain bit of excitement that we journalists call speculation. It is good for the ooo factor. A player can be linked to a club and we can talk about what the possibility is of signing him. Good times! Walsall will be heavily involved in the rumour mill, as they already have been. Sonner Constantine, Harper, and even Whing are just some of the names that have already been linked with a move to the previously known Bescot Stadium. For me, that is the best bit of the summer, as the Copa America isn`t too much of a pulsating experience I have to say. We can look forward to the real football season and speculate who might be going where and why and how. Expect a lot of activity in and around the Banks`s Stadium.

Talking of exits, why has Craig Pead been shown the door? As you may have noticed, I have rarely questioned DD`s decisions, but it makes me wonder when you lose your best midfielder to a League Two club why you would get rid of a potential replacement. Port Vale are now in pole position to sign him, and we might be getting the once tried Saddler and former Blues midfielder Danny Sonner, who has he temperament of a nuclear bomb. Pead was an excellent example of how to play in midfield 95% of the time last season, as he would always get the ball down and try to attack the opposition, rather than the manager for not offering him a new deal. However, on that note I do agree with what Deano had to say, as we should have tried to keep him sooner, but not Chris Westwood as he was average (not good enough for League One). We could have offered him that two-year deal that kept him at the club. The main reason why this did not happen was down to budgetary restraints. Crewe boss Dario Gradi admitted this to the press when he let their 34-year-old striker Rodney Jack go, even though he wanted him to stay. He had to get rid of him so that he could sign some new players. I believe DD has found himself in a similar situation, mainly because he did say he was having to get rid of some of his players due to a tight budget. Look at all the recent sponsor deals, it all makes sense in a please-believe-me-and-logical way. And don`t expect it to stop with Westwood and Keates just leaving the club.