Vital Walsall give us the inside track on the Saddlers
Ahead of tomorrow’s game we spoke to Kev from Vital Walsall ahead of the clash.
From making the playoffs last season to currently languishing above the relegation zone, what has happened? Is where you are a fair assessment at the moment?
Last season we finally saw the five year plan come to fruition. Following years of mid table mediocrity both the management and players finally clicked and pushed towards promotion. We failed by one point.
We then endured the play off heartache and were subsequently beaten by the best team in League 1 during 2016 – Barnsley. Some of our players put performances in that were half hearted and we expected those to leave in the summer, which they did.
During the summer we lost 13 of the team that faced Barnsley in the play offs. Only Neil Etheridge, James O’Connor and Adam Chambers remained. I think had Etheridge been out of contract he would have left also.
We have replaced the 13 players with promising talent that have just failed to make an impact. Mainly due to their injury prone careers – this is one of the reasons we are struggling.
Of those that signed – Isaiah Osbourne, Flo Cuvelier and Franck Moussa played around three games last season between them. This has continued this season with all three picking up knocks so far meaning we haven’t been able to pick a consistent XI.
To have 13 new players incoming you expect an inconsistent start given they are still ‘gelling’ however one of the main problems for us is our manager.
He was club physio for over a decade but was drafted in as caretaker towards the end of last season. At times he showed how raw he was in management by making mistakes and not being able to change a game. During the close season he went on a coaching course and we expected him to have learned from his mistakes. He hasn’t as of yet. Our second half performances so far this season have been nothing short of dismal.
I genuinely think our board have made some shocking decisions this summer which has subsequently put us where we deserve to be. The decisions to sell our top goalscorer of the last two seasons for a rumoured 600k and to sell our hottest prospect to Brentford (who have shafted us time again and now have our ex boss) on deadline day just broke the camel’s back.
A new manager and direction is needed if we are to remain in League 1.
What should we expect in terms of tactics and your style of play?
If I’m honest, I don’t know myself. We have played 4-2-3-1 for the past five years so we know the formation – however we have had three or four changes to the team every week so I don’t know who will play where and I don’t think the boss knows neither!
Our style of play at the minute can only be described as make it up as we go along. There’s no fast passing through the ranks, it’s a case of pass it around the back four and then decide what to do. Don’t expect us to cross many balls into the box!
Is there a player we should especially watch out for?
Erhun Oztumer. He was nicknamed the Turkish Messi by his previous fans and we are starting to see why. He scored a sublime 25 yard free kick on the opening day, then got injured. But he came back and scored another wonder goal in midweek as well as some passes the media would be talking about for years had it been Pogba. If you give him time and space, you will be punished.
And finally, what’s your score prediction for the match?
Sorry to be miserable but there is nothing to be excited about so far this term and a comfortable Bolton win would be my prediction.
If I was a betting man I would say Bolton will win by 2 or 3 goals.