Stevenage (H) League One Sat Oct 19th 3pm

[Welsh_Saddler]

We welcome Stevenage to the Banks' stadium on Saturday, renewing our acquaintance with Graham Westley M.A. You may be as surprised as I was to learn that he has a Master's degree in Company Direction, although that may not always stand him in good stead in his personal relationships with players - you may recall the embarrassment at Preston when one of his own players leaked the team selection and tactics to their opponents Sheffield Wednesday prior to the game!!

Stevenage's League One form this season is not up to very much, although they did overcome Brentford 2-1 today, coming from behind. Their last six League games:

Sept 7 DREW - Tranmere 0 Stevenage 0
Sept 14 LOST - Preston North End 3 Stevenage 0
Sept 21 LOST - Stevenage 1 Carlisle United 3
Sept 28 LOST - MK Dons 4 Stevenage 1
Oct 5 LOST - Stevenage 0 Coventry City 1
Oct 12 WON - Stevenage 2 Brentford 1

Stevenage are currently 19th in the League table on 8 points, with a goal difference of -10 (scored 9 and conceded 19 goals, in 11 games). If they hadn't beaten Brentford today they would be sharing bottom place with Tranmere Rovers. Top scorer for Stevenage is midfielder Tansey with 3 goals to his name.

Graham Westley is in his third spell as manager of Stevenage, and his win percentage is a lowly 26.3%. I'd like to think we can further dent that with a 3-1 win.

[BathSaddler]

I'll get my prediction in early and say a 2-0 Saddlers win [Westcarr, Butler] in front of 3,703, including 106 from Stevenage.

[JonnyOwen]

We definitely need to start the game with the team that finished today's game against Colchester, looked much better offensively.

O'Donnell
Chambers
Downing
Butler
Taylor
Chambers
Mantom
Westcarr
Sawyers
Gray
Hewitt

[WarsawPact]

Deano was on the radio tonight extolling the virtues of bringing Sawyers on against a tiring defence, so I don't think you'll get your wish.

[PT]

We definitely need to start the game with the team that finished today's game against Colchester, looked much better offensively.

O'Donnell
Chambers
Downing
Butler
Taylor
Chambers
Mantom
Westcarr
Sawyers
Gray
Hewitt

I agree mate. Featherstone is neat and tidy enough but at home in particular he needs to be sacrificed for a more progressive system.

It means that Mantom might have to curb it a bit but Westcarr, Sawyers and Gray have quality oozing from their pores and between them will fashion chances for Hewitt.

Smith needs to take it to the opposition at home. This is where Smith needs to take it to the next level. In his first two years everyone in the division fancied coming to our place and turning us over - and a lot of them were right to feel that way! Now we've improved, the opposition are happy for us to have it in our own half and hit us on the counter-attack or play for what many perceive to be our Achilles heel in defending set-pieces (I'm sure Westley will favour the latter).

A mixture of superior fitness and our superior possession means that in every game bar one this season we have finished the game the stronger side. Let's start that way too!

[leics_saddler]

Walsall 2-0 Stevenage

Although Stevenage will score 15 goals and 9 behinds.
Graham Westley to get sent off protesting about some unnecessary roughness as his player takes a mark.

[latviancheese]

We will absolutely batter them 1-1. :D

[Cowshed]

Can see them getting frustrated with the amount of possession we will have. Will the bookies give odds on a sending off?

2 - 0 Westcarr and butler

3879 228 stevenage

[saddlerphil]

I'm getting closer with my predictions;
3-1
Danny Naisbitt goalie
Derek Mountfield
Andy Watson
& Didier Tholot will definitely score no question.
I would have said Roger Boli but he's injured.
With Taiwo Atieno scoring for them

3879 (215)

[Bee_Leevers]

Agree with what's been said regarding us starting with the same team that finished at Colchester. It's a tough one because Featherstone, Mantom and Chambers have worked well together in Midfield for us however, I feel we need a bit more creativity and I feel Sawyers, Gray and Hewitt through his work rate and movement will do this. So unfortunately Nicky would need to be sacrificed, not a bad back up to have though let's be honest!

This is a huge game for us, we win then that puts us right up there around the play offs and if we lose we could fall towards mid table. This is a winnable game and if approached correctly i'd go for a 3-1 to the Saddlers. Forgot what it feels like to win at home as I was away for Tranmere! :roll:

Oh and 322 from Stevenage, would be nice to see 4k saddlers there!

[KoloSaddler]

Walsall 4 Boro 0

Westcarr 2
Baxendale
Hemmings

[Sadders]

Not looking forward to this Saturday's 'spectacle'. Stevenage are still a bunch of cloggers under Westley and if he has done any home work on us at all he will come and play dirty, be scrappy and ensure they play 4-5-1. When teams come and do that, we are notoriously gash. They will be slightly more confident after beating fancied Brentford at home and have recently signed Francois Zoko (who can be hit and miss, but also pretty good) and Bruno Andrade a young midfielder from QPR so it won't be a walkover of any sorts.

I think we will scrap out a solid and exciting 0-0.

3,701 with 151 from Stevenage.

[Magic Man Fan]

Not looking forward to this Saturday's 'spectacle'. Stevenage are still a bunch of cloggers under Westley and if he has done any home work on us at all he will come and play dirty, be scrappy and ensure they play 4-5-1. When teams come and do that, we are notoriously gash. They will be slightly more confident after beating fancied Brentford at home and have recently signed Francois Zoko (who can be hit and miss, but also pretty good) and Bruno Andrade a young midfielder from QPR so it won't be a walkover of any sorts.

I think we will scrap out a solid and exciting 0-0.

3,701 with 151 from Stevenage.

You didn't see either game against Preston last season then?

[Ancient Moaner]

Vital that we get three points on Saturday, cuz looking at the fixtures coming up, I can't see many points on the horizon until Fail at home at the end of November! :? Playing 'well' but been unable to score dow put points on the board.

[latviancheese]

You didn't see either game against Preston last season then?

In all fairness it is the kind of game we could struggle in. He will park a bus.

[Magic Man Fan]

You didn't see either game against Preston last season then?

In all fairness it is the kind of game we could struggle in. He will park a bus.

Didn't bother us in either game last year. We just took the piss.

[latviancheese]

You didn't see either game against Preston last season then?

In all fairness it is the kind of game we could struggle in. He will park a bus.

Didn't bother us in either game last year. We just took the piss.

Against Preston? Ar that was the turning point of last years season for me. A rare away game for me, and we dicked the cack out of Preston.

Im not so confident about Saturday, although i would love, absolutely love it if we turned over Westley and he went mad. fudge prick he is.

When Paterson dinked one in at home against Steve last season he did a glorious knee slide infront of their piss pot away following. I want Westcarr to moony them when he scores a hat trick, show httem his big black ass. Because he is sex.

[DonningtonSaddler]

A solid 3-1 victory to confound the belief we need a bona fide striker. UTS.

[DonningtonSaddler]

A solid 3-1 victory to confound the belief we need a bona fide striker. UTS.

Just played the match on fifa 14. Saddlers won 3 -0 . Scorers were Hemmings, Featherstone and Mantom. I'm going with that. :)

[Casual D]

From the Beeb:


Walsall

01 O'Donnell
15 Chambers
03 Taylor
08 Mantom
04 Butler
12 Downing
16 Baxendale
07 Chambers
10 Westcarr
25 Sawyers
11 Hemmings

Substitutes

02 Purkiss
06 Featherstone
09 Lalkovic
13 Lewis
14 Benning
24 Hewitt
27 Gray

[chestersaddler]

Just read this on the BBC website match page - Westley's comments:

"The lads have trained hard, they've trained well and there's a determined and confident mood about the place.
"The difference in the attitude came before the good results.
"One by one and bit by bit we've pulled the lads together and they're finally getting their heads around my vision of what winning looks like, and starting to believe and buy into the system they're being asked to work in.
"We will treat Walsall as another opponent, and every opponent in our mind will come second to us, providing we are on our game."

What a complete fudge cock.

[chestersaddler]

Sawyers-get the fudge in me babbay :D :D

[rogerem]

Sawyers ... Yes.... Predicted... 3 more.

[chestersaddler]

Sawyers ... Yes.... Predicted... 3 more.

Looks like there,s only me and yow on here, Roj, not sure where Welsh has gone.

Fancy a discussion on Satanism :lol:

[Welsh_Saddler]

Sorry guys, the candle keeps gewin' out on my computer......it was fine until a couple of minutes before 3pm - I blame chestersaddler and his evil influence :twisted:

[chestersaddler]

Sorry guys, the candle keeps gewin' out on my computer......it was fine until a couple of minutes before 3pm - I blame chestersaddler and his evil influence :twisted:

I was just about to send the police round, Welsh :D

[Welsh_Saddler]

Only 3 games with goals in League One as yet.....

Sheffield United 1 Port Vale (ten men) 0

Tranmere Rovers 0 Leyton Orient 1

and, of course, Walsall 1 Stevenage 0 :D :D :D

[Holbeach Saddler]

Watching from the eastern hemisphere (just)
I rely on you guys at UTS to keep me informed of what is going on with the Gurroles

[chestersaddler]

65% possession after half an hour. saddlerken will be doing his nut :P

[Welsh_Saddler]

Stevenage's first booking - Hartley (central defender) after 22 minutes.

Elsewhere, Oldham Athletic 1 Carlisle 0

According to the BBC we are currently enjoying 65% of the possession

As an aside.....over at the Custard Factory, neither Wolves nor Coventry have been able to get a single shot on target in the first 35 minutes!! :roll:

A further edit..... Dean Keates scores for Wrexham after 35 min at home to Woking, who are without George Bowerman...