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Preston North End (A) League One 24th Feb, 7.45pm

Reports and reaction from the 2014-2015 season as Walsall finished 14th in League 1
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PT
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Re: Preston North End (A) League One 24th Feb, 7.45pm

Fri Feb 27, 2015 8:59 pm

Our big chance was a couple of seasons ago when Paterson, Grigg and Brandy were in their pomp. Being Walsall, all three left us that summer. Smith has struggled to replace them since and that's not surprising given that the three would cost around £2million. To be fair to him, he's come close. Lalkovic, Bradshaw, Forde, Cook, Jordy, Westcarr on their days could all come close. They just never have/had enough days, either through their own inconsistency or injury.

So whilst it's hats off for having a definite plan and coming bloody close to finding gems, his mindset hasn't changed from three years ago which makes us very predictable and at times, especially at home, pretty easy to play against. Then, because he fills the squad with a Smith type, we have nothing on the bench to change things up. It's basically replacing the fella who is having an average game with a clone who wasn't good enough to get into the side to begin with and hoping that the fella who wasn't good enough to be in the team does something surprising in the same formation that wasn't working before he came on.

The only game in the whole Smith era where I think he made a decisive and early change that vastly improved us and turned the game was Sheff Utd at home last season.

So all told he's doing a decent job, but it always feels like he's just a bold step or two from doing a fantastic job. Another big summer for him with decisions to be made on the Chambers twins and people like Bax. I'd implore him to use his meagre budget on one or two quality players rather than half a dozen bench-fillers. Use the kids to make up the 18 and the loan market to cover emergencies. Then in training, learn a second system - something radical like two up front or a Dicky Dosh three in midfield that allows a Flanagan to be the Bradley and get forward without too much defensive obligation. Anything - just a second system that we can switch to when Plan A isn't working.

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Re: Preston North End (A) League One 24th Feb, 7.45pm

Fri Feb 27, 2015 10:43 pm

Hopefully Mantom will finally get himself sorted out in the summer. I hate using football cliche's but he really will feel like a new signing as we're not talking about some jobbing league one midfielder but one of the best box-to-box middle players in the league.

It would be really good to get Cain here full time and with Mantom back the middle will look pretty strong. If it was up to me the Chambers would be here until they're 40. I think their performances are still really good and don't underestimate their experience and knowledge on what is essentially still a young squad.

I do agree PT that even with his budget Smith is at the stage where he needs to prioritise quality in his summer recruitment as the defence and midfield options are pretty strong and I don't see a big turnover in those areas.

It's just upfront where Smith infuriates me. Yes Bradshaw was a gem...but he wastes his time messing around with players like Manset. Grimes, Hewitt when other clubs simply get new strikers in on loan every month. Was it really impossible to sign Hiwula or a player of his quality on loan before February?

Where it always falls down is just having one prolific goalscorer. Start next season with Bradshaw and Hiwula as the two main strikers.....and then we can start talking about a proper play off challenge.

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