SoccerHQ wrote:Very happy with what I saw.
What seems to have passed people by this summer is the club have worked hard to recruit a proven set of league one players....Edwards, Moussa, Flo, Simeon Jackson.
O.k some of those haven't had good seasons for a while but they wouldn't be at Walsall if they had stormers last year and some of those have played very well at this level previously.
Not everything about today was perfect...Wimbledon really should've scored in the first half to make it 1-1 and then that's a completely different game but plenty of positives today.
Ozzy...will win POTY imo. Going to be a lot of fun to watch him this season. I keep thinking today it was Milan out there....but actual end product made me realise it wasn't.
Jackson. Wasn't keen on this signing but no problem if he keeps proving me wrong. He is pacey and direct and two excellent poaching 6 yard finishes.
Baka....blimey what are they feeding him nowadays? Excellent play for the third goal and looked lively in other spells.
Edwards- Nice solid composed debut. Got forward well at times which was pleasing.
Downsides were I thought Rico was pretty poor tbh even before he conceded the penalty. Was beaten a lot down the left so hope that mind is still concentrating on Walsall.
Rest of back 4 was shaky against the high ball, not sure McCarthy will be a huge upgrade on Downing personally.
Morris- Was in and out. From what we saw last season his future is probably centrally but will have to bide his time to get a chance there.
On that evidence Wimbledon will struggle to stay up but that's the thing isn't it, Walsall have had a big problem putting away teams like that over the last few seasons.
I think this season might be a flip, Walsall will put away most of bottom half teams home and away but will struggle against the better teams and tactics as Whitney tended to do in the run in and play offs last season.
Still should be a lot of fun though. Good buzz around the ground today, lovely 21st min tribute and no feeling of play off hangover at all.
Great report - much appreciated!