Rochdale (A) 23rd Dec, 3pm

[Welsh_Saddler]

"In the midst of the dale"

(Wordsworth)

Having had our 3-match winning run unceremoniously ended by one team (Northampton Town) in the League One relegation zone, we now travel to more opposition in the same category. Keith Hill's Rochdale side are currently just below the deep doo-doo line, a point behind Northampton Town - out of 21 games so far this season they've only won 4 (joint lowest number along with Bury), and Rochdale are top of the "draw" results category with 9 to their name. Where Rochdale differ from us this season is that they are still very much involved in Cup competitions - in the 3rd round of the F.A. Cup they travel to Doncaster Rovers (who they defeated on penalties in the EFL Trophy), and in the 3rd round of the EFL Trophy they will entertain Lincoln City. Hill is in his second stint as Manager, having left in 2013 to try his luck with Barnsley (and taking a couple of players with him), but it didn't work out so he's back at Spotland (along with striker Matt Done, one of the players he signed from Dale to play for Barnsley!). Rochdale's current League One form:-

28 Oct Plymouth Argyle (A) Drew 1-1
18 Nov Oldham Athletic (A) Lost 3-1
21 Nov Charlton Athletic (A) Lost 2-1
25 Nov Peterborough Utd (H) Won 2-0
9 Dec Bradford City (A) Lost 4-3
16 Dec Oxford Utd (H) Drew 0-0

Glancing through the names of previous occupants of Rochdale's managerial office we see that Alan Buckley was appointed and sacked in 2003. Some people have no taste whatsoever.........

What can we expect from Jon Whitney for this match? Well, for a start he's going to have to change one fundamental part of his selection strategy because Amadou Bakayoko is unavailable for this and two further games after his last-minute stupidity at Sixfields. Will Lobster be fit to play? Will Mitch Candlin be thrown in at the deep end? More importantly, will the starting XI display the kind of "energy" abundant in JW's post-match assessment of where it all went wrong? How serious is Florent Cuvelier's injury? The answers to these and many other questions will be revealed on Saturday.

Prediction? As ever, it depends upon which Saddlers' team turns up on the day. As Rochdale are the draw specialists of League One it's tempting to go for a 1-1 result, which I will duly do - Dan Agyei to score for us in reply to a Matt Done penalty...... :mrgreen:

UTS :D

[Walsallone]

I agree a draw is likely. Personally I would start with Jackson up front...who knows it might just work .We do now have winger who can sometimes cross a dangerous ball into the six yard box where Jackson can be effective.UTS

[SoccerHQ]

Wouldn't be a usual season without a football lesson from Rochdale in one of the games.

3-1 defeat. :shock:

[Cheesebag]

Was going.... Not after Saturday.... Gonna watch El Classico instead

[Ancient Moaner]

Hoping to go, just up the road for me and most of NUTS, but have caught a debilitating flu, so feeling like the living dead.
(thought I already was! :wink: ).
As HQ so eloquently pointed out, time for our annual footballing lesson at Spotland, 3-1 defeat looms, Ozzy (as usual) with the consolation.
So tight in our League at the moment below the top 6 that another defeat may slip us further down. The heart yearns for a draw, but the head is more realistic. They will not be in the bottom 4 for long.

[El_Nombre]

Hoping to go, just up the road for me and most of NUTS, but have caught a debilitating flu, so feeling like the living dead.
(thought I already was! :wink: ).
As HQ so eloquently pointed out, time for our annual footballing lesson at Spotland, 3-1 defeat looms, Ozzy (as usual) with the consolation.
So tight in our League at the moment below the top 6 that another defeat may slip us further down. The heart yearns for a draw, but the head is more realistic. They will not be in the bottom 4 for long.

You've been saying this since June...

[Ancient Moaner]

Hoping to go, just up the road for me and most of NUTS, but have caught a debilitating flu, so feeling like the living dead.
(thought I already was! :wink: ).
As HQ so eloquently pointed out, time for our annual footballing lesson at Spotland, 3-1 defeat looms, Ozzy (as usual) with the consolation.
So tight in our League at the moment below the top 6 that another defeat may slip us further down. The heart yearns for a draw, but the head is more realistic. They will not be in the bottom 4 for long.

You've been saying this since June...

We'll see after Saturday, you know full well that we rarely do well at Spotland. Hope we change the trend! :wink:

[reedswood sadler]

Who can predict what will happen and what scoreline, After the great performance against scunny which showed fight passion good footy and a sense of togetherness we turn up at Northampton back to normal with a show featuring none of these.
Really hoping for a win, expecting a defeat, will be happy with a draw the normal feeling for a Walsall game.

[El_Nombre]

Hoping to go, just up the road for me and most of NUTS, but have caught a debilitating flu, so feeling like the living dead.
(thought I already was! :wink: ).
As HQ so eloquently pointed out, time for our annual footballing lesson at Spotland, 3-1 defeat looms, Ozzy (as usual) with the consolation.
So tight in our League at the moment below the top 6 that another defeat may slip us further down. The heart yearns for a draw, but the head is more realistic. They will not be in the bottom 4 for long.

You've been saying this since June...

We'll see after Saturday, you know full well that we rarely do well at Spotland. Hope we change the trend! :wink:

Apologies, I misread. I though you said "we will be in the bottom 4 before long"

[chunkster]

1-2 to us, such is our topsy turvy season :|

[Ancient Moaner]

Just read Tyler is still out, who will 'lead the front line'? Could we re-register Buckley for the day?....Please don't let him go back to Jackson, It'll be hard enough without only having ten men on the field!
Don't expect many to make the journey today, so I'll give 'em a shout for everybody.
Note the Fleetwood faithful aint happy with their recent from, only 2,088 to witness the home defeat to Gillingham last night!

[Walsallone]

Team....Gillespie,Devlin,Roberts,Guthrie,Leahy: Edwards,Chambers: Ismail,Oztumer,Morris: Aygei.

Kinsella dropped
Wilson with wife who gave birth this am.
Cuvelier injured
Bakayoko suspended.

[Walsallnil]

I shall go for 1-0 with Morris on target.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Substitutes: Ganley, Kinsella, Donnellan, Flanagan, Kouhyar, Jackson, Candlin.

Meanwhile Rochdale have a bit more motivation to win ... Northampton Town are currently leading Blackburn Rovers in the early kick-off, which pushes Rochdale further behind in the race to avoid the drop zone.

On the betting exchange Rochdale are hot favourites to win (2/1) - a Walsall win can be had for 4/1. Tempted? Don't think so..... :wink:

[Welsh_Saddler]

Very early goal at Peterborough ... Posh 1 Bury 0 (1 min)

And in Devon .... Plymouth Argyle 2 Oldham Athletic 0 (5 min)

AFC Wimbledon 1 Bradford City 0

Northampton Town 1 Blackburn Rovers 1 now

Rotherham Utd 0 M K Dons 1 (8 min)

Oxford Utd 0 Wigan Athletic 2 (19 min)


Meanwhile, after 6 minutes we have our 3rd corner........

[Welsh_Saddler]

Charlton Athletic 1 Blackpool 0 (17 min)

Rotherham Utd 1 M K Dons 1

Scunthorpe Utd 1 Southend Utd 1 (30 min)

Oxford Utd 0 Wigan Athletic 3

[Gripper]

First time in 3 and a half years I ain’t gone to an away game today. If it’s too expensive on the train I’ll usually drive so I’ll make most games....

Couldn’t be arsed today after last weeks showing.

Hope we get a result and it annoys me that I didn’t go.

So far Masi’s commentary on Twitter has been...

“Shot well wide by Morris”
“Shot well wide by Edwards”
“Good work by Edwards”
“Shot deflected from Edwards”.

We need some shooting practice.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Bristol Rovers 0 Doncaster Rovers 1 (34 min)

Rotherham Utd 2 M K Dons 1

[BarnsleySaddler]

We seem to be all over them like a rash but no end result.

Don`t think it will take long to count the crowd judging by the empty spaces.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Rochdale clatter our woodwork, 44 min :(

Half-time and it's 0-0. Neither side has had a shot on target, and off target it's Rochdale 2, Walsall 7

Plenty of time in the 2nd half to .......... what, I wonder?

[BarnsleySaddler]

H/T still 0-0

[Welsh_Saddler]

47 minutes, and it's WALSALL taking a 0-1 lead !!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT - goal disallowed............. :( :( :(

Walsall yellow card, 49 min (Jon Guthrie)

[BarnsleySaddler]

Oztumer but flagged for offside

[Welsh_Saddler]

Oxford Utd 0 Wigan Athletic 5 now (56 min) ..... hat-trick for Will Grigg in that lot

Shrewsbury Town 1 Portsmouth 0 (58 min)

[BarnsleySaddler]

Attendance 2702 with 171 from Walsall.

[SoccerHQ]

6 corners for Walsall today.

[BathSaddler]

Attendance 2702 with 171 from Walsall.

Another terrible saturday away following from us.

[SoccerHQ]

1-0 Rochdale.

[Welsh_Saddler]

1-0 to Rochdale, 62 min :( :( :(

Wigan Athletic running riot at Oxford .... 0-6 now

JW .... Nothing to lose at this stage - why not bring Mitch Candlin on and see what he can do????

[Welsh_Saddler]

Walsall substitution, 69 minutes....... Simeon Jackson replaces Kieron Morris :?

I'm currently sweating on 5 points in the Prediction League..... :mrgreen: