Chelsea (H) League Cup 3rd round, Wed 23 Sep 7.45pm

[BathSaddler]

As a postscript, the attendance was 10.525, including 1,363 away fans [source: Walsall FC Twitter].

I thought Chelsea had been given 1,500 or so tickets? I can't imagine any would have been left unsold. Still, the best crowd at home since Walsall/Rotherham at the end of 2003/4 [11,049].

[philthesaddler]

Wasn't the attendance v Preston more than that?

Bescot could really do with another 4000 seats for games like this

[philthesaddler]

It's an if, but...
if Baxendale had slipped a defender and cracked in a 25-yarder it would have kick-started his season.
For the sake of 10 minutes in a game we were always going to lose, it did no harm at all putting him on.

You've never seen Groundhog Day have you?

[philthesaddler]

Are there really people claiming Sawyers was rubbish last year? He's one of our most talented players - this season he has got even better and now shows a maturity in taking responsibility in the game.

The clowns who don't rate him are just living in cloud cuckoo land.

I'll flip it on you: Are there really people claiming Sawyers is infallible and he has always performed to his current levels?

The clowns who think that are just living in cloud cuckoo land.

There were several games last season where Sawyers was very poor. Don't take my word for it, look back through the reports and ratings, wasn't he even dropped for a few games?

Everyone has recognised his talent since day 1, but he had some dreadful games last year where he'd wimp out of tackles, he'd hide from possession, he wouldn't shoot.

This season he's a changed man though - he's getting a lot more stuck in, using his height in the air and more importantly he's shooting, and it's paying off. The team in general is more attacking though, which helps.

[BathSaddler]

Phil, the attendance for that game was 10.038 - about the same home support but only 900 PNE.

[Sadsfan]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but I thought Morris had a really good game too. I think it's fair to say Mantom was very poor and on that performance would struggle in the championship.

[tinned]

Are there really people claiming Sawyers was rubbish last year? He's one of our most talented players - this season he has got even better and now shows a maturity in taking responsibility in the game.

The clowns who don't rate him are just living in cloud cuckoo land.

I'll flip it on you: Are there really people claiming Sawyers is infallible and he has always performed to his current levels?

The clowns who think that are just living in cloud cuckoo land.

There were several games last season where Sawyers was very poor. Don't take my word for it, look back through the reports and ratings, wasn't he even dropped for a few games?

Everyone has recognised his talent since day 1, but he had some dreadful games last year where he'd wimp out of tackles, he'd hide from possession, he wouldn't shoot.

This season he's a changed man though - he's getting a lot more stuck in, using his height in the air and more importantly he's shooting, and it's paying off. The team in general is more attacking though, which helps.

I agree. Only a very few have said he hasn't got talent. To say he performed exactly the same last season, however, is laughable. Even Smith and Sawyers himself have said he needs to contribute more in terms of assists and, especially, goals, which he is doing.

[kshammer]

Pedro is probably one if the most decorated players ever... and he scored at the Bescot. Bradshaw could end up playing along side Real Madrid's Gareth Bale in the Euros should an injury or two happen.

Football's great sometimes.

[Andy W Taylor]

Know it's ancient history now, we lost so less reason to want to watch it again, and the commentary is all in foreign, but I stumbled across this earlier today and there aren't that many full length games of ours out there - so help yourself!

http://lasthighlight.com/walsall-vs-chelsea-highlights-and-full-match/



It's the only Saddlers game on the site but plenty of other stuff if you're that way inclined.