Shrewsbury Town (H), Tuesday April 26th, 7.45pm

[Welsh_Saddler]

Our League One countdown is now down to 3........just three games to go, with the possibility (or now, probability) of another two or three in the play-offs. Shrewsbury Town are the visitors and they have just as much motivation to get a result as we do, their future in League One being fairly dodgy in 19th place only 4 points above the drop. Their season has been a classic example of a "swings and roundabouts" existence, with equal numbers of impressive wins and calamitous drubbings - it's hard to believe that the same team can win at Burton Albion, Sheffield United and Gillingham, yet lose 1-5 at home to Wigan Athletic and 7-1 at Chesterfield !!

Sullay Kaikai is the Sloppies' leading goalscorer this season with 12, but Shaun Whalley (7) and Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro (5) can also find the net. Midfielder Ian Black has good cause to remember our 1-3 win in the away fixture - he was sent off for a second yellow card offence. Shrewsbury Town's recent form:

25 Mar Port Vale (H) Drew 1-1
2 Apr Wigan Athletic (H) Lost 1-5
9 Apr Millwall (A) Lost 3-1
16 Apr Bradford City (H) Drew 1-1
19 Apr Sheffield United (H) Lost 1-2
23 Apr Gillingham (A) Won 2-3

After our recent poor showings against Swindon Town and (more so) at Bradford City, Jon Whitney has his work cut out to get things back on track. It's a bit soul-destroying to see that at the turn of the year we were comfortably in the automatic promotion top 2 (with a game in hand over most) - losing George Evans undoubtedly contributed to the slide seen since then, and Pennington's recall by Everton hardly helped. So what will the Whitney/Ward/Cutler team offer for this one? Numerous suggestions have been made on this site following the game at Bradford, notably concerning the poor showings of Paul Downing and Sam Mantom, but that starting XI appeared to have been selected with one aim in mind - to defend. It worked (just about) until half-time, and we know what happened after that. Shrewsbury Town's goal difference record does give us some hope - they have conceded 70 goals this season so it would be logical to go for that perceived weakness and play our best strikers from kick-off. We know that Tom Bradshaw can score if given the opportunity and the service, and he above all will be motivated to perform well in this game to show the opposition what they missed in letting him go. We have to attack, and surely Kieron Morris deserves a start alongside Bradshaw, with Jordy and Romaine to be the chief suppliers. Defensively things are a bit more fluid with Jason Demetriou uncertain to play, but we do at least have James O'Connor back. A rest for Downing would mean a recall for Preston, and perhaps Taylor could start from the bench meaning Rico Henry would occupy his official position!!!

Prediction? Can't predict anything with any degree of confidence at this stage of the season, but obviously 3 points would be very welcome, and if we do play to our strengths then a 2-0 home win should be on the cards - Bradshaw and Morris to score.

[SoccerHQ]

Good record v Sloppies in recent years but they had a good win at weekend and are desperate to stay up so looks like another frustrating draw I'm afraid.

Have to think Whitney will send out a very attacking team to attempt to claw the GD up so that will leave space for Sloppies as that KaiKai bloke is pretty quick I think.

2-2.

A loss and Burton are all but up, at least make them work for it.

[Super Gabor]

I'm glad you've started this thread Welsh as it feels like we need to forget the huge disappointment of Bradford and focus towards tomorrow night and hopefully a return to winning ways.

You wouldn't know there's a match on if you browsed "Blue and Amber" - surprisingly little chat on the Shrews message-board about it.

Team? Who can guess? After JW's comments on Radio WM after Saturday's game and him determining who is "up for it" in training, makes it hard to guess the starting 11.

My thoughts: I think we should start with 2 strikers - Hiwula and Bradshaw rather than play the lone striker formation.

Maybe Morris and Forde as wider midfielders with Sawyers and Chambers in the middle.

Back 4....Jason, Rico, J O'C and then decide if Downing gets dropped for Preston.

[BornASaddler]

Not messing on this one, with scorers, attendance, time of scoring

Fact : a must win game

Even if its a sneaky 1-0 with Swifty scoring with a lucky deflection off his backside in Fergie time +6

[chunkster]

how can you really predict this one? just when you think whitt's and the team have nailed it like gillingham, they astound you at bradford :? let's just say i desperately want us to win, and whatever happens i just hope we put in a guttsy performance :)

[4143]

Just been on the phone to Mystic Meg (remember her?) and she said it's going to be 3-2... but didn't say to whom.

[Cully]

Might as well put a shed load of cash on a Walsall win - cack or bust is the best way forward.

8)

[funk_hits_the_fan]

A repeat of 12/13 at home, a fairly comfortable 3-1.

Think the players will want to react to Saturday. Whitney also has to learn to just pick his best team, forget fannying about with strange formations and personnel worrying about the opposition.

3 points in the bag then it's still on in my mind!

[otiswfc]

2-0 Walsall we will score both in the second half.
5350, 410 sheep shaggers

[funk_hits_the_fan]

2-0 Walsall we will score both in the second half.
5350, 410 sheep shaggers

Sounds about right for them - and you won't hear a bleat all game :lol:

[Mazza01]

1-1 Shrewsbury will be bang up for this and we lack the fight to beat them ugly.

[otiswfc]

2-0 Walsall we will score both in the second half.
5350, 410 sheep shaggers

Sounds about right for them - and you won't hear a bleat all game :lol:

I had a quick peek on their forum and there is barely a mention of the game. My conclusion is that they are fed up with us giving them a pasting and must be embarrassed by the fact we always take loads more to the gayhouse meadow than they ever bring to Bescot. They won't bring many.

[Ancient Moaner]

2-0 Walsall we will score both in the second half.
5350, 410 sheep shaggers

Sounds about right for them - and you won't hear a bleat all game :lol:

I had a quick peek on their forum and there is barely a mention of the game. My conclusion is that they are fed up with us giving them a pasting and must be embarrassed by the fact we always take loads more to the gayhouse meadow than they ever bring to Bescot. They won't bring many.

Nor will Walsall, I expect being back to 4,500'ish, the 600 brave souls who witnessed our capitulation on Saturday will have no doubt spread the word on how bad they were.
He (Whitney) HAS to put that appalling performance behind us, put out an attacking formation, Milan & Morris to give us some attacking ideas, drop the hopeless underperformers Mantom & Downing, bring in Preston for some beef and aggression, rest Taylor & leave out pointless Kinsella, (so that we at least have 11 on the pitch! not his fault, but we need experienced battlers at this stage). We need to drown the bogeyman that is our home form, score in the first half for a change, and beat the lowly opposition that our League position dictates, we need to do a Wigan/Brizzle and score some bloomin goals!!!
So, 0-0 after 88 minutes it will be then, a 'bang on' bet at the bookies!

[chadsmoor saddler]

Massive game, hopefully it will be like the last home game against Southend but this time we put the chances away. 4-1, att 5200 with a few hundred sloppies turning up.

[Welsh_Saddler]

2-0 Walsall we will score both in the second half.
5350, 410 sheep shaggers

Sounds about right for them - and you won't hear a bleat all game :lol:

I had a quick peek on their forum and there is barely a mention of the game. My conclusion is that they are fed up with us giving them a pasting and must be embarrassed by the fact we always take loads more to the gayhouse meadow than they ever bring to Bescot. They won't bring many.

Nor will Walsall, I expect being back to 4,500'ish, the 600 brave souls who witnessed our capitulation on Saturday will have no doubt spread the word on how bad they were.
He (Whitney) HAS to put that appalling performance behind us, put out an attacking formation, Milan & Morris to give us some attacking ideas, drop the hopeless underperformers Mantom & Downing, bring in Patterson for some beef and aggression, rest Taylor & leave out pointless Kinsella, (so that we at least have 11 on the pitch! not his fault, but we need experienced battlers at this stage). We need to drown the bogeyman that is our home form, score in the first half for a change, and beat the lowly opposition that our League position dictates, we need to do a Wigan/Brizzle and score some bloomin goals!!!
So, 0-0 after 88 minutes it will be then, a 'bang on' bet at the bookies!

Patterson.......is this a new signing? :? :D

[Ancient Moaner]

2-0 Walsall we will score both in the second half.
5350, 410 sheep shaggers

Sounds about right for them - and you won't hear a bleat all game :lol:

I had a quick peek on their forum and there is barely a mention of the game. My conclusion is that they are fed up with us giving them a pasting and must be embarrassed by the fact we always take loads more to the gayhouse meadow than they ever bring to Bescot. They won't bring many.

Nor will Walsall, I expect being back to 4,500'ish, the 600 brave souls who witnessed our capitulation on Saturday will have no doubt spread the word on how bad they were.
He (Whitney) HAS to put that appalling performance behind us, put out an attacking formation, Milan & Morris to give us some attacking ideas, drop the hopeless underperformers Mantom & Downing, bring in Patterson for some beef and aggression, rest Taylor & leave out pointless Kinsella, (so that we at least have 11 on the pitch! not his fault, but we need experienced battlers at this stage). We need to drown the bogeyman that is our home form, score in the first half for a change, and beat the lowly opposition that our League position dictates, we need to do a Wigan/Brizzle and score some bloomin goals!!!
So, 0-0 after 88 minutes it will be then, a 'bang on' bet at the bookies!

Patterson.......is this a new signing? :? :D

Sorry mate getting carried away with the heydays of life as a Walsall fan. :mrgreen:

[JonnyOwen]

Lets go for it.

Etheridge
Demetriou
Preston
O'Connor
Henry
Chambers
Sawyers
Morris
Milan
Hiwula
Bradshaw

[funk_hits_the_fan]

I had a quick peek on their forum and there is barely a mention of the game. My conclusion is that they are fed up with us giving them a pasting and must be embarrassed by the fact we always take loads more to the gayhouse meadow than they ever bring to Bescot. They won't bring many.

Do the Shrews even know they are playing us tomorrow?! One post on their boards asking everyone to get down there in numbers and 'make some noise' :lol: :lol: First time for everything I guess although hasn't happened in my 20 years of supporting Walsall!

Bradshaw has to start against these lot.

[Fish]

I had a quick peek on their forum and there is barely a mention of the game. My conclusion is that they are fed up with us giving them a pasting and must be embarrassed by the fact we always take loads more to the gayhouse meadow than they ever bring to Bescot. They won't bring many.

Do the Shrews even know they are playing us tomorrow?! One post on their boards asking everyone to get down there in numbers and 'make some noise' :lol: :lol: First time for everything I guess although hasn't happened in my 20 years of supporting Walsall!

Bradshaw has to start against these lot.

I wonder if they'll set out to cripple him again...and get away with it?

[Ancient Moaner]

Lets go for it.

Etheridge
Demetriou
Preston
O'Connor
Henry
Chambers
Sawyers
Morris
Milan
Hiwula
Bradshaw

Good choice, lets go for it! :D :D :D
But will he, has he the guts? No, we all know in our hearts that Downing, Kinsella & Mantom will feature yet again, to concentrate ineptness into an art form! No Milan, no Morris, no Preston etc, keep these table toppers at bay, at all costs. :cry:

[derbysaddler]

Lets go for it.

Etheridge
Demetriou
Preston
O'Connor
Henry
Chambers
Sawyers
Morris
Milan
Hiwula
Bradshaw

Good choice, lets go for it! :D :D :D
But will he, has he the guts? No, we all know in our hearts that Downing, Kinsella & Mantom will feature yet again, to concentrate ineptness into an art form! No Milan, no Morris, no Preston etc, keep these table toppers at bay, at all costs. :cry:

Do you fancy a week off from being the misery cloud? just one week that's all, it will do you good.

[derbysaddler]

Lets go for it.

Etheridge
Demetriou
Preston
O'Connor
Henry
Chambers
Sawyers
Morris
Milan
Hiwula
Bradshaw

Correct, let's do this.

[scott_powell]

We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We need a convincing win.

Hope for a 3 or 4-0 ... Expect a 1-1 coming from behind

[SuperDon]

Lets go for it.

Etheridge
Demetriou
Preston
O'Connor
Henry
Chambers
Sawyers
Morris
Milan
Hiwula
Bradshaw

Would be happy with that!

[reedswood sadler]

Got to go for it anything less than a win ends our faint, very faint chance of automatic plus we still need a point for playoffs (sorry never take anything for granted with our team.)
Let's all get behind the lads tonight they deserve it even after Bradford this has been great season how many expected to get in playoffs in august.

[Harry]

Lets go for it.

Etheridge
Demetriou
Preston
O'Connor
Henry
Chambers
Sawyers
Morris
Milan
Hiwula
Bradshaw

I agree
The only trouble is that in past whenever the manager has made a few changes and put out exactly the team I wanted we invariably lose.

[cookyskid]

He (Whitney) HAS to put that appalling performance behind us, put out an attacking formation, Milan & Morris to give us some attacking ideas, drop the hopeless underperformers Mantom & Downing, bring in Preston for some beef and aggression, rest Taylor & leave out pointless Kinsella, (so that we at least have 11 on the pitch! not his fault, but we need experienced battlers at this stage).

Agree completely about Downing and Mantom but Kinsella was one of the least guilty parties on Saturday so I just don't get what was "pointless" about him. He showed ten times the battling qualities of the feeble Downing. Of course if Jason is fit the point is moot.

[ObiWan7]

To be honest after the Bradford debacle , i've had the wind knocked out of me a bit.

Time to regroup and do what is neccesary , i think even the most ardent Saddler would agree that automatic promotion isn't going to happen , so for me let's get the point we need to guarantee a play off birth , then rest the lads for another day out at Wembley.
Having said that if we do get there , i fly out to Disney F***ing land Paris on that day so i'll misss it :evil:

I'll settle for a 1-0 tonight , Tom getting one past the Sloppies for old tme sake

I expect there to be about 6K there with the away fans bringing about 500 on their tractors.

Shame really if we'd have got a result at the weekend i could have seen there being about 8k.

Keep our nerves and push for a decent draw in the play offs , so to be so pessamistic but i've been following the boys for about 40 years now and am used to it.

UTS Obi

[One time faithful]

He (Whitney) HAS to put that appalling performance behind us, put out an attacking formation, Milan & Morris to give us some attacking ideas, drop the hopeless underperformers Mantom & Downing, bring in Preston for some beef and aggression, rest Taylor & leave out pointless Kinsella, (so that we at least have 11 on the pitch! not his fault, but we need experienced battlers at this stage).

Agree completely about Downing and Mantom but Kinsella was one of the least guilty parties on Saturday so I just don't get what was "pointless" about him. He showed ten times the battling qualities of the feeble Downing. Of course if Jason is fit the point is moot.

Have to agree, to blame kinsella for Saturday is wrong. Was one of the few players to actually put challenges in. Deputising for one of the best right backs in the division against a big powerful team personally don't think he did too bad respectively compared to the team "performance".
I'd even be half inclined to play him midfield instead of mantom. Having 2 holding midfielders infront of the back 4 to then allow whoever plays in the 4 positions infront to be free.

[chunkster]

To be honest after the Bradford debacle , i've had the wind knocked out of me a bit.

Time to regroup and do what is neccesary , i think even the most ardent Saddler would agree that automatic promotion isn't going to happen , so for me let's get the point we need to guarantee a play off birth , then rest the lads for another day out at Wembley.
Having said that if we do get there , i fly out to Disney F***ing land Paris on that day so i'll misss it :evil:

I'll settle for a 1-0 tonight , Tom getting one past the Sloppies for old tme sake

I expect there to be about 6K there with the away fans bringing about 500 on their tractors.

Shame really if we'd have got a result at the weekend i could have seen there being about 8k.

Keep our nerves and push for a decent draw in the play offs , so to be so pessamistic but i've been following the boys for about 40 years now and am used to it.

UTS Obi

It would only take you a couple of hours to get back to london from france :lol:
what time does the team get announced? i want to put me a bet on but i want to see the team line up first :mrgreen: