The Official Walsall Match Thread (Sponsored by Chicken Balti Pies "for all your match snack needs") | Vital Football

The Official Walsall Match Thread (Sponsored by Chicken Balti Pies "for all your match snack needs")

HerrLjunga

HerrLjunga

Vital 1st Team Regular
It's Saturday and Gills are back in action after a decent win last time out at Priestfield against an out of sorts Tranmere side. Today we head to the Midlands (we all know it's Oooop North really) to take on a Walsall side managed by ex-Gill and former Priestfield managerial candidate, Mike Flynn.

Gills go into this one looking to leapfrog Flynn's former side Newport to put yet more distance between us and the ever-receding relegation fight. To even be able to type that is still a wonder given our predicament just 10 or so weeks ago. In the time we've been clawing our way up the table, the Saddlers have fallen away from the playoff scrap with a ludicrous run of draws and seven blanks in front of goal that has left Flynny under mounting pressure and the Walsall fans suffering dangerous levels of ennui.

Gills appear to have got over the worst of their injuries, with McKenzie and the new boy Page sniffing for a start and the pace of Scott Kashket returning to the fold. An extra day off in the week will hopefully have re-energised certain others according to Neil Harris in the week.

It's at this point that I usually do the head to head, but the stats are so fundamentally loathsome it's hard to comprehend. In the 40 years I have graced this planet, we have visited Fellows Park/the Bescot in the League 27 times. We won 0-1 (Cascarino) in April 1985, the next win arrived by the same scoreline seven years later in February 1992 (Mark Dempsey). Then followed 16 successive visits to the Bescot without Gills going home with the three points before a late goal (and last meaningful input at the club) by JET gave us a 1-2 win in November 2016. Hurrah!


Like buses, you wait nearly quarter of a century for an away win, then two come along at once (well 364 days to be precise), as Connor Wilkinson scored the only goal of the game a season later to send the traveling Gills fans home happy again.



Safe travels if you're making the trip, safe drinking if you're not. You're all doubtless sick of hearing about the travails of Clan Ljunga in their increasingly desperate quest to see a Gills win, but it's been over a year for me (Donny away last season) and never for the two Jnr's (14th and 3rd matches respectively today), I just want the poor buggers to know what a win feels like so they don't sack it all off or switch allegiances to a more successful, more local side like say, erm... Northampton.

COYG!!!
 
I hope that Harris doesn't go all negative and set up to draw, like he did at Stockport, although apparently we had injuries and sickness that day that impacted on his options. Let's go to win
 
The contrast here is striking.

At the time when Harris was in trouble and some fans thought a change of manager would solve all our problems, Flynn's name kept coming up as the man to save all our ills.

Now Walsall are not scoring goals and their fans on other message boards I read want rid of Flynn, citing also the terrible style of football they are playing and the fact he has no Plan B.

I would say that means it is a results game, but of course there are still murmurs about Harris being too negative as well.
 
vinney said:
I hope that Harris doesn't go all negative and set up to draw, like he did at Stockport, although apparently we had injuries and sickness that day that impacted on his options. Let's go to win
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Nil nil won't be a bad result it is all about getting over that line .Getting draws away is a way of doing that if we can continue to pick up wins at home. Walsall are clearly hard to beat .We may or may not have enough to beat that trend. There are positives and negatives at Walsall at present. I would certainly be happy for us to go there and to continue the frustration that the home fans feeling at present .Keep a clean sheet. If that leads to one or three points I am OK with that.
 
I consider that to be our best XI and a great bench too.

I'm really hoping that my 0-0 prediction is way off.

COYBB
 
Not sure it is our best XI on current form as Jefferies and Macdonald may have a greater claim than Lapslie, based on what the latter has done so far. I suspect he has fitness issues though, so has to play in order to get up to speed.

Happy enough with the team named, though.
 
GillsBluenose said:
Not sure it is our best XI on current form as Jefferies and Macdonald may have a greater claim than Lapslie, based on what the latter has done so far. I suspect he has fitness issues though, so has to play in order to get up to speed.

Happy enough with the team named, though.
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Would agree with this. Lapslie clearly has talent but I think we’re yet to see it produced in a blue shirt.
Great to see O’Brien starting.

VPN is arsing about. Do you think I’ve got time to get to the Bescot for Kickoff from Herne Bay?

Maybe I’ll do a poll...
 
I’m not sure that’s the most balanced team we could put out, but I like the intent.

I am also not sure Jeffries is as good as some make out. I like his energy, constant running and attitude, but technically he is a bit short for me. Maybe I’ve just seen him when not at his best, but he’s got into several one-on-one chances and not scored any that I recall. On top of that, I am not convinced by his touch and passing, either. So putting more technically accomplished players ahead of him I don’t mind, as long as they put the shift in.
 
Grown into it without really offering much cutting edge, weather currently as foul as the burnt bottom bit of my Balti pie.
 
Looks like we spoke too soon with the praise of the ref in another thread. O’Brien booked for nothing, then Nichols through on goal and rugby tackled and the foul given against him!
 
According to PL, Gills slightly ahead on points.
Again, another winable match but I’d be happy with a draw.
 
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