Rat Runs, Jonahs and Life After Dean …

“That A5 bit at Churchbridge is the tricky bit,” Andy warned me at the game on Saturday. We were going through the complex arrangements necessary to get all of us to Greenhous Meadow, Shrewsbury on Tuesday evening.

As plans unfolded I would try to get away from work, drive to Four Ashes to pick Andy up from work, then drive on to Shrewsbury.

I know a rat run to avoid the Churchbridge islands (A5, crossing the M6 toll and the A34 and the Orbital Way which leads to an out of town shopping centre and the tip (oh and Cannock).

I have enough time as it happens to drop in to home, eat a tasty bacon sandwich, then set off. A second “alternative route” I was going to use to save time ended up with barriers closing the road. A frustratingly short distance from where I needed to be; but I had time to spare.

We compared our busy days before we remembered we are without the “ginger Mourinho” and talked about histories of managers and players leaving (in some cases, like Paul Merson) player managers indeed.

So may names have been linked to the job by the papers: Tim Sherwood, Shaun O’Driscoll, David Kelly, Dean Holden, Paul Tisdale (Exeter City), and Adam Murray (Mansfield Town). At work an Everton supporter suggested David Moyes (I think perhaps he doesn’t quite grasp what paupers we actually are).

Also linked is Mickey Mellon, currently ensconced at Shrewsbury. What a great idea: stir up things by suggesting the next manager might be working at the club you are playing next.  Between us we decide that, in reality, nobody in authority at Walsall has even thought about drawing up any kind of list, other than who to send Christmas cards to and who to buy presents for. Too, too early. Not that this will stop the speculation.

We slide gently onto the M54 by the new i-54 centre (Jaguar Land Rover one of our Midlands success stories, will be looking to boost production and expand their plant in the near future. Real jobs, producing something: bostin’ !

Off the M54, round  a few roundabouts to find a parking space at the Brooklands Hotel  near to the ground: traditional nesting space for some years now. And we’re early enough to get a seat in the “posh end” of the pub; clearly a couple of blokes who will not be disturbing the peace then.  And are discussing the dominoes tables when the rest of the crew arrive. JB, Jack, and, making their season’s debuts (I think) Big Mike and Matt the Painter.

Crisps, Bombay mixes and lightweight banter. Then the stroll defying traffic on a number of dual-carriageway islands to show our tickets and take our places (not even remotely connected to the numbers on the tickets!

I find out later that there are, give or take, 1,500 Saddlers fans there; noisy, witty and in good voice. Just as well; I am losing mine! It is not far, but this is still a good turnout: Tuesday night and close to Christmas after all.

We have the same team out that began the game against Bradford. Looking sharp and busy. Shrewsbury look second best but still manage to get a frustratingly good percentage of the fifty fifty balls and rebounds. Sawyers and Evans have a couple of shots that come off the posts.

Then, one on one with Etheridge Larnell Cole scores.

It would have been possible that, having been deserted by the management team and going a goal down – against the run of play  team might have curled up and given up. This team? No! They quickly regroup, stung into action. Milan Lalkovic, never short of fire and passion, takes a ball from sawyers and raps it into the Shrewsbury goal. Half time: one all.

Painterman Matt is downcast (or attention seeking), going on about being a bad-luck charm. we cannot remember the  lasttime he came to a match … and he is not famous for winter matches. we talk about work, changing jobs ( a tralerman next maybe?) and I hope I convince him he is not the Jonah he thinks he is.

But we think we will miss Tom Bradshaw, who has gone off, following a hefty tackle from  Antony Gerrard (once a Walsall player, but looking really a tad overweight now). There is no messing: Bradshaw limps off the field of play and down the tunnel.

Jordan Cook comes on. He doesn’t have the physique, the match fitness (perhaps) and we wonder how we will get a grip on the second half. While we are wondering this, however, we are surrounded by a thousand and more positive thinking Walsall supporters who have anew song or tow.

“They’ve got Mourinho,

We’ve got the physio”

Shrewsbury are being stretched by skilful passing from the whistle. Rico Henry in particular is making space and can dribble like a good ‘un. The home team sink to the  physical. The referee has let some of this go, but by seventy minutes is sending Ian Black off: second bookable offence. He doesn’t like it: argues, stands at the edge of the pitch like an unruly, sulking schoolkid.

Then Walsall are in full flight, but they would have been anyway.

Cook grows in confidence. From a corner – completely unmarked at the far post Downing rises majestically and nods in an easy goal. His first of the season. We go just a little bit crazy – and some guy in a silver jacket, who has been jeering and gesticulating at us from the Shrewsbury seats gets a full couple of choruses. He is not happy. We are. Even more so when Sawyers slips a ball to Henry who guides it towards Cook. Cook’s first touch is a little too heavy. I think he’s messed it up, but he gets to it and hammers it into the roof of the net. Satisfying!

Three one!

The magic is still with us.

This is brilliant, taking us to third place in league one … but a special note of thanks to the players and staff at the Saddlers for keeping the faith.  

Meanwhile, the Conservative government have actually decided to go to Parliament to seek approval for the Royal Air Force to carry out bombing raids on Islamic State (so called) in Syria. They have been coordinating attacks against the same enemy in Iraq after being invited by the Iraqi government, but now want to extend this to raiding ISIS homelands around Raqqa.

David Cameron’s party have avoided doing this up to now, because a no vote would, frankly, have been  embarrassing.

To make matters more interesting, the Labour (her majesty’s Opposition) leader is absolutely anti-war. The question is will he (Jeremy Corbin) issue a party whip and expect his M.Ps. to vote as he would wish or will he/dare he allow a free vote?

“… this Lad on the Roof …” Colchester Away

27th October: home

So, after denying “any knowledge” of the rumour that he had two games to save his job – and a home defeat to Swansea City Tim Sherwood is sacked by Aston Villa. I am not sure whether to be sorry or shrug and say

“Hey-ho, should have done better” … “and, where are you going to get a better one from, Villa?” while whistling Dixie and hoping they don’t look our way – at least while we are putting this little run together.

Meanwhile, my own team don’t seem to know just when to quit.

Take Saturday. Away at Colchester. Two goals up at half time (a re-directed shot from Romaine Sawyers and a deflected Lalkovic power-driver) they are pulled back to two all in the second half. George Evans fires us in front again. Three all, then we go behind. But in extra time O’Connor slips the equaliser in – and, before the final whistle Kieron Morris nearly steals all the points.

Four – all !

 

Keeps us in second place, two points behind Gillingham … and we play them on Saturday. At home (gulp! Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad one; but I’ll take it anyway. Until this Colchester game we had shipped only two goals away from home – a key to winning games – or at least not losing them. What happened to that defence in this game? Letting in only two in seven away games … they allez oops! – four in forty five minutes? Will it happen again? That’s what football is all about really. The record that stands – and stands us in good stead – is that we are still unbeaten away from home.

I wasn’t there, a journey too far – and some dollars (no, I mean pounds sterling, but dollars is more poetic!) short.

When all the dust has settled, however, we are still sitting in second place, two points behind Gillingham … and we play them on Saturday. At home (gulp! Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad one; but I’ll take it anyway).

The Gillingham home game will feature a guard of honour and a British Legion Poppy Appeal collection. Poppies, being one of the first flowers to grow in the churned up mud and debris of the World War One battlefields, quickly became a symbol (here in the U.K. anyway) of remembrance and the hopes for peace.

I will be donating – and wearing a poppy with pride!

This evening, while I was catching up on a TV programme (The Last Kingdom, adapted from Bernard Cornwell novels) we have been drawn at home in the F.A. Cup against Fleetwood. Games to be played in/around Bonfire Night weekend (my brother’s birthday – and excuse for a big party usually). Might be we have to get the fire built early.

And from the Express and Star football columnist Matt Maher – on the joys, perhaps – of being a Barnsley supporter:

“… the most bizarre story of the weekend, however goes to the Barnsley supporter who fell asleep on the stadium toilets at Oakwell and had to be rescued by the fire brigade.

The man, believed to be in his early 20s, nodded off during half time during the Tykes 1 – 0 defeat to Fleetwood.

Waking, seven hours later, he found himself locked inside the ground.

“Usually it’s a false alarm,” said a spokesman from Barnsley’s fire station. “but we turned up and saw this young lad on the roof trying to get our attention.”

“he had no shoes on and had lost his mobile ‘phone and his hat. He was more bothered about his hat.”

The questions are, of course, many. Either way it quite the scathing commentary on the home side, who have lost five out of their last six.”

Enough said?

Chesterfield at Home.

Home: 18th October, 2015

Working with a guy who supports Birmingham City. Nicknamed The Blues they are a team just up the M6, a few minutes away from what is now, dare I say it deservedly known as Fortress Bescot and play in the Championship (the league above us). Like Walsall, they are currently doing well – with manager Gary Rowett, appointed about a year ago (previously manager at Burton Albion).

We were talking about football, the cost of train travel, budgets, players and managers. Clubs like ours are, traditionally breeding grounds for players bound for glory (and more money) at more successful clubs … and every now and then we see players with us on loan or on their way down the leagues. It has always been the same at Walsall. And it is the same with managers we decided … with Tim Sherwood at Aston Villa under scrutiny and football at that level being unforgiving: just how easy would it be for Dean Smith or Rowett to take on the Villa job? Not even a real question, we agreed… before deciding the weekend had started and it was time to go home.

… and when I get home I find that Dean Smith has signed a twelve month rolling contract deal. One of the four longest serving managers in the top four divisions has become more difficult (or, cynically just more expensive) to poach. Got to be a good thing? Surely?

Actually my real weekend began with a Friday evening trip to the Garrick Theatre to see a community group’s version of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Credit to those who took part, but also to those in the audience who stayed to the long drawn out end … not knowing quite when to applaud.

Saturday began with an allotment session: digging up weeds and digging in compost and an unexpected visit from my brother who is not at all well. He was bringing a birthday present for our daughter (happy birthday Madz), but, honestly – somebody else should have taken on that responsibility.

Then, I took an ever-so-slightly different route to the game. Parked up. Usual spot – not so many fans this week more’s the pity … but easier to park!

Chesterfield is one of many “almost-local” games we have this season and their supporters were enthusiastic (i.e. noisy) before the game.

Three changes to the Saddlers team that so convincingly and honestly beat Burton Albion last weekend: International goalkeeper Etheridge back in goals, likewise Demetriou back in his raiding wing back role and an injury to James O’Connor gives big, solid youngster Matt Preston his first start at centre half. Formerly youth team skipper I am not sure whether he has the acceleration or mobility but he appears calm and is a real physical presence in defence. Such that even as we kick off I am somewhat foolishly predicting that he will score form a set piece corner – the winner perhaps? However, we fail to capitalise on a clearance, not getting first to the ball as it is sliced away and a long cross gets whipped in from just inside our own half and Sylvan Ebanks Blake rises, unmarked to nod Chesterfield ahead after six minutes.  No panic, I think; we can organise, play our way back into the game: Henry and Demetriou running the channels, some of our usual pass and run, close ball control will see us right.

And we try, but Chesterfield are also organised; better organised in fact – and a crucial goal ahead – and strong on the ball and fast to get to it and or behind it as we try painstakingly to work it forward. Almost certainly guilty here of too many cross field passes allowing them time to get back.  EBanks Blake doesn’t look match fit, carrying some weight perhaps and a low centre of gravity and, for the rest of the game he will not really trouble Preston (though there are some manly skirmishes in and around the edge of the box: neither player resorts to throwing themselves pathetically to the floor).

But, though, during the rest of the game we hit the woodwork four times (social media says the “Chesterfield goal is living a charmed life” at some point) we go in one down at half time. Henry getting little of the ball and Demetriou’s runs being cancelled out. Bradshaw, valiant as ever looks lost and Sawyers seems trapped this week into niggling, sneaky fouls; not at all the level he has shown so brilliantly this season.

Second half there are substitutions: Cook comes on; Lalkovic too and then – with Andy Taylor injured Sawyers seems to drop back to a four man defence, Kieron Morris comes on and Preston goes up. Into mid-field? Yes – and beyond!

From a well worked corner we concede a second. No problem: Chesterfield are outplaying us.

But with Lalkovic frustrated at the lack of service he is getting, Bradshaw seeking the ball ever deeper, Preston steaming away up front and six minutes additional time we manage to pull back a scrappy goal. Only Matt Preston , can you believe it?

Frustrated by the time-wasting tactics and, this week unable to get the equaliser we were beaten by a better team (though I hate to admit this – of course).

Barnsley away on Tuesday? Might make the trip. Not giving up on this season after one poor game.