Walsall have completed their second capture of the week with the signing of Leyton Orient striker Jabo Ibehre.
The 25-year-old, who scored seven goals last season, has signed a one-year deal at the Banks’s Stadium.
Ibehre came up through the ranks at Orient and made his debut at the age of 17, before going on to make 250 appearances for the club.
Manager Jimmy Mullen is surprised that his former club let him go.
He said: “He’s tall, powerful, quick and. more importantly, as an eye for goal.
“I didn’t think that he would become available but when he did we quickly went in for him. I believe that we can get even more out of him.”
30 Comments
7 goals last season, crikey he was banging them in, no wonder Mullen is surprised Orient let him go.
good signing for walsall i saw alot of him at orient im really surprised they have allowed him to leave great player
He’s tall, powerful, quick and. more importantly, as an eye for goal… 7 last season.
he makes eastwood look good!
He has an eye for goal? Really Jimmy, the bloke has never managed double figures in a season. His goalscoring record is atrocious.
Has an eye for goal?????????????
What stats are you looking at Mullet!!!
Cheap and cheerful theme continues
36 goals from over 200 games, a goal every 5 games, making it on average around 8 a season. we need somoen who can bag 20 a season. He is the player to have started the most amount of matches from the bench in Orient colour’s. If he cant make the Orient team, why do we want him!!! What a player. And we have waited all summer for him. Get your wallet out Bonser!!!
JABO WHO?????????? 7 goals a season,we need more like 27 goals a season,and Jimmy thinks he can get more out of him? does he mean he might just scrape 10 goals next season??? I really hope he is going to bring another 1 or 2 strikers along side this one,and at least one needs to be a proven goalscorer or i’m afraid it’s just another nearly but yet so far season.
You are really going to pull some trees up next season with these signings lol
7 goals last season jimmy, he has a real eye for goal doesnt he.
Never happy are we?!? We sign a big, strong, fast, awkward striker who has the potential to be an excellent signing. His goalscoring record may have been affected by the number of games he started on the bench. Also, if he can chip in with 10-12 goals but put in hard graft and create opportunities for others, this could well be what we need. It will make a fantastic change from the pedestrian attacking of the last couple of seasons. Give the lad and Mr Mullen a chance for goodness sake. He’s keen to play here which suggests he’ll give 100% which is more than can be said for one or two players last year.
I live near the Orient ground and the fans are not sorry to see him go - mainly because they think Ling has someone better lined up. However he could be a good buy if he gets the service.he is not an intelligent player but he has a lot of guts and will cause defences problems. Don’t think he’ll stay in a team which is likely to get promotion though.
He was on the bench alot because of other players ahead of him like jackson
He sounds like a good player to have around another bigger striker, lets see who else arrives!
I wish him well
How many goals did Mooney score?
Not many more and he played a lot of games but we liked him!
I am always positive until I see otherwise
Mullen should’ve gone to Specsavers! LOL
TO LOFFING WOLF HE WILL BE THE SAME AS EASTWOOD THEN BUT NOT WASTED OVER A MILLION.
Let’s hope Jimmy has unearthed a rough diamond who he can polish up to be an effective striker at Lg1 level. We still need another striker - a proven goalscorer would be good…but they cost money!
Sounds prolific
#12.daventry saddler
Mooney got 13 goals, and had 2 longish spells through injury, thats 1 goal off double the amount jabo got last year. Cant see how this is a step forward.
An eye for goal eh? Pity it’s only the one.
I think with a run of games he could bang in between 10-15 this season. He’s experienced enough to carry a burden, but young enough that we can get more out of him. Good signing, let’s see what he can do before we start slating him.
Stop moaning you lot!!! he could play very well for Walsall so wait until the season starts before we start judging. honestly, moaners, you are never happy. Mullen has brought a striker in and STILL, there are complaints. BE PATIENT!!!
Just hope Mullen is still smiling when we hit the bottom 4 next season. I hope not, and Mullen deserves a chance to be fair. But sorry I won’t be spending my money to watch it, unless the club are willing to invest SOMETHING in players. Never been so downbeat before a season. To me, theres an outside chance this player might improve and bag a load of goals, but in reality it stinks of cheapness again, and thats nothing against the player or mullen at all. I just think it will be a real struggle next season, ok thers still time to bring some players in which may change that view, but after year and year of Bonsers control, I just can’t see it. Will enjoy watching this season from the outside and in the knowledge I didn’t give the businessman my money. Its a sorry state I’m afraid.
he as eye for goal were”s the other eye on the corner flag same old walsall
“Realist Saddler” - “willing to invest SOMETHING”. Do you think players like Roberts and Ibehre are signed for nothing? There may be no transfer fee but in these Bosman days, you can be sure that there will be a cost to picking up established players such as these. Indeed Roberts was offered a deal by a championship club which suggests we are paying big wages to him.
For goodness sake, give these signings and the manager a chance to show what they can do. A very positive last couple of days.
“ShropsSaddler” we sign someone that warmed the bench at a below average league 1 side. So how is he going to imrprove our team?? When you pay peanuts like Walsall do, you have to get playes that you honestly believe can improve the team, we should have saved these wages and brought in a player that was quality.
1 year deal for a 25 year old says it all.Not much confidence in that contract offer
Shrops, if we’re paying Ibehre decent money then we need our heads testing. He hasn’t set the world alight at Orient (and couldn’t break fully into their team) so what the hell makes you so sure he’s going to score plenty with us? How you class him as an establishe dplayer is beyond me.
Typical Walsall, gambling with our season again by paying the minimun absolutely necessary.
Once again shrops saddler talking nonsense. 7 goals, whooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!
Why dont you go and work for Bonser, oh silly me you probably already do!
ARE YOU BONSER IN DISGUISE???
YATA you can only dream of spending a million on one player being as you are a little club. But having a new training complex which includes one exercise bike and a shower is going attract some more freebies from division 2! lol
Shrops, I take your point that there not ‘free’ because we have to pay wages, how many professional footballers do you know who play for clubs for nothing. Let us all know please. Its interesting to see clubs our level such as swindon, crewe, carlisle etc etc, buying ‘half decent’ players (better than ours the majority of the time), yet do they have the same infastructure and income ours has? I doubt it, great that we have a new training ground, can’t fault it. But to be honest, I’d rather see the money spent on players, and also after years of watching the commercial side grow due to Bonsers very astute business mind, I would like to see that the team recieves the same energy and committment, which in all honesty it doesn’t. If I met JB i would say well done on providing a stable income for a club Walsall’s size, can we now see the same investment in the team? because otherwise where is all this additional income going? It will take more than a couple of signings and the naming of exec boxes to change my thoughts on the situation, and it hurts to say that because I’m a saddler through and through.
if i remember right, all of the decent goalscorers we’ve had in recent years (rammell, lightbourne, wilson)came to us on a free transfer so why not give the guy at least half a chance. You’re basically booing the team before the seasons started!! some fans eh.. we’re never gonna be a big spending club so why year after year do we moan at lack of investment.. at the end of the day wouldn’t you rather have a team to watch than none at all because they’ve gone bankrupt, i know which i’d choose!!!