Hutchings frustrated in loan bids

Friday 27th March 2009, 11:08AM GMT.

MANAGER 9 TS 20Walsall boss Chris Hutchings reckons he was rejected by transfer targets because they didn’t want to drop down the Football League ladder.

The Thursday 5pm emergency loan deadline passed without incident, as Hutchings’ search ended fruitlessly.

He now has to deal with a rising injury list, as the Saddlers host bottom-of-the-table Cheltenham in League One without seven first team players.

Hutchings and assistant Martin O’Connor led an exhaustive search for loan signings but couldn’t convince them to move.

The manager said: “One or two wanted to play in the Championship instead of League One and that’s life unfortunately.

“I, personally, always wanted to play but everyone’s different and I can’t speak for them, I’m just disappointed things haven’t happened.”

Defenders Stephen Roberts, Netan Sansara, Paul Boertien are all out of the game but Anthony Gerrard could return.

Mark Bradley (Wales) and Clayton Ince (Trinidad & Tobago) are away on international duty and Michael Ricketts serves the last game of his five-match ban.

Youth team striker Josh Craddock and defender Darryl Westlake have been training with the squad this week and could feature.


  1. 1
    chrisbenfield

    That’s the sad state of affairs today Hutch. We’re probably better off without the type of players who feel they are too big for the club. We had far too many of them under Merson(spit)

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  2. 2
    belgiansaddler

    It would only have been useful to get someone in if we were taking a look at them with a view to a permanent signing. If that’s not the case then we might as well give the kids a chance, we’re not going up or down. Save the money for next season’s squad, assuming of course that any cash that is not spent this season will be available for and in addition to next seasons budget, Mind you I suppose that’s a big if….

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  3. 3
    imstillhoping

    How strange that Northampton were able to sign 2 defenders from premiership clubs.

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  4. 4
    Phil Burton

    Exactly ‘imstillhoping’ – it’s the same old “poor old lickle Walsall” convienient excuse coming out again. I like hutchings as a manger, but he’s obviously got nothing to work with.

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  5. 5
    Chad

    I don’t understand why he let Shroot go early when we could’ve used him on the right wing and pushed nichols up front. Unless he was recalled. The rest is just unfortunate but I agree- save the money for next season. The way attendances have gone this year we’re going to need to strach around for pennies for wages next year if we want a squad bigger than about 12.

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  6. 6
    Ian Allen

    Strange and very disturbing that players just don’t seem to fancy Walsall anymore. Is that down to the way players have been badly treated over recent seasons.

    Doesn’t bode well for bringing in much quality during close season.

    For once I don’t blame the manager !!

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  7. 7
    saddler

    3 & 4. Has the thought not occurred to you that Hutchings didn’t think either of there two were any better than what we’d already got?

    Why bring in young kids from the Premiership who will stop our own young kids from getting valuable experience. Signing an experienced pro could be handy as they’d be able to pass on experience to Smith/Westlake/Taundry, but why give a 19 year old from the Premiership exerpeicen that will stop ours developing?

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  8. 8
    David Beesley

    I heard through the grapevine that two premiership clubs refused to accept the charges! That silly loan deadline meant that poor hutch couldnt ring after six o’clock. What can the man do?

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  9. 9
    dajw

    At least 75% of the loan signings on deadline day dropped a level or two, but walsall couldn’t find one to follow suit.
    Obviously the lure of our new training ground isn’t having the desired effect the owner of the Club would have us all believe.

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