Walsall boss wants two more signings
Wednesday 27th July 2011, 8:58AM BST.
Walsall boss Dean Smith today identified the need to bring in an extra midfielder and an additional defender before the League One season kicks off.
The Saddlers slipped to a 3-2 loss to League Two club Cheltenham at Whaddon Road last night, as they continued their pre-season preparations with a defeat.
Smith accepts that he will have to work within a certain financial framework this season but is still keen to bolster his squad for the tests which lie ahead.
The manager would not name specific targets but is working hard behind the scenes to try and increase his options, before the first competitive game of the season against Leyton Orient at the Banks’s Stadium on August 6.
He said: “I have got a couple of things bubbling along at the moment but nothing definite, so we’ll just have to see how things pan out over the next week or so.
“I am looking at a bit of everything – loan deals, free transfers and bringing a few in permanently – as things stand at the moment and ideally before the first game.
“I have had a lot of telephone calls and I think we might have a behind-closed-doors match next week at the training ground and take a look at a few of them then.
“We are little bit light in the centre of midfield and perhaps a little bit thin in the centre-back area, so that is something we are taking a good look at.”
To read our stories in full, log in to the premium 24 website.
UK Sport
Latest Blog — A week is a long time in football
This time last week we were staring down the barrel, third from bottom with a worse record than at the same stage last year, writes Saddlers blogger Mark Jones.
Saddlers Blog
Business Awards
Book a Business Awards table
Join our celebrations of the region's best in business on Thursday March 22 - book your table now
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Express & Star and Shropshire Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases
OUR NEW APP
Get the new E&S app
Download the Express & Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
expressandstar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Correct me if I am wrong but earlier in the year did the paper print a story about an ex Walsall player had become a coach with Chelsea.
The article said that it could lead to one or two of there promising younger players coming to Walsall.
It would be so good if Walsall could loan these players.
Report abuse
Maybe I’m wrong but didnt we have a link with Man u which came to nothing – and a Dutch Club ?
I agree with needing some class in the engine room but what about in the goals scoring department ??
Whilst it would have been good to have a proper team assembled before the season starts its now beginning to look as if the clearout maybe let better players go by setting deadlines and we are now scrabbling for players that are still looking for clubs to take them on. Unless there are championship performers who are are still in this position we seem to have let good players go and employed cheaper ones – yet again.
Report abuse
You can’t have it everyway. Everyone said last year that we shouldn’t have let Gray sign after he missed the deadline and now you criticise. He was always leaving, Ledesma wasn’t coming back and Richards looks like being at Shrewsbury. Hardly anything earth shattering.
Report abuse
I think team is looking good like smith said we just need two more players either loans or free tranfers i think smith wants to go for it this season and i will be there to support him there are some big clubs in the league this year but apart from that everyone else is in the same boat. smith brought in players that have got a lot to prove i think that will do us good. im looking forward to season. COME WALSALL :)
Report abuse