Walsall Column - Sinking Ship

So, out of two cup competitions by September 1, our lowest home league crowd in 11 years, three games without a goal, a solitary own goal from open play and a run of six games without a win.

Isn't exactly what we were dreaming of around three and a half weeks ago, was it?

Indeed, given the mess we've again made of the Carling Cup and Johnston Paints Trophy knockout competitions, it's hardly an exaggeration to suggest the only reason that we're still in the FA Cup is that we don't have to play in it until November.

The prospect of a second successive season where our involvement in cup competitions ends before Christmas is worryingly probable and that, for a club with our cup pedigree, shouldn't be acceptable.

Nor, for that matter, should league crowds of 3,331 only three weeks into a new football season. Personally this new, somewhat pathetic 11-year low highlights to me just how much the club appears to be suffering during the final, desperate throws of the current regime.

Of that 3,331, visiting supporters reduced the number to a smidgen over the 3,000 mark which, even by the standards set by this tired regime, is pretty shocking.

Over 500 more fans attended the fixture on the same weekend in 2008 and a year earlier an attendance of 5,673 was recorded, thus eliminating any argument that the Bank Holiday weekend played a part in the lack of numbers.

More relevant to the 2007 figure is the fact that, at this time, we hadn't yet got to that fateful January 2008 transfer window and traded any hope that we as fans had of developing what looked to be a bright and promising future.

Indeed, the nonsense that spilled out of the Bescot publicity machine following Coventry's decision to cash in on their two former Saddlers in Daniel Fox and Scott Dann stank of a club not only completely out of touch with it's supporters, but also in denial at the impact that one decision had made.

You clearly don't have to look deeply when comparing the quality of the team, the level of attendance, the ambition and aspiration of supporters since and post that fateful January evening to realise the huge damage incurred.

In attempting to self congratulate after the Sky Blues extremely profitable summer sales of Fox and Dann, all that chief executive Roy Whalley's frustratingly naive statement managed was to highlight was just how far detached from supporter opinion Roy, Jeff Bonser and their board seem to have become.

There is little that bonds fans to club at present. Everywhere I look, listen and read there is detachment – it is no longer we, predominantly it appears to be more us and them.

Indeed, it is shocking how many times I now read or hear a comment ended with the words "not whilst Bonser and Whalley are there."

There is no self esteem, no ambition and an alarming acceptance of mediocrity amongst the remaining 3,000. Defeats to Bury and Accrington are taken, accepted and excused in an almost 'well we tried' manner.

As we saw down the road, during the final stages of Doug Ellis's reign at Villa Park, a club will not stand still and wait for a new owner to arrive.

Stand still in the ultra competitive environment of English professional football and you're already going backwards.

Sadly, all the evidence I see suggests that we're currently reversing faster than a boat powered by Redgrave and Pinsent.

Whilst I don't seem to recall their boat ever sinking, much more of this regime and a few buckets of water thrown overboard may not be enough.