Saddlers boss wary of Ricketts
Walsall boss Chris Hutchings has warned his defence former Banks's striker Michael Ricketts will be desperate to prove a point when he turns out for Tranmere.
Ricketts swapped the Banks's Stadium for Prenton Park this summer, after he was released by the Saddlers.
Hutchings is wary of the threat posed by the former Bolton and Leeds man tomorrow and admits the forward will be gunning to prove the manager was wrong not to offer him a new contract.
He said: "Michael Ricketts has signed for them, so it's an old face we're up against. I'm sure if he's involved – and he probably will be – he will have a point to prove.
"Strikers always love to score against their old clubs. Very often it happens, we just have to make sure we score one more than Tranmere – even if Michael gets one."
But scoring goals has been easier said than done for the Saddlers of late, with their last goal coming five games ago from a Sam Parkin penalty in the 2-1 defeat to Leeds on August 18.
In stark contrast, their defence has not been breached in the last three games – most impressively of all in last weekend's stalemate at Norwich.
Hutchings is confident his 15th-placed team, who have not won since the opening day, will soon be striking the right chord at both ends of the field.
He said: "The last few games we've kept clean sheets. Our goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin has done well.
"Arsenal under George Graham were great at it, winning 1-0 and 2-0. Don't get me wrong, we all want to play like Arsenal as they are now – the entertaining way, but you have got to have the players to do it and the quality to do it.
"We just need the rub of the green and we will score goals. Have we worked on finishing in training? Not any more than usual.
"I've got every confidence the strikers will improve given the chances. I have no doubts we will score goals.
"Sometimes you go through periods where strikers miss chances, keepers make good saves and it gets blocked off the line.
"Then all of a sudden you will have half a chance and it hits you on the backside and goes in.
"We are still confident in our players that we can score goals. We could have easily had a few more points."
