2012 - it needs to be a year of change

On the anniversary of the overdue sacking of Chris Hutchings, Walsall F.C. enter 2012 still battling against relegation, still lacking a great deal of quality on the pitch, still with the same regime off it, still broke and paying rent. Happy new year, eh? writes Saddlers blogger Mark Jones.

So what do we want out of the coming twelve months? New signings, more wins, better performances, survival, a team that can begin to compete at this level, bigger crowds and a change of owner and landlord. Yes I can dream.

Recent performances have highlighted the urgent need for some new blood, particularly in midfield and up front. There have been hints about loan signings in the transfer window, rumours of certain players being tracked; personally I'd rather hear about them once they've signed, and wouldn't it be a change if we actually brought someone in permanently? Our relegation rivals are starting to do it, we should be too.

We definitely need more wins, four out of 24 simply ain't good enough, either points-wise or for confidence. Any momentum gained from the decent performance against Charlton and the stunning win over Sheffield Wendy has disappeared almost as soon as it arrived.

Whilst a few more lucky breaks wouldn't go amiss, the quality of football on show has got to start improving quickly. Why it appears to be so difficult to keep possession or to pass to a player in the same colour shirt is both mystifying and frustrating.

And unless we are about to sign two or three big strong, powerful, aggressive frontmen, so is the pointless tactic of hoofing the ball up to forwards who can't do anything with it. We didn't get out of trouble last season by playing this way, so why do it now?

If we don't stay up come May, then I fear for the future. Bristol Rovers are struggling and both Plymouth and Dagenham are fighting to stay in the league, the Conference is full of former league clubs making limited impact, with old adversaries like Stockport in danger of relegation to the Blue Square North (that's the sixth tier). Why would Walsall be any different?

When your club has an owner whose management style that fluctuates between burying his head in the sand and taking it out to look around for scapegoats; crossing his fingers that someone can work a miracle with a sow's ear while covering his own lugholes to cut out any voice of dissent, then you shouldn't really expect too much.

Apparently he's still 'definitely there with us', so why he can't see the massive problems right under his nose and do something about them in a way that benefits the club he is supposed to care about is anybody's guess.

Last season's Great Escape should have heralded a new dawn for the club, it should have been a platform to build on, to attract back the fans driven away by the continual lack of ambition, it could've been the beginning of a great leap forward.

Could have been but wasn't.

2012 needs to be a year of change but I'm not holding out too much hope. Like I say, Happy New Year.