Saddlers social: Walsall fans have their say

Richard Kendrick

After the fantastic fluke that was the home win against Coventry, I suppose we were due a good hiding, as the Sky Blues could have been 4-0 up before our unlikeliest of comebacks.

That said, it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow for those who travelled to Bradford to watch our capitulation.

At least most of the players seemed to be embarrassed by the performance and any more like this might see us replacing a few in January.

Hopefully we won’t have another one, but this team seem capable of anything from the ridiculous to the sublime.

We’ve had some really strong performances lately – the three Sunderland games were incredibly good – so it would be a shame if we can’t continue playing close to that level for the rest of the season, but that’s exactly what inconsistent sides do.

NIck Etheridge

As we all know, our excellent start to the season has been somewhat overshadowed by results in the last couple of months – this has strangely coincided with the arrival of Russell Martin.

For whatever reason, it just doesn’t seem to be working.

In my opinion, in the early part of the season we defended really well, given that it was the same back four that Dean Keates inherited from Jon Whitney.

The odd mistake we did make in that time tended to get punished, making the situation look worse than it actually was.

I don’t know what it is, but since Martin’s arrival, we really haven’t defended well at all, even though he brings a lot of experience.

Keates has got a big decision to make in the coming weeks with regards to keeping Martin in the side, or giving Connor Johnson a run-out given that Jack Fitzwater, our best defender, is probably on his way back to West Brom.

Greg Shelton

The last seven days sums up this Walsall team and life as a fan.

One moment we’re clinching a last-minute winner in the M6 derby, the next we‘re comfortably keeping a clean sheet in an away win at Sunderland, and then we’re getting well beaten at struggling Bradford. It’s certainly not dull!

This current Walsall crop are a young bunch who are in transition and we will have to take the rough with the smooth, but this is where we as supporters can play our part.

Festive football is always a highlight and, believe it or not, it culminates in something we’ve forgotten about in recent years – the third round of the FA Cup.

a huge achievement to have beaten two previous winners already.

An away trip to Bolton Wanderers may not be the glamour tie we all hoped for.

However, there is no doubt this is a winnable game for us supporters to unite behind and get the coaches, cars and trains packed as we head North.

Kevin Paddock

Having missed the last three away games due to work commitments, I decided to brave the wintry Yorkshire weather and head to Bradford on Saturday – what a waste of time that was!

I have seen some rubbish and lacklustre performances in my time, but that second-half display is up there with the worst!

I was happy to hear Dean Keates say some of these players are now in the last chance saloon because quite frankly they are too inconsistent.

I don’t understand how we can win and secure a clean sheet against Sunderland then put on that display at Bradford.

It’s scary to think we are only one point better off than this time last season.

The only positive is we aren’t too reliant on loan signings this season compared to last, but the next few weeks and the January window are critical for our season.