Potential trump card - why loanee Rico Richards presents Walsall with a plan B
Walsall loanee Rico Richards has been firmly on the fringes since arriving from Port Vale on transfer deadline day in September.
There was a sense that his loan could be set to draw to a premature and unceremonious end until his match-winning brace at Stevenage in the EFL Trophy offered a glimmer of hope in early December.
Mat Sadler was adamant that Richards could play as a 'second striker' when he joined but had initially been reluctant to experiment with him in attack.
Instead, Richards flattered to deceive in midfield and looked desperately short of match sharpness on the rare occasions he was called upon.
Richards' renaissance at Walsall
Richards has amassed a mere 44 minutes of action across his four appearances from the bench in League Two.
The EFL Trophy offered him perhaps his only chance of making good of his time at Walsall and his performances in the knockout stages has also left Sadler with plenty to ponder.
After scoring twice at Stevenage, Richards once again demonstrated his quality leading the line, albeit in a 4-2 defeat at Northampton Town last week.
He partnered Jamille Matt in the first half but at least endeavoured to be proactive despite a lack of service. Once Daniel Kanu was introduced, Richards took on a much more central role and even registered an assist.
Richards hovered between the lines and spun away from his marker to thread a neat pass into the path of Kanu to score.
How he can offer a different dynamic in attack?
Sadler has been an advocate of playing with an orthodox target man, but the partnership between Kanu and Richards presented Walsall with a different dynamic in attack.
He operated in dangerous spaces between the opposition defence and midfield - while his role provided Walsall with more variety in their approach play.
There was even more good news after the final whistle when Sadler announced that Richards will be staying until the end of the season along with goalkeeper Myles Roberts and top scorer Kanu.
Versatility could boost Richards' chances
Walsall reverted to a target man when Matt started beside Kanu at in the Saddlers' 3-1 win Tranmere, but Sadler did at least reshuffle his midfield.
Jamie Jellis played as a nominal No 10 and was given a new lease of life when he was tasked with playing much closer to the strikers.
That could feasibly be a role that Richards could play, either from the start or the bench, and his versatility could prove a useful tool for Walsall.
His performances in the EFL Trophy have certainly caught Sadler's eye and it will be intriguing to see if Richards take on a more established role between now and the end of the season.
Either way, his ability to play as an eight and a No 9, and even as a No 10 could make him a crucial tactical trump card during the League Two run-in.
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