By Mister Happy
December 29 2004

Walsall brought the curtains down on a dreadful 2004 with a poor home defeat to Tranmere Rovers. A poor showing on the pitch was matched by a poor showing by the club's management of its customers. Walsall played out 2004 with a poor showing both on and off the pitch. Any hopes of promotion seem some way wide of the mark.

Merson made two changes to the side that was defeated at Hillsborough two days ago. McShane replaced Wright with Bennett coming back to partner Emblen and Osborn replaced Kinsella.

Walsall started the brighter of the two sides playing some nice passing football but, as was to be the case throughout the match, they lacked the finishing touch. Even though Walsall kept possession well they tended to lose it around the visitors penalty box and it was indeed Tranmere who nearly opened the scoring bringing an incredible save from Murphy to tip over the bar from close range.

Darren Wrack looked lively in the opening half hour and shimmied past 3 defenders to create an opening for Standing. Unfortunately he hit his shot tamely at the visiting keeper from 6 yards out.

Walsall continued to press and a magnificent through ball from Osborn (I repeat, a magnificent through ball from Osborn) found Leitao who broke through to go one on one with the keeper only for him to be scythed down deliberately by the bruising Ian Sharps on the edge of the penalty area. The crowd waited for a red card to be flashed but the ref had other ideas waving play on and at the nearest opportunity giving a yellow to Merse for protesting. WHAT !!

Shortly afterwards Merson tried an audacious lob from 25 yards that drifted high and wide. As Walsall squandered their opportunities around the penalty box, Rovers looked more threatening down the flanks with McShane looking like a nervous infant on his first day at school unsure of whether he wanted a number one or a number two. He was caught out on many occasions but must have been left wandering why he had to contend with two players attacking him with no help forthcoming from his midfield colleagues.

Another delightful through ball, this time from Wrack, found Merson with a clear sight of goal but he miscued horribly and it sailed wide.

Time and again Walsall reached the 18 yard box and failed to deliver. Standing produced 3 decent crosses that no-one was able to get on the end of and Aranalde continually found the first defender.

Both teams went in at the break having failed to break the deadlock.

Tranmere came out the stronger for the second half but rarely looked like troubling the Saddlers goal until Bennett dropped a clanger on the half way line releasing a Rovers forward. Only a magnificent tackle from McShane prevented Bennett’s blushes.

Having conceded 9 goals in their last two away matches Tranmere were there for the taking. They looked a poor team. Sadly, as an attacking force Walsall were null and void. Apart from a speculative Merson effort that Howarth did well to save the only other efforts of note were an Emblen drive that went 14 yards wide and a Leitao shot that went out for a throw!! How, I haven’t a clue.

Tranmere then took the lead. McShane produced another crucial tackle to stop another Rovers attack and went down injured. The Walsall midfield then stopped as the ball fell to McAteer who floated a beauty past the hopeless (sorry, helpless) Murphy. Yet another unnecessary goal conceded. The midfield were guilty of stopping and not closing down. Sound familiar.

McShane was replaced by Wright presumably through injury. Wright at least offered more of an attacking threat down the right flank as Walsall chased the game.

Unfortunately Saddlers never really looked like equalising and Tranmere furthered their lead 10 minutes from time courtesy of Ryan Taylor. He ran totally unchallenged from his own half to the edge of the penalty box and hit a weak shot towards goal. Murphy then displayed all the agility of a plant pot and fumbled the “effort” into the back of his net. Game over.

The off the pitch organisation was about as good as that seen on the pitch. This, in case we forget , is the Christmas break with many people off work. With many folks fed up of the kids and eating turkey it is probable that many of them would want to escape mundane family affairs for a few hours and go to the footy.

What do Walsall Football Club do? Make it as darn difficult as possible for these floating fans to attend. At ten minutes to three there were massive queues outside the ticket office with people still coming into the match 15 minutes after kick off.

I would expect the club to say that the fans should have come earlier. Sorry, that is not looking after your customers. The answer isn’t rocket science is it?

I doubt many of the floaters will re-attend.

Man of the match? Not the players that’s for sure. Definitely not the management of the club. I’ll give it to the supporters who had to endure another rotten afternoon.

Happy New Year to one and all.
2004 R.I.P.