Match Preview: Walsall Vs Scunthorpe United

Here we are again. Much like Tuesday night I go into tomorrow`s game with reserved ambition and I am hoping against hope we actually turn up this time. The lads let us down against a very beatable Oldham in mid-week and everyone involved will know that it was not acceptable. We lacked resilience, confidence, flair and penetration and that is exactly what we should be oozing when playing at home so let`s just pray we can stop the recent rot.

United are yet to win in the league this season but, despite this, they are proving difficult to beat. With 5 draws from the opening 8 games they are obviously defending well and scoring goals to keep them in games. They have lacked that cutting edge to close out a game but it is sod`s law that they will win eventually and Walsall is not a bad place to come at the moment if you`re looking for a win. We are out of form at home and simply don`t look like scoring all that many goals so 1 might be enough for The Iron. In Bobby Grant, Scunny have a striker in form and he looks like he could be the one to do the damage tomorrow. Accompanied by proven lower-league hitman; Chris Dagnall, I can`t see it being long before they start knocking a few past teams and I hate to admit I can see us being one of the first to be on the receiving end of a bit of a hammering. In the absence of goalkeeper; Josh Lillis, Scunny have taken Man United`s Sam Johnstone on loan and he has impressed in his first 2 games for the club. The youngster has showed no signs of any nerves and we might be seeing a star in the making in the Scunthorpe goal tomorrow.

Apparently Jon Macken is missing again tomorrow so it will be interesting to see where our attacking flair will come from. Grigg and Jarvis will probably retain their place up front but I would love to see Deano take a chance on Jamie Paterson because the youngster looked exciting and adventurous when he came on against Oldham. Nicho looked industrious but he has had a few chances this season and has not earned a starting place. As well as our problems up front, we have looked shaky at the back recently but Butler will be desperate to put one over his old team and if he has a good game I can`t see how many strikers in this division will get past him. Manny Smith is a superb centre-half and has probably been my favourite player over the last few seasons, so if the pair are on form we have a good chance of keeping a good United attack quiet. The Oldham game was a massive disappointment on Tuesday and the lads will have spent the last few days doing everything to put it right so we`ll see if their preparation and effort has paid off.

Without Macken, we lack flair and industry up front and it is hard to see where the goals will come from. We`re playing a Scunthorpe team who are struggling in the league at the moment but they have been putting in good performances and it is only a matter of time before they start winning. They have more about them going forward but I would say we are the stronger team defensively so I would say it will be a question of soaking up their attack and hitting them on the counter. I can see it being a drab, goalless affair so I`ll go for a cold and boring 0-0 draw with few chances for the home side to get excited about. I hope you`re all in a more optimistic mood but I would not be surprised if Scunny did beat us. If they get one it might be hard to stop them getting a few and it could be a long and hard day to be a Saddler. That said, I`m wrong very often so we`ll probably win 8-0. Come on you Reds!!!!!!!

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