Walsall Wednesdays

This past week has again failed to produce more signings, as pre-preseason training gets under way. I feel a tiny bit worried about the lack of transfer activity, but if Bonser is to be believed, then we should expect some quality signings at WS1. But who? Teddy Sherringham`s name has done the rounds, so has Darren Byfield. Is he trying to say that we nearly signed Thierry Henry and failed, meaning we are going for Samuel Eto`o? Erm…probably not. He also stated the need for midfielders at the club. Well durr! If you don`t hold on to one of your best players in Dean Keates, then you can consider yourself ronnied if you don`t replace him. I just wish top Walsall officials would stop talking about what we are trying to do to get back into the Championship and actually just do it. Did you not learn anything from Nike!

Next on the agenda: three year contracts. It was nice to DD and Scott Dann both put pen to paper to seal another three years inside the Banks`s Stadium. Both were instrumental in their own ways at getting Walsall back to English football`s third tier, with one making the tactics and the other implementing them on the pitch to help out the flappable-yet-reliable Clayton Ince. We need more people at the club that are like them, people that believe in an ethic and all that jazz. It was rare for Walsall to do this, so let`s do it again to avoid another Keates situation…please.

Finally this week, I was reading Darren Wrack`s interview in one of the local papers yesterday about how we will be the under-dogs next season in League One. And he is right. DD had to come out two weeks ago and state that we were not looking for a successive promotion, just preparing for one. Nice to know, but could we do it? I believe that with more investment in the team and less chitter-chatter in the local press, we can achieve the Play Offs and go to the new Wembley and have a jolly good day out. However, that is if we bring in the right players. I said a similar thing during our title chasing days of last season, and DD went a got in Trevor Benjamin and Kevin Harper, who helped us strengthen up to win the title. Similar inspiration will be needed I feel, and possibly in the shape of actually getting Harper on a permanent deal, something which should have been done six years ago. I believe in DD and PT, as we won the league last term with a barely title-winning style squad, yet we still did it. More of the same and we will be laughing…very hard. I can`t wait for Carlisle at home, as it`s going to get tough, but the tough will always get going (otherwise they wouldn`t be tough).

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