1. How do you think you will do this season?
(Original answer) We will certainly be a better team under Hutchings this season and will hopefully finish higher in the table than last term. The quality of the teams who have come down may dent our play-off hopes and there are still three or four good teams who failed to go up last season so it will be hard but some seasons a dark horse emerges so why not Walsall?!
Realistically 9th or 10th is probably best hope.
(Original answer) We will certainly be a better team under Hutchings this season and will hopefully finish higher in the table than last term. The quality of the teams who have come down may dent our play-off hopes and there are still three or four good teams who failed to go up last season so it will be hard but some seasons a dark horse emerges so why not Walsall?!
Realistically 9th or 10th is probably best hope.
On paper Walsall are a better team this season than last however league position wise we are roughly where we were this time last year.
We accept as fans that it was always going to be hard this time around with the quality of the teams who came down from the Championship. Even Southampton, who were awarded ten penalty points, have now caught up with the Saddlers and indeed are the best team we have faced.
We always hope for the impossible of course and at one point did reach the dizzy heights of 7th in the table but this play-off chasing form could not be sustained. I think Walsall will now end up where they are in the table - around 12th or 13th.
2. What is your squad like?
(OA) So far Hutchings has made 7 summer signings and he has in the main gone for players who can play in two or more positions which is most useful for a team like Walsall who historically don't spend much on transfers and has to keep the squad numbers down.
Steve Jones has plenty of experience (Crewe and Burnley) and can play down either wing or striker. Jamie Vincent (ex Swindon) is another vastly experienced player who is left back or left side midfield. Matt Richards has similar qualities. Peter Till (from Grimsby) can play down either wing. Striker Sam Parkin got a shed load of goals at Swindon before he got badly injured at Ipswich.
New captain is centre back Mark Hughes who again can do a job in midfield and other new signing from Blackburn Josh O'Keefe is one for the future at 20.
Big summer boost was when goalkeeper Clayton Ince signed on for another year.
(OA) So far Hutchings has made 7 summer signings and he has in the main gone for players who can play in two or more positions which is most useful for a team like Walsall who historically don't spend much on transfers and has to keep the squad numbers down.
Steve Jones has plenty of experience (Crewe and Burnley) and can play down either wing or striker. Jamie Vincent (ex Swindon) is another vastly experienced player who is left back or left side midfield. Matt Richards has similar qualities. Peter Till (from Grimsby) can play down either wing. Striker Sam Parkin got a shed load of goals at Swindon before he got badly injured at Ipswich.
New captain is centre back Mark Hughes who again can do a job in midfield and other new signing from Blackburn Josh O'Keefe is one for the future at 20.
Big summer boost was when goalkeeper Clayton Ince signed on for another year.
The fans were surprised but delighted to have ex-striker Darren Byfield rejoin the club a few weeks into the season. He became legendary as he scored the winning goal in the 2001 play-off final win v. Reading and it was good to secure his services from Oldham Athletic.
The much travelled front man soon started finding the net but has now gone 12 games without a goal and has found himself on the bench in recent weeks and is stuck on 100 career goals.
The heart of the defence has been bolstered by the signing of 21-year old centre back from Manchester City Clayton McDonald. Initially coming to the club on loan, the six foot-five tower made his deal permanent in January. He is the son of striker Rod who was a fans favourite at Bescot in the early 90's.
3. Which youngster will make the biggest impression in your team this season?
(OA) Walsall FC have an excellent youth policy which in recent years has produced players like Matty Fryatt and Julian Bennett who have been sold on and we have a few in the first team squad who we are hoping for big things from.
Richard Taundry, Mark Bradley and Alex Nicholls should be regulars but the one in form at the moment is centre back Manny Smith.
(OA) Walsall FC have an excellent youth policy which in recent years has produced players like Matty Fryatt and Julian Bennett who have been sold on and we have a few in the first team squad who we are hoping for big things from.
Richard Taundry, Mark Bradley and Alex Nicholls should be regulars but the one in form at the moment is centre back Manny Smith.
19 year-old full back Daryll Westgate was drafted into the side due to injuries and early season enjoyed a nine-goal run. He was taken out of the firing line when the first choice defenders returned but didn't let anyone down.
He has recently been in the side again and has gained valuable experience which will hold him in good stead for the future. He is cool on the ball and plays with a maturity beyond his years.
4. What's your manager like and will he still be there at the end of the season?
(OA) Chris Hutchings, 51, was No.2 to Paul Jewell at a number of clubs and has been a manager himself at Bradford City, Wigan and Derby. Real chance at Walsall for him to have a long spell and advance his career.
He will definitely be here at the end of the season
(OA) Chris Hutchings, 51, was No.2 to Paul Jewell at a number of clubs and has been a manager himself at Bradford City, Wigan and Derby. Real chance at Walsall for him to have a long spell and advance his career.
He will definitely be here at the end of the season
He will still be here at the end of the season.
The fans sometimes question his tactics and substitutions - or rather lack of them! He has this habit of leaving substitutions far too late in the game, often the last five or so minutes when the team are chasing the game.
5. Predict your champions and runners-up, the four play-off teams and the four to go down
(OA) Champions...Norwich, Runners up...Millwall. Play-offs....MK Dons, Leeds, Charlton, Swindon. Four to go down; Brighton, Hartlepool, Stockport, Exeter.
(OA) Champions...Norwich, Runners up...Millwall. Play-offs....MK Dons, Leeds, Charlton, Swindon. Four to go down; Brighton, Hartlepool, Stockport, Exeter.
Runners up - Leeds United. Despite recent wobbles, including a 1-2 loss to
Walsall at Elland Road, I feel they will cement their automatic place but won't catch up Norwich whom I predicted to win the title before the start of the season.
Charlton, Colchester, Swindon and Huddersfield to slug it out for the play offs with Millwall just missing out.
At the foot of the table I see the following being relegated...Stockport, Wycombe, Exeter and I hate to say this...Southend United (although I hope I am very much wrong)!
I just feel the well-documented club's off the field problems have made the playing side so difficult what with the transfer embargo and players wages uncertainties, etc.
6. Southend's financial problems are national news. Any comments about the club and where you see the Football League heading?
I was sorry to hear of Southend United's off the field problems and its hard to envisage the possibility of the club not being able to survive. Nobody wants that to happen. It was pleasing to see that the club were awarded a 35 day extension by the High Court to pay off existing debt.
The transfer embargo was always going to be on the cards following the discovery that the players wages for January were paid by the PFA but I feel the league should be seen to be doing more to help clubs like Southend who financially lose their way.
I don't blame Ron Martin fighting for the £162,000 inappropriate charge for when he paid the payment of £2.15 to HMRC in November, bearing in mind that the club won a similar appeal in 2006.
The club's desire to move relocate to a new stadium one day to increase income streams and fulfil the club's potential is the only way forward. We at Walsall saw this at close hand when we moved from the old Fellows Park ground to Bescot Stadium. The space on the site enabled the club to diversify into so many areas of financial gain.
For example the Sunday market on the car park is a real winner. I believe Southend have had experience of markets at Roots Hall but really need a new stadium to maximise something like that.
(Many thanks to sadlad who is a regular contributor on the excellent fansite http://walsall.web-fans.com/ and will be at Roots Hall Tuesday evening as he is not missing a Saddlers match this season.)