Saturday 3.00 09/02/19 at Bloomfield Road
Is the end finally in sight? Certainly, with a date set in place for the latest court hearing, it may seem that way, but how many times have we hit brick walls? It may appear more possible than ever, but on the field Blackpool must remain focused. A struggling Walsall visit Blackpool on Saturday and Blackpool must look at every game with that 12 point deduction in mind now, with also the playoffs just a few points away.
Injuries and Suspensions:
Joe Dodoo could return from injury for Blackpool, with Jimmy Ryan and Max Clayton still out for the foreseeable future. Jay Spearing will miss the next few weeks, but Mark Howard could return from injury between the sticks. Walsall have two who have been out long term in both Kory Roberts and Adam Chambers.
Walsall FC
The History:
Formed in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, Walsall have spent much of their existence hovering around the bottom of and just out of the football league. Their most recent promotion was in 2007, when they gained promotion to the third division as champions. The Saddlers play their home football at the 11,300 capacity Bescot Stadium after moving from Fellows Park, a stadium they had been at for 94 years.
Recent times have been rather mixed for Walsall. In 2015 they made it all the way to the Football League Trophy final, only to be defeated by Bristol City, and last year they narrowly avoided relegation, finishing 19th. Recent form has caused the Saddlers to drop like a stone this year and they will be looking to realign things as soon as possible.
The Manager:
40 year old Dean Keates is taking on his first professional football management venture with Walsall, having played for them over two separate spells as a player. The then midfielder started off at Walsall, where he remained for 7 years, but would eventually leave his home town for Hull in 2002. He would then play for both Kidderminster and Lincoln before once more finding himself back at Walsall. In his last few years as a player his most notable clubs were Peterborough and Wrexham, joining the latter as manager in 2016, where he would remain for two years. He joined Walsall, the club he played 322 times for, as manager in March last year, but after a promising start to this season, has overseen a drop in form.
Star Men:
Jon Guthrie: Left centre back Jon Guthrie has been ever present so far for Keates. The 26 year old, who joined in 2017, has also played for Crewe Alexandra. He played 137 times for Crewe and overall has 164 games of League One experience. He will play a key role in the attempt of keeping Blackpool out on Saturday.
Luke Leahy: Attacking minded left back Leahy has played 90 times for Walsall after joining from Falkirk in 2017. Also at 26 years old, he played 127 times in the Scottish Championship for Falkirk and helped them on their way to the playoffs in successive seasons. He will be a constant threat on Saturday.
Andy Cook: For a side in the bottom half, Cook has been rather prolific so far, with the striker scoring 16 times. His large stature and clinical finishing has been a great aspect of Walsall's squad. Throughout his career he has played for Tranmere, Barrow and Grimsby, with Walsall being the highest level he has played at.
Stats:
Following a promising start to the season, with the Saddlers winning 4 of their first 5, Walsall have won just 5 times in the league. The simple reason is that they are not scoring enough and conceding too many. For all the efforts of Cook, goals are not coming from other areas of the pitch and they have just 1.13 on average. They are only 3 points away from the drop zone and if their current run is to continue, you have to worry for them.
They did put together something of an FA Cup run though, defeating Walsall and Sunderland to reach the third round. Despite losing 5-2 to Bolton, it does show that they can be dangerous and win under pressure. As time goes on though, that pressure could become unbearable, as it looks increasingly likely that they will be dragged into a relegation scrap.
Prediction:
3-1 - Blackpool will be well rested after a couple of weeks off and have an almost entirely fit squad, albeit without captain Jay Spearing. I can see Blackpool scoring a few on Saturday, with Walsall being a struggling side and one that can not seem to string a few wins together. I think Blackpool will almost definitely run away with it but, it will remain impossible to call.