let's talk about the Walsall game

[selby]

 With every game seeming to become more important and now being described by many as every game is a cup final, the Walsall game looks to be just that.
  Just a few weeks ago they are a side that were coasting to promotion and looked in an unassailable  position at the top of the division threatened by no one, winning games week in week out.
  Since then the transfer window and losing especially their goal scoring hero recalled back from loan, combined with a loss of form has slowly seen that position threatened as teams like Bradford and Port Vale and ourselves have eaten away at that lead, and are now very much on their tail and only a late free kick equaliser from Taylor Allen today v AFC Wimbledon rescued yet another draw in their latest home game, with the defenders 8th goal of the season keeping them still top of the league but by only one point  and extended their winless run to seven games, so another chance for us in this game to shake that old habit of ours of getting teams back on track, and has never been more important.
  So both teams are now under a lot of pressure Tuesday to win, Walsall's current form prompting comments from supporters such as "best not to go up" "the saddlers are fully embarked on the biggest bottle job of all time" and "the signs were there in the second half that we maybe recovering our pre Christmas form", hopefully not, as in that period they cruised past us.
  We ourselves also need the win desperately and are searching for our best form especially in home games where our form has been up and down, although the support of the crowd has been great and we will need once again to have to get fully behind the team to help Grant drag the team over the finishing line, and hopefully todays performance and result will have the required boost to our confidence, although I expect Walsall to be less disposed to join in an open attacking game than Carlisle who went from the start for a win.
  It could well end in a cagey game of attrition on Tuesday, but we have to at some point put that winning run together and there is no better time than now for that, more of todays play please.
  Hopefully we picked up no more injuries the news on Olowu a big blow, he has had a great season, but Anderson and Wood showed their worth today, and with Bailey and Broadbent playing well the two full backs solid defensively and Sabara working his socks off and having his best game to date we looked a good side, and dangerous going forward.
  A game to look forward to, can we extend Walsall's poor run and look a team to overall them in the final straight? can we win our last few home games to give us our best chance of getting automatic promotion? can Anderson and Wood serve up another clean sheet? are we capable of getting over that finishing line? the home support especially the Black Bank has been great all season, can they raise the team to greater heights? a mid week game when lot's of supporters find it more difficult for a host of reasons to attend, will it be a relatively bumper attendance for mid week for such an important game?
  Lots of questions to be answered, one big one, can we keep our nerve? lots to discuss, please have your say.

[drfchound]

In mid January Walsall were 15 points ahead of us and even had a game in hand having won 18 of their 25 matches.
Since then they have been in free fall with just 2 wins from 14 matches.
IF we do beat them (and I’m not counting the chickens) we will be in a very strong position and they will know that and probably be quite nervous about playing us.
One of our nine cup finals played and eight more to go.
Come on Rovers, we can do it this time.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Astonishing that the longest odds you can get on Walsall going up at still as short as 1/10.

If we beat them on Tuesday and PV beat Bradford, Walsall will be two points ahead of 4th place having played a match more. They've averaged less than a point a game for a spell almost a third of a season long. If they carry that on, they'll likely not finish in the top 4, never mind top 3.

[tommy toes]

On the Betfair exchange, which historically has the best odds for punters, they are still a shade of odds on to win the league, Bradford 5/2, us 11/2. 10/1 and over the rest.
To get promotion, which includes the play offs Bradford are favourites at about 1/7 Walsall 1/5 we are 1/2.

[Colemans Left Hook]

that 14/1 Walsall to make the play offs - i recommended to you all a long time ago meaning not be in the top 3 is looking very juicy at the moment  - BUT would be a sick as a parrot if they didn't make the top 7

update

Bradford are 4/5 odds on to win the title at this minute and I don't expect the to

lest we forget the above post the collapse was "expected"

as Walls-all of Jericho  come tumbling down the table  without even being bombed by "net and yahoo"

[Chris Black come back]

They have won one of their last eight away games and that was against bottom of the table Morecambe. Not good away form. They usually score away from home though.

[mushRTID]

Astonishing that the longest odds you can get on Walsall going up at still as short as 1/10.

If we beat them on Tuesday and PV beat Bradford, Walsall will be two points ahead of 4th place having played a match more. They've averaged less than a point a game for a spell almost a third of a season long. If they carry that on, they'll likely not finish in the top 4, never mind top 3.

I suggested to my mate yesterday would they be better off sacking their gaffer.
A new manager bounce would certainly drag them over the line.
I genuinely think they are in danger of dropping out the top 3 at the moment.
I said the other week I think we will finish above them, confident we will win Tuesday.

[Padge_DRFC]

We historically give teams on awful form a life.

[Padge_DRFC]

Our record against the top teams isn't great this year. Yesterday Carlisle could have been a couple up and another bad miss in the second half. We certainly look vulnerable to any decent winger particularly Senior yesterday

[Filo]

This is a game we need to win, we need to keep the pressure on, the players need to be in the zone from here on in

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

We don't tend to do that well against them at home either do we?  No doubt it is a massive game though for both sides.

[ncRover]

I really wouldn’t write them off.

The way they play is a way we typically struggle against. Defensive solidity and counter attack.

They will be well up for it and I feel like we’re never that consistent midweek after a win.

Can’t be complacent.

[GazLaz]

Walsall in terrible form have only lost 2 in the last 10. They are still favourites to win the league.

[ncRover]

Walsall in terrible form have only lost 2 in the last 10. They are still favourites to win the league.

The bookies aren’t daft though, is it a performance level / underlying data thing?

[selby]

  Another clean sheet and the two old war horses coming through unscathed would be handy.

[Filo]

  Another clean sheet and the two old war horses coming through unscathed would be handy.

My only concern there is the lack of pace, at one point yesterday Wood trying to get back looked like he was running in deep sea diving boots

[Fal]

We don't tend to do that well against them at home either do we?  No doubt it is a massive game though for both sides.

This, aside from last season we have an awful home record against them.

[selby]

  Filo, if we are thinking about the same incident he was the only one who reacted and sensed danger though and tried to get back well before others reacted, and was coming from a central position into a gap wide others had vacated and were nowhere to be seen.

[normal rules]

With no championship games this Tuesday, this game could attract some Yorkshire based non rovers supporters in need of their midweek footy fix. In what is a very important fuxture for both teams.
 I for the record, I don’t think Walsall will make auto promo.

[i_ateallthepies]

I know none of our defenders have Olowu's pace but it's a bit of a myth that Tom has none.  Yesterday he was joining in an attack and was half way in the opposition half when we lost possession and a Carlisle player broke with pace and Tom was the one who chased him down gaining on him with every stride, and snuffing out the counter attack.

[ravenrover]

Tom was pushing for my MoM

[Ian Nimmo]

The ref for this game is James Oldham, another relatively inexperienced ref.
High % of red and yellow cards.
He was the ref at our Carlisle away fixture!

[les@donr]

A must win game if we want to go up via the auto. Lose, and play offs are more likely our end of season finish. Saying that, Wallsall will not want to play us in their current form, we need to take advantage of that.

[pib]

We have to win this and Wimbledon at home really. We’ll have to be better than we were in the first half yesterday. Despite their form recently this will be tough. Hopefully we don’t play into their hands - they have a distinct style of play that not many teams found a way to combat in the first half of the season (us included). Let’s hope we’ve done our homework this time.

[Avsuptem]

We have something Walsall don't have. That is 4 or 5 players who can take on a defender and get past them to open up scoring opportunities. With a fully fit squad we are the best in this league for that reason.

[adamtherover]

Rob street is due a goal, mols on his day and he has a lot is as good as anyone in the league, and gibbo is on the cusp on a enhanced run of quality performances...  And then you have the midfielders starting to weigh in,

Our front 3 will steer us to the end goal...  Hopefully...

[dickos1]

Walsall in terrible form have only lost 2 in the last 10. They are still favourites to win the league.

They’ve only won 2 of their last 10 too and 3 of their last 15.
They’re in relegation form for the last 15 games definitely not favourites for promotion for me!

[selby]

  It's just game on time, we have to go for the win and have the confidence to do so. Are we good enough to win the game?, of course we are, we just have to show it on the day.
  We can help with our support, and at times between now and the end of the season the team may need that push from us when up against it.
  The main thing is to enjoy the ride, it's in our own hands and playing with fear will get us nowhere just go for it and trust our own ability to do what we as a club set out to do.

[Padge_DRFC]

Walsall are 3/1 to win on Tuesday. Thats big that as we aren't playing amazing

[Usher wide.]

Walsall in terrible form have only lost 2 in the last 10. They are still favourites to win the league.

They won’t win this league.

It’s down to us Port Vale or Brad City.

Tuesday night will see a Rovers win in front of a big crowd that will ultimately ‘crumple’ Walsall into the play offs.