Saddlers seeking first win after shock exit of Darrell Clarke

It is a game that Walsall and Stevenage will look at as realistically winnable. Both sides have struggled for consistency this season, and both will be looking for a win to kickstart a busy period in League Two.

On Monday, Walsall announced the shock exit of manager Darrell Clarke, who left to join Port Vale. The turbulence that the Saddlers are going though contrasts that of Stevenage, who have a settled squad and manager, with things looking up for the club.

Stevenage

Stevenage remaining in League Two for the 2020/21 season was controversial, and although it was a decision that will still be discussed and debated, you cannot say that they haven’t used the lifeline to improve. They are already 10 points better off than they were when the season was curtailed last year, and they are seven games shorter too. Despite the big step forward, they are still not out of the relegation battle, as they have played more games than those below them.

Despite being where they are in the table, Stevenage have a very good defensive record. They have conceded 30 goals this season, which is the 8th lowest in the league. The other seven, are all in the top 10, which shows where Stevenage’s strength lies. The experienced Scott Cuthbert, Ben Coker and Luke Prosser, have brought all their years of football league ‘know-how’ to make Boro tough to score against. It isn’t all age in their defence, 23 year-old, Luther Wildin has made big strides this season, and having the experienced players giving him some guidance, has seen him flourish.

It is easy to pinpoint where Stevenage have problems. They struggle to score goals. They are the third lowest scorers in the league, with only 23 goals. Their top scorers, Elliot List, and one time Saddler, Aramide Oteh, only have four goals each and Striker Danny Newton, has only registered two goals in 27 league appearances. It is the biggest problem in Alex Revell’s side, and as an Striker in his playing days, he must be eager to sort their attacking play out, because doing so would propel them up the league.

Walsall

This will be Walsall’s second game after Darrell Clarke left for fellow League Two side, Port Vale. The story was a shock, with rumours only starting to circulate mere hours before the official announcement. He leaves after struggling to push the Saddlers beyond upper mid-table, and without fulfilling promises made to fans when he was hired. His assistant Brian Dutton, has taken the reigns until the end of the season, although Chairman Leigh Pomlett has already hinted that a good few months, could see him given the role permanently.

Dutton has instantly changed the Saddlers style. In their last five games under Clarke, Walsall averaged 329 passes a game, and the accuracy was a poor 56%. This was mainly due to a long ball tactic, that often resulted in very little attacking threat.

Saddlers fans had grown increasingly frustrated, as their better chances came when players kept the ball at their feet, and moved it smartly. Dutton has allowed Walsall to play out from the back, and in his first game, after having one session with them, they made 453 passes, with an accuracy of 76%. It is a system that, despite losing, pleased the fans.

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Walsall have been fairly inconsistent this season, but they have done enough to keep tabs on the play-off’s. They will see Stevenage as a game that they should be winning, if they do want to achieve anything more than another season of mid-table mediocrity.

They will be looking to Caolan Lavery to lead the line, after his great strike midweek. Defensively, the Saddlers have been guilty in making bad mistakes game after game. If they can cut this out, then it would be tough for Stevenage to break them down.