Saddlers starved of creativity as Holden set to miss Saturday’s clash against Bradford

Northern Irishman Rory Holden boasts the second most key passes per game (2.5) in the entirety of League Two – and will be a huge miss for Walsall as they host Bradford City on Saturday.

After a successful loan spell in 2019, Holden made his move to the Banks’s Stadium permanent in August 2020 for an undisclosed fee from Championship outfit Bristol City.

The midfielder holds the most assists at the club so far this season (4), despite missing a large part of it through injury.

Right behind Holden in key passes per game is Wesley McDonald (1.1), leaving no one surprised that Walsall have failed to pick up three points since the 23rd of January at Port Vale.

The Saddlers are without a win in their last four, with defeats coming against Cheltenham Town and Newport County and draws against Mansfield Town and Stevenage.

New manager Brian Dutton is still yet to pick up his first win as head coach, after Darrell Clarke left the post in favour of joining Port Vale.

Walsall’s new strike partnership of Josh Gordon and Caolan Lavery will look to provide the finishing touch for the home side, reverting back to last season’s partnership which enjoyed a successful spell.

Dutton is adamant that his side have to make a statement in the upcoming fixture and won’t sit back against the Bantams.

“I’m expecting the best team in the league currently coming to town,” Dutton said. “What better game to put our marker down and say this is what Walsall Football Club is about and what we want to become, bring on the best. We won’t be taking a back foot; we’ll be meeting the challenge head on to try and get three points.”

With a Play-Off position in the sights of the visitors, Bradford could make it four wins on the bounce if they pick up the three points in Walsall.

Being the most in-form team in the league, City have enjoyed five wins out of seven since the New Year, and the name on everyone’s lips Callum Cooke will look to strike again with three Man of the Match awards in his last four appearances.

Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars were appointed joint managers of the club on a permanent basis after a positive period as caretaker manager and assistant in December of last year.

In that month, City sat 22nd in League Two – fast forward to February 2021 and they sit 11th in the table, just six points off the Play-Off spots and have lost just one game since.

Billy Clarke and Harry Pritchard are expected to miss the trip for the travelling side, however Ollie Crankshaw and Andy Cook are likely to feature in the starting XI.

Prost International’s Joe Lyons will be at the Banks’s Stadium to report on the match that could see Bradford edge even closer to a Play-Off spot.

[columns]