Saddlers: Wake up and smell the coffee

By Alan Stokes
December 23 2002

As we approach the critical festive period it is vital that we pick up some much needed victories. The consequences of a poor Christmas points haul will see us rooted firmly into a fight for survival.

We have now played more than half of the games on this years fixture list and are sitting agonisingly just above the relegation places. Many people are predicting a comfortable mid table position come the seasons end. I have news for you. Unless something drastic happens with either our playing staff or run of good fortune then we will be fighting to achieve a position of safety for the remainder of the season.

The simple facts are that we have played 24 matches, won only 8, drawn 4, lost 12 and currently sit in 19th position in the table. At this stage of the season the league table standings do not lie. No matter how many hard luck stories and injustices we can toss into the ring the facts remain as stated. We are just above the dreaded drop zone.

There are many supporters looking at the league table and noticing that we are 11 points away from the relegation zone. Whilst they will no doubt go on to enjoy the festive period assuming that we will remain in a mid table position my thoughts are not quite as positive. We have an extremely difficult festive period coming up starting with the home match against the massively improved Sheffield United, followed by a daunting trip to Portman Road and to see in the New Year we head off to Forest, again an extremely good footballing outfit. After having scrambled a win at Bescot earlier in the season and having beaten them in the Cup many people will be assuming 3 points will be coming our way. Wrong. I have a feeling that we will see the real Nottingham Forest this time out and could be on the wrong side of a heavy defeat.

It is very possible that the Saddlers could return with a nil point haul over this period. With many teams below us in the table playing each other it gives one of them a good opportunity to put a good run together. This being the case then I suggest that we could be in a spot of bother by the time the Christmas decorations have been put back in the attic. To cap it all off we then have the opportunity to play Wolves at Bescot. Again, this is a very difficult match and one where it is hard to envisage 3 points coming our way.

Compared to this time last year we are currently 5 points better off. Looking ahead to our festive program I hope that we can pull off some unexpected victories to ensure that we will enter the New Year in a healthier position than I think we are going to be in. If we do have difficulties over the next few matches and have very few points to show for our valiant efforts then I am afraid that the confidence will slowly ebb away and we will be in a real relegation dog fight. It will be time for people to wake up and smell the coffee. I hope I am very much mistaken.


Merry Christmas to you all !!