Up for the Cup

I’ll be following the Carling Cup tie at the Bescot (Bank’s Stadium) tonight when Walsall take on Boro’ and the home side might have a good chance of sneaking into the next round due to international commitments.

Tony Mowbray is reportedly putting out his strongest possible side against the Saddlers, but will be without Tarmo Kink, Scott McDonald, Rhys Williams and Barry Robson. And on loan Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme is ineligible.

Walsall chief Dean Smith did an excellent job towards the end of last season when he saved the club from the drop into League Two and he’ll be hoping to build on that limited success this season. The job that Smith did last season can’t be under-estimated. I saw them play in the dying days of chris Hutchings regime and they players looked resigned to failure, within a couple of games Smith had turned them into world beaters.

He certainly has the players fully behind him now and with luck they will be up for the fight – unlike the last time I saw them play cup football when they squeaked to victory in the FA Cup against Fleetwood Town. At half time that evening the local bookies were taking ets on whether the fanes would lynch the board or the manager first!