Walsall Boss Richard Money On Tomorrow

Last updated : 11 August 2007 By Thetashkentterror
Richard Money
Saddlers manager Richard Money spoke to the official Walsall website about the big opening day clash at home to the Blues tomorrow, Money commenting :


"The new season has come upon us very quickly. It's been a hectic summer but now I am just pleased to be able to get down to the important business of playing football.

"We will give Carlisle the respect that they deserve on Saturday. They had a strong first season in League One last term and I expect them to be up there challenging again this time around.

"It will be frantic and hectic with both teams wanting to get off to a good start. We are more concerned about what we do rather than them, and that is the way it should be."



Meanwhile veteran midfielder Paul Hall said :

"There is a lot of positivety around the place, we are generally happy with the way that the pre-season has gone; there is a strong and ambitious group of players here and I can see no reason why we can't go on to give a good account of ourselves this season.

"We've got to go out and expect the best. We have to set our standards high and have confidence in our ability. Carlisle United will provide us with a tough first test, but we have some talented players throughout the squad and there is no reason why we can't start with a win.Personally I want to stay fit, play as regularly as I can and weigh in with my fair share of goals."



On opening day of a new season you don't expect a lengthy injury list and Walsall don't have one either with the Saddlers only missing two of their new boys in midfielder Edrissa Sonko and full back Rhys Weston, Money commenting on the absence of the two players :

"Eddy has got a bit of a problem with his hamstring and he is likely to be out for 7-10 days. We think he got a bit of sciatica which means that the problem is coming from his back rather than his hamstring.

"That would explain why the problem seems to clear up after a couple of days but then comes back when he tries to play again. So we are going to have to treat it like a proper hamstring problem. Rhys is pretty much ready to train with the group but he will need 7-10 days of training before he is ready to play."

Winger Ishmel Demontagnac misses out as well though for the Saddlers as he serves the first game of a two-match suspension.


The referee for tomorrow's match is Tony Bates from Stoke-on-Trent, and he will be assisted down the lines by Phil Gibbs from Solihull and Simon Hooper from Swindon. Meanwhile the fourth official will be Peter Grove from the West Midlands.