In the latest of his weekly columns, Scott Brotherton takes a look at Walsall Football Club's emerging striker Amadou Bakayoko, and considers whether he deserves a starting place;
Ever since he signed a professional contract in December, many Walsall fans have been looking forward to seeing what Amadou Bakayoko can do. In the wake of Craig Westcarr’s three-match ban, Bakayoko made his first-team debut at Port Vale on Saturday and the signs were promising.
The Saddlers may have lost 1-0 at Vale Park but Bakayoko got a good twenty minutes of League One game-time, coming on as a 68th minute substitute for an underwhelming Michael Ngoo.
In that time he played up front with both Romaine Sawyers and later Troy Hewitt as Dean Smith’s side searched for an equaliser. He has barely played with either of these strikers so of course there wasn’t too much chemistry between them. However, Bakayoko did look very sharp and up for the challenge.
He is only 18 and has to be praised his maturity against the Valiants, and he also looked a threat. It bodes well for the club that they have up and coming players like Bakayoko showing they are ready to step up.
After the Port Vale defeat it looks near impossible for the Saddlers to make it into play-offs this season. An impressive haul of four wins and a draw from the last five games would land Walsall on 69 points, while sixth placed Peterborough are already on 65. It’s clear it would take a monumental slip up for the Posh to fail now.
Obviously while the dream is alive they must strive to break into that top six. But once it is mathematically out of reach I think Bakayoko should be given a chance to show us all what he can do.
It doesn’t really matter whether the Saddlers finish seventh or twelfth, the bottom line is that they will not be in the play-offs. The last three or four games can then be used a sort of proving ground for players like Bakayoko.
Lots of people say things like “they aren’t ready” and “you can’t win anything with kids”. That is often true, but how do you know if you don’t play them?
Personally, I feel Amadou Bakoyoko in particular is a prime candidate for the last few games. He seems to relish the opportunity and could be the future of our strike force.
By: Scott Brotherton.
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