Consistency is something rarely seen with the current squad - Crawley Town opinion

I forgot that consistency is something rarely seen with the current squad. That failing is certainly a matter that concerns manager John Yems.

There is one aspect in which the Reds are reliable and the game against Walsall confirmed it insofar as it is easy to predict when their performance will fall short.

Put them up against a quality footballing side and they will deliver as the opposition brings the best out of them.

The Saddlers are a bread and butter side. They have too much quality to leave them vulnerable to relegation but lack that certain something that would make them promotion candidates.

They are a perfect middle of the table side which is just what we are.

The difference on the day was that Reds again lacked the belief in themselves that would allow them to get the better of an opponent that otherwise matched them.

The opportunities were there. Panutche Camara took his chance but Ashley Nadesan, who could have made it two nil, did not and Walsall’s defending ensured those chances were few.

Having edged the opening stages Crawley firstly allowed the home side back into contention and then started to struggle, perhaps surprisingly as the manager had made two defensive substitutions with half an hour to play. It was self-defeating as the busy Ollie Palmer was left without adequate support.

The matter of substitutions which I have criticised in the past has now also become a concern regarding team selection. How is it that we are only naming six subs when the squad is as large as it has been for several seasons.

The very late replacement of Nathan Ferguson just before kick off meant there were only five and that included the third choice goalkeeper.

Several erstwhile matchday first choices seem to have disappeared from the radar – Mason Bloomfield and David Sesay for example – whilst much touted new signings like Gyliano van Velzen don’t even get a place on the bench. At the same time the club remains tight lipped about “injuries” and has maintained its curious policy about releasing senior players on loan.

Whilst the players have shown just how great their potential is and how close they could be to fulfilling it I am getting concerned that all is not well in the dressing room. Maybe that was suggested by the manager’s angry post-match interview.

A little perverse comfort might be gleaned from the match itself.

Josh Gordon’s equaliser for Walsall was a very well taken goal and that was just a taster. Their 88th minute winner by Wes McDonald was arguably the Goal of the Day on a day which featured several excellent candidates for that accolade. Perhaps we should give the Saddlers due credit.