Winger hopeful of recording a fifth successive win...
IN-FORM Walsall winger, Milan Lalkovic, admits the squad “are not scared of anyone” as they prepare to face Championship side Brighton in the Capital One Cup second round this evening.The Saddlers, currently second and joint-top of League One, have made their best start to a third-tier campaign in 15 years.
A 2-1 victory over Coventry extended our winning streak to four matches in all competitions – a run which started against Nottingham Forest (4-3) in the League Cup first round a fortnight ago.
Brighton are next up in round two, and although the Seagulls will be favourites to progress, Lalkovic says the squad are confident of causing another upset.
“We’re doing well at the moment,” said Lalkovic, who was man of the match on Saturday. “It’s another big game against Brighton because we want to go as far as we can. It’s a winnable game because we beat Forest in the last round. It will be tough but we are not scared of anyone at the moment.
“Chelsea, who I support, lost to Bradford (in last season’s FA Cup) so you never know. They say it’s the magic of the cup. We’ll take it game by game and hopefully we can go as far as we can.”
Walsall are hoping to reach the League Cup third round for the first time since 2002.
Key to their hopes of progression could be five-goal top-scorer Tom Bradshaw, who netted a hat-trick in the aforementioned Forest triumph.
“He knows where to stand for my assists!” said Lalkovic. “I want to help him be top scorer again. If I can chip in with ten goals, and we get goals from Fordey, Kieron (Morris) and Romaine (Sawyers), then things are looking up.”
Lalkovic has provided four assists so far this season, and although he would like to start chipping in with goals, he hasn’t set himself any targets.
“If I get the goals, I get the goals. I just have to work hard for the team, and if I’m setting up goals, then fantastic. I think the goals will eventually come – hopefully soon!”
The 22-year-old attacker returned to the Banks’s Stadium in the summer from League One rivals Barnsley, and is thoroughly enjoying being back at the Club.
“We’ve got a really good group here,” said Lalkovic, who spent the 2013/14 season on loan at Walsall from Chelsea. “The coach believes in me and I have a good relationship with the fans.
“They seem to get the best out of me. Hopefully they follow me or I follow them, or we stay here and go all the way! Whatever happens, at the moment I’m just concentrating on my football and I’m buzzing.”