Paul Merson has admitted that Walsall’s season is all but over, following the draw against Wrexham on Saturday.

Merson told the Express and Star that his side are now just playing for pride, as they are now 11 points adrift of the top six.

“If we had won we’d have gone 14 points above the relegation places and we could have started looking up the table”, he said.

In the meantime, he is threatening changes in defence for Friday’s game at Bristol City, as he fears the threat of Leroy Lita. Defending like last Saturday could, he believes, mean another “Colchester”. What changes he could make, other than the return of Ian Roper, is difficult to see, however.