Walsall Player Manager Paul Merson believes that the club’s next two away games at Swindon and Peterborough will be crucial in the Saddlers’ fight against relegation – despite the club having the worst away record in the Division – and one of the worst in the Football League.

Walsall’s away record this season is one of the major factors in their slump down the table, having gained a mere 11 points away from Bescot. Merson, however, has said that he is glad we are playing away in the next two fixtures for two reasons.

The first is that he thinks that playing away from home will benefit Julian Joachim.

“The way we play away suits Julian better,” Merson said in the Evening Mail.
“When teams come to Bescot they usually come with solid banks in defence and midfield and don’t give much space behind.
Away from home the onus is on the opposition. So there’s more chance to find space and hopefully that will work in our favour”.

Certainly Joachim did show how dangerous he can be in the away defeat at Barnsley recently.

The second reason he gives, however, is something of a shock. “It will also be nice for us to go away and play because hopefully we’ll find some nice pitches. Ours was poor last Saturday with the Under 17s international played on it in the week. It killed us.”

Personally, I didn’t see much wrong with the pitch on Saturday – or with the standard of football Torquay managed to play on it.