Walsall Player manager Paul Merson has said that the decision to drop himself for Saturday’s vital win at Swindon had been made days before, as he gave an insight into the thoughts of the bench during the game.

“I didn’t play well last week and I decided what the team would be not long after I came off the pitch last week,” he said.

He went on to say that he had no complaints about the penalty which gave Swindon their equaliser.

“We scored just before half-time and had a few chances, and they got the penalty and all of a sudden we were thinking about hanging on for a draw.”

“The ball did hit somebody’s arm. I think it was Craig Pead, but he was only about a yard away from it and the shot was hit hard, straight at him. I would want a penalty if that happened to me, and I would get the hump if I didn’t get it”.

He also lavished praise on the performance of Captain Simon Osborn.

“I thought Osborn was outstanding,” he said. “I don’t like singling people out but he was brilliant in the first half and he did so well that Swindon had to change the way they were playing to put Sammy Igoe on him”.