Walsall go into their Boxing Day fixture against Tranmere looking to extend an enviable home record that seems almost to have “snuck up” on people without them noticing. Granted that some of the performances haven’t been great, notably the last home league game against Hartlepool, but the run has continued and the players’ confidence must now be high enough that a real concerted effort is possible.

Wrack and Wright are both still out (although Wright is very close to being fit), Demontagnac is finishing his suspension and Merson is rated only 50/50, after playing the last game with an injury. Fox may have recovered enough to play. Everyone else is reported as being fit and available, including Westwood and Staunton, so selection will be interesting. The current run has had much to do with the pairing of Roper and Gerrard and the question is, will Merson be tempted to change it, with the number of games due in a short space of time?

Tranmere themselves have injury problems. They have top scorer Chris Greenacre (knee) and defender Ian Goodison (thigh) struggling to make the game and will still be without forwards Chris Dagnall (ankle), and Calvin Zola (back), as well as goalkeeper John Achterberg. On loan defender Simon Francis (Sheffield United) will return after being cup tied against Carlisle.

Tranmere are a shadow of the team which reached the play offs last season. They were tipped widely to be in contention this season, but I was one of the ones who doubted that, as they had lost too many influential players and not replaced them. However, although I expected them to be mid table at best, the extent of their struggles has been a surprise. A nice, easy win for the Saddlers, then?

Well, their League position (20th and out of the relegation spots only on goal difference) doesn’t tell the whole story. They have won three and drawn two away from home, which is actually a better record than we can boast, so they aren’t complete push overs. Look on this as a potential banana skin and let’s hope we treat it accordingly. Home win.