The Hardest Game In The World - Colchester Preview

By Neil Ravenscroft
October 8 2004

Sometimes football is easy and sometimes it is "the hardest game in the world". Tomorrow's make or break game against Colchester looks like the latter.

It's been a funny week in the rarely boring recent history of Walsall football club. The first team coach sacked, the player coach resigned to concentrate on playing and the Manager left isolated with only a sports scientist and a physio for company as he plans taking on a team from the top of the table in a game that will, more than likely, decide his own immediate future.

It's difficult not to feel sorry for Paul Merson as he contemplates the shambles this week has turned into, but at least some of it is his own fault. He was always taking a big risk and leaving himself open to criticism the moment he decided not to bring in an experienced coach or assistant manager and that decision has certainly backfired on him as Walsall have slipped further down the league table and into the relegation zone.

Paul is a very nice man, but nice guys do not necessarily come first in what is a completely results driven industry and, while he was developing his "nasty" streak, he could have done with someone to take some of that burden off him, as well as someone with a little more tactical astuteness.

Whatever the circumstances, he now goes into tomorrow’s game probably with his job on the line and depending totally on his own resources.

So what does he do? Well, he has a fully fit squad to choose from, with the exception of Paston, who has been "carrying an injury" for a while, but this week's signing of Murphy on loan will more than adequately cover that.

Hints were dropped after last week's defeat at Huddersfield that there would be a return of the old guard for the Colchester game, in an attempt to halt the alarming slide. Merson himself, with no coach on the bench, I expect will not play, but will be among the subs.

Merson always seems reluctant to play Fryatt after an International, so Birch's goals for the reserves in the week may see a recall for him.

I'll stick my neck out and say I would expect a 4 4 2 line up, something along the lines of:

Murphy, Bazeley, Roper, Bennett, Aranalde, Taylor D, Osborn, Kinsella, Wrack, Leitao, Birch. Subs: Paston, Emblen, Merson, Fryatt, Standing or Broad.

Admittedly, Broad, Standing, Osborn and Kinsella seem to be somewhat interchangeable in Merson's eyes, but I think Kinsella might get the nod against the team where he started his league career.

The other thing which may influence selection is the possibility of another loan signing arriving before the 1.00 o'clock deadline, as Merson is believed to have been looking for more than one.

As for Colchester, they are well up in the table (fourth at the start of play), but their away record is not the best, having only won two of their last six. They do not have any injury worries.

Normally, I'd say this looks like a narrow home win, especially with the disruption to Colchester’s preparations caused by the 1.00 kick off time, but it's difficult to gauge how much the players may have been effected by the goings on this week. Certainly the spirit in the squad seems to be good, as, despite the recent bad run, heads have not dropped. One thing that can be said is that both players and fans have their chance to give the team and Merson some encouragement and backing, no matter what the next few days may bring.