By Mister Happy
February 22 2004

Whilst the Gunners are trying their utmost to go through the entire season unbeaten, Walsall appear to be trying their best to go through 2004 without a victory.

Indeed, recent throw aways against Crewe, Forest and Watford do nothing to counter this statement.

As the current crisis deepens so the volume of Colin Lee’s doubters increases. There are still those however that continue to support the manager irrespective of what happens on the field of play. The pro-Lee campaigners subject us all to claims that we have never had it so good. Really?.... Inevitably the most pathetic throw away line is then launched from the pro-Lee camp taking the assumption that the antagonists preferred life in divisions 2 and 3.

Of course no-one in their right mind would prefer to watch Walsall struggle in the lower reaches of the football league. Of course no one in their right mind would prefer visits to Luton and Tranmere instead of The Hawthawns (pictured) or Upton Park.

 Or would they?

There is no doubting that visits to Blackpool and Chesterfield had a certain charm. Maybe it wasn’t the allure of Bloomfield Road or Saltergate that made the trips enjoyable but the football that was played there. And there is a big difference between the good old days and what we are currently witnessing.

In our current lofty position in the upper echelons of the football league there is no doubting that we have on paper the most gifted squad ever seen assembled at Bescot. Unfortunately, these so called gifted players are the ones that are past their sell by date. These players already have the T-shirts, have been there and done that. Their footballing careers are effectively over and as a result their priorities in life have changed. It doesn’t really matter to these so called stars whether Walsall win or not. More pressing for these people is what their futures hold, how their investments or future plans are mapping out.

This reflects, to some degree, to what we witness on a Saturday afternoon. Currently we are being subjected to performances lacking in cohesion, a lack of fight and players displaying ever decreasing morale when their ageing limbs won’t do what they used to. As a result performances on the pitch are getting worse and fans patience is being stretched to the limit. Unfortunately this ever decreasing circle can only lead to the break up of the team and ultimately relegation.

With the so called big names at the club becoming increasingly disillusioned this then transfers to the other players at the club and effectively the team fails to exist as a team. They are merely a collection of bodies that are instructed to go out onto the pitch who then can’t wait for the final whistle so they can take sanctuary in the dressing room. This is not a healthy position for any football club to be in.

On the other hand, in the second division we had or hopefully will have (should we get relegated) a team of up and coming players with a few older heads to guide them. We would no longer have our hopes and expectations pinned on the shoulders of has beens. Instead we would see the youngsters giving it their all for Walsall FC in order to try and prove themselves in the football world. We would see an energy and a determination that has been sadly lacking this year.

So, in response to the question as to whether I would prefer it if we were in the second division?

 Well, there are certain advantages.