Walsall welcome back Wracky

It was perhaps the loudest cheer at Bescot for a subsitution for quiet a while, and Darren admitted at been quiet touched by the support shown as he came on for 37 minutes against Swansea. Of course as we all now the loudest cheer was also for Wracky when he poached the 91st minute equaliser against the Swans to send it into extra time.

So what can we expect from Darren this season?

Well there seems to be mixed feelings about the contribution Darren will make. Some are concerned about the lenght of time it will take for Darren to regain match fitness and the all important match sharpness that will be required in league two. Well of cause on Tuesday he was very ring rusty, but that is sure to get better with games. His movement and runs beyond the forwards was excellent it was only his lack of sharpness which prevent real goal scoring chances.

Others seem to point to the lack of motivation and form Darren was showing prior to the injury and wonder if he will recapture earlier form. Well to answer that he wasn’t the only player to suffer from a lack of form following relelgation under Merson. Dickie Dosh is a different prospect and if anyone can get the best out of 30 year old Darren he will.

Darren has experience and has performed well at Championship level, in those days he has been saddlers man of the match. He did not just make up the numbers. Despite suffering fom been played out of his natural positions by Merson, Wracky does have a versitility which will be useful to the team. Also if or should I say when he returns to form he will be a top performer at this level, albeit in a wide right role, or just behind the main striker a position he created a lot of chances for others during our championship season. So whilst saddly it maybe true to say at the age of thirty and after such an injury Darren may not reach the heights of the past, there is no doubt that his return will be a major positive to Dickie and the Saddlers.