Blues didn’t really get going until the last twenty minutes bolstered by some ‘first choice’ substitutes plus the old warhorse that is the Juke. The stats show that we had 80% of possession but too much of that was passing between the back four and keeper, giving Walsall ample time to organise themselves behind the ball.

One can’t knock Chris Davies’ tactic of keeping possession if we are sharper in the final third but this wasn’t the case. I never thought I would be saying this but we missed the injured Ethan Laird because although his final delivery is inconsistent, at least he goes at players, while Blues continued to think that they could just pass their way around a determined and well-organised opposition.

At the back, Blues badly missed the coolness of Krystian Bielik plus the pace and surging runs of Alex Cochrane and the difference could clearly be seen when they came on. Blues’ keeper Ryan Allsop also looked nervy, punching rather than catching and despite a couple of recent gaffes, it will be good to see Bailey Peacock-Farrell back between the sticks.

Similarly in midfield, the talents of Paik Seung-ho were sorely missed and until Emil Hansson came on, we lacked directness while Ayumu Yokoyama for the first time disappointed. Saturday’s goalscoring winger Scott Wright too often cut inside to pass and never seemed to have the confidence to take the opposition on by running at them.

Equally, up front Alfie May and Jay Stansfield showed that as an effective partnership they are work in progress. May flitted around but apart from a couple of tame and hopeful shots never really threatened and though his partner Stansfield was denied by a brilliant save from the opposition keeper, he wasn’t fed quickly enough or accurately enough as Blues final ball was too often wildly inaccurate.