Walsall blogger Mark Jones analyses the start of a new era for new manager Chris Hutchings ahead of the trip to Swindon.

I suppose it could have been a lot worse. A 1-1 home draw with Hereford is probably about as inauspicious a start as the Chris Hutchings era could have had.

At least we were spared the humiliation of being the first ever Walsall team to lose to a side managed by Graham Turner.

No realistic fan – and most of us Saddlers have realism ingrained into us from an early age – should be expecting a massive turnaround in our fortunes just yet.

As I may have mentioned once or twice, the problems within the squad didn’t depart with previous management team Jimmy Mullen and John Schofield.

This is highlighted by us having every experienced outfield player on the treatment table at the moment, just as we are about to embark on a run of what seems to be about 17 games in the next month or so.

So on Saturday, I was doing what everyone should be doing over the next few weeks, looking for little signs of changes, things being done differently and – dare I say it – improvements. There’s nothing actually wrong with a mid-table finish, as long as it is a platform for something better.

Seeing us line up 4-4-2 with a genuine wide man and players going out in more or less their best positions was a start. I don’t think it was a coincidence that our goal was a neat finish from Troy Deeney – playing up front – getting on the end of a Sofiene Zaaboub – remember him? – cross, either.

OK so Hereford had chances, for what it’s worth I thought they played like a team who know they’re in a relegation scrap. on another day a better team like Leeds or Leicester would punish us.

But on another day Deeney’s shot goes in instead of hitting the post, the referee doesn’t give that penalty or someone like Michael Ricketts might have buried Taundry’s fine cross late on. Actually who cares how the three points are won?

I’m fairly sure that Hutchings and assistant Martin O’Connor aren’t about to get carried away early on, they will know there’s a shed load of work to be done, but they will want to get that first win pretty soon. Swindon away would be nice.

But  it could really have been a lot worse, Ian Atkins or Keith Downing could have been sat in the home dugout.