For all those who suffered through Walsall's hangover at Bescot on Boxing Day against Tranmere Rovers, it must seem hard to believe that the Saddlers are in a positive moood at the moment.
Thanks primarily to a home sequence which has seen only two goals conceded in three months at Bescot, Paul Merson's men have now been beaten just once in their last eight games.
It is a decent record to take with them to Valley Parade for tonight's meeting with mid-table rivals Bradford City. In terms of the greater attacking flair needed to break down negative teams like Tranmere, help may be just around the corner.
Not only does Merson have young firebrand Ishmel Demontagnac available again after suspension, but the Walsall player-manager could also soon be in a position to lace up his own boots.
After a long absence with an Achilles problem, the much-missed Merson could be ready to play in Saturday's home game with Blackpool but it is tonight's trip to Yorkshire that is the most immediate concern.
While it would be a surprise if Merson allowed himself to do anything other than sit on the bench tonight, it would be an even bigger one if Demontagnac is not in the starting line-up, given the Saddlers' lack of attacking spark against Tranmere.
If picked, though, the teenager will take to the park only after many words of warning from Walsall's management team as to how best to control his temper.
It was not so much the way Demontagnac lost his temper with Nottingham Forest's Nicky Southall at the City Ground earlier this month, of more concern was the way he then turned on two of his own backroom team, Mick Halsall and Mark Kinsella, with a volley of words.
The three-match ban he was handed for violent conduct has now been served and Merson is instead looking to him to create a few more of theheadlines that came Demontagnac's way when he made such an exciting first-team breakthrough three months ago.
In terms of receiving a valuable footballing lesson in how to survive, Demontagnac can learn a lot tonight from Bradford's front two. Steve Claridge and Dean Windass are the most experienced pair of strikers in the Football League.
Claridge, who turns 40 in April, is expected to return after being on the bench for the 2-1 Boxing Day defeat at Oldham, as Bradford aim to avoid a fourth straight loss.
As for 12th-placed Walsall, just two rungs and two points above Bradford in the League One table, Merson sees tonight as the chance to get his team's Christmas points target back on schedule.
Merson revealed that he was looking for a return of eight or nine points from the Saddlers' four games over the festive period to sniff at the heels of the teams in the play-off pack.
Monday's two dropped points leave them needing to win tonight, or at Bristol City on Monday, to stand any chance of maintaining that plan.
