Paul Williams watched a post Stuart Gray Saints play Ipswich and still wanted to sign for us. Of course, the fact that he had been released from Coventry and it was a chance for Premiership footy might have had something to do with it. But even so, it wasn't a nice sight and would have put plenty of others off.
Still, with the faith of the manager, and the sound of tactically naive fans slapping their foreheads in confusion, he came in to replace Dean Richards.
Yes, you may well ask who this Dean fellow is, but at the time it was just one more issue we had to moan about.
Strachan's ability to turn the team around is due in no small part to the two Pauls, Williams and Telfer. Williams settled in immediately, and put in one solid performance after another. A solid defence is at the heart of any successful side, and Williams was a key part of that.
He knew that he was a stop gap measure, but he must have been disappointed to get knocked down the order when Michael Svensson arrived. No chance of Svensson working his way into the team there. One minute Williams was first choice, the next he's trying to find the reserve grounds on an AA map.
After a season where the signings of Higginbotham and Hall have pushed him into obscurity, it was time to go off to pastures new.
"It is a wrench to leave because I have really enjoyed my time here." said Williams racing off down the road to first team action.
"I am grateful to the manager and the chairman for all their support and to the fans for the way they welcomed me.
"At this stage of my career I need first-team football and that was the main reason for moving."
Now, with a year left on his contract, Paul could take his choice from any offer that came along. He's a decent player and would do well for loads of clubs. Saints, being Premiership meanies, wouldn't have clouded his judgment with excessive wages either.
Unfortunately, in keeping his options open he's stood up one of the clubs.
No sooner had Paul signed for up and coming Stoke City, than a tearful Walsall boss was on the phone to his girlfriends.
Choking back the sobs, Colin Lee ranted on about being stood up by his dream date.
"What really angers me is that it was Paul Williams who phoned me at the end of last season to ask if he could come to Walsall," sniffed Lee.
"I have kept a position open for him for four months since then," which sounds rather sore. But despite Lee's gymnastic qualities, Williams clearly wasn't impressed.
Perhaps he found out that Lee had been speaking to his ex. "I cleared the way with Gordon Strachan at Southampton to speak to him," said an unrepentant and confused Lee ,"only to discover that he has sneaked off behind my back and signed for Stoke."
With one final stab at playing the victim card and laying the way for a appearance on day time TV, Lee said: "It's clear to me Paul Williams has used me and Walsall FC to get himself out of Southampton and engineer another transfer.
"I know he may well have had a better financial offer from Stoke and all I would have asked of him would have been one chance to try to sell him Walsall. Had he then said 'no' I would have accepted the decision."
"But I am still waiting for two promised phone calls from Paul Williams that have never materialised."
"He promised to call to bring me up to date. I have no time for players who do not have the courtesy to let you know what they are doing."
That's right Colin. Make sure that you try and convince people that you've no time for the person that dumped you. I'm sure that will work.
Tsk. Depending on someone in football to honour their intentions. Well reader, hopefully Colin will have learned a useful lesson for when he grows up. Who knows, one day he might be involved in football himself.