Walsall Head Coach Brian Dutton says his team will be looking to lay down a marker when they take on Bradford City at the Banks’s Stadium tomorrow afternoon.
Dutton will be aiming to pick up his first win in charge of the Saddlers against the in-form Bantams who have lost just one of their last 12 league games.
The Saddlers boss insists his team will be looking to get on the front foot but is expecting a very strong Bradford side to arrive in the West Midlands.
“I’m expecting the best team in the league currently coming to town,” Dutton said.
“What better game to put our marker down and say this is what Walsall Football Club is about and what we want to become, bring on the best.
“We won’t be taking a back foot; we’ll be meeting the challenge head on to try and get three points.”
The Saddlers have been trying to implement a passing style under Dutton as he looks to put his stamp on the team.
As well as developing the team from an attacking sense, Dutton admitted his side haven’t kept enough clean sheets this season and is looking for improvement defensively.
“It’s not all attacking, it’s the defensive side of the game as well,” he commented.
We need to be better at keeping that door shut, we haven’t got enough clean sheets this season. The set piece record defensively has been top draw, I think we’re the best in the league at defending set plays, it’s the open play that’s hurting us.
“We need to improve our defensive aspect of the game rapidly as well as the offensive side of it. We want to make it difficult for Bradford and nullify their threats, which they’ve got in abundance but we also want to be positive on the front foot and causing them issues.”