Walsall Head Coach Matt Taylor is looking forward to returning to the Banks’s Stadium after two away trips and is eyeing an improved performance over 90 minutes when his side face Exeter City.
The Saddlers will be looking to pick up their first victory over 2022 on Saturday and bounce back from last weekend’s defeat to Mansfield Town.
Taylor is hoping his team can take their opportunities when they arise and improve on recent performances.
Despite recent results the players have been in good spirits in training this week but the Saddlers Head Coach stressed the importance of taking that out onto the pitch.
“While training has been good this week and while the process has been followed, what’s most important is the performance on Saturday,” Taylor said.
“Yes, the training has been good, I’ve been really impressed with the intensity levels that the players have shown but I’m more interested making sure that we get a performance from the team on Saturday.
“When I say a performance, I mean a performance for 95 minutes, the errors that we make - we get better at having less of those and when we get the opportunity to score, which we always do, we’re better at that as well.
“The players are buoyant and in good spirits at the moment which is imperative because it’s then taken out on the training pitch.
"We’re most definitely pleased to be back at home in front of our fans and we know that if we perform well and we put a performance together for the period of the game, that we win matches and that’s what we’re going to have to do on Saturday.”
There will be two Matt Taylor’s in the dugouts this weekend as the Saddlers chief and Exeter boss both share the same name.
Walsall’s Taylor believes his team will need to show the same character they displayed down at St James’ Park back in October, where they earned a 2-2 draw and expecting to face a good, physical outfit.
“They’re a very strong team with an experienced manager,” he commented.
“He’s now led his team to nearly where he wants them to be so he understands exactly what is required to be successful in this league.
“They’re a strong physical team, they have good attacking options and good threats.
“Of course we feel if we can execute our game plan correctly, that we’ve got an opportunity to win the game.
“It’s going to be a difficult game. Earlier in the season when we played them, we showed huge character that day and we’re going to need to do that again because it’s going to be a tough afternoon for us but my challenge is we want to make it as difficult for Exeter as well.”
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