Walsall Head Coach Mat Sadler stressed his squad are united and determined to lay down a marker as they aim to get back on track after a frustrating run of results.
The Saddlers are back in league action on Saturday with a trip to Notts County.
Sadler has called on everyone to stick together and is focused on how his team will look to make their mark on what is a tricky encounter against Luke Williams’ high-flyers.
“They’re a good team,” Sadler said.
“They’ve got some fantastic players, the manager’s doing brilliant stuff with them and they’re doing great this season but the focus is for us to go into the next game and really start putting some markers down about who we are and what we do and there’s a fantastic opportunity in the next game to do so.
“There’s points that we’ve left behind in certain games and there’s been occasions where we haven’t quite got the result that we’ve deserved off the performance and as a coach it’s frustrating, I get the frustrations that everyone is harbouring over that we haven’t quite got the results that we’ve deserved.
“Let me tell you about the group, they’re an extremely united group and they’re desperate to do well and for me it’s a bit of a rallying call for that togetherness through some of the tough times because there are tough times and we’ve had to feel some pain along the journey but for me the togetherness of the group and everyone at the football club can only be positive to help us get the results that we all want so that’s my call to it - together with it, all fighting in the same direction with it.
“There are over 800 supporters coming our way on Saturday. Trust me, their voices loud and proud egging on the team will help towards the result, undoubtedly, so that’s the message from me, that togetherness that we’ve got at the football club.
“We’re all desperate for results but we’re building and we’re building the football club forwards and that’s the message. Let’s get behind each other, let’s get behind the lads because they’ll earn it and they’ll continue to earn it.”
The Saddlers were boosted by Jack Earing’s long awaited return from an ACL injury against Alfreton Town on Tuesday night.
Danny Johnson and Owen Evans were both missing in midweek and Sadler provided the latest update on the duo as well as the longer term absentees.
“Danny and Evo - they’re close, very close,” he stated.
“We’re working really hard to get them out there, the medical team are working really hard. We’ll have to assess it for the weekend with the pair of them but both are very close so fingers crossed it won’t be too long with either of them.
“The longer term ones – Rem (Oteh) and (Joe) Riley, they’re working really hard to get back into it. It’s great to see Joe’s knee brace is off and Rem’s brace is off so they’re stepping it up in the treatment room.
“It’s worth noting about Jack Earing as well playing in the first team for the first time for a long time and we made sure we spoke about that as a group because the work he’s been doing to get back has been inspirational and he’s worked so hard.
“I know he mentioned the S&C Coach, Callum (Reeves) the other day and it’s right that he does, same with Obed (Attah) because the guys have worked so hard but they can only work so hard with him if the attitude of the player is spot on and Jack’s has been incredible so we look forward to starting to see the best of him in the coming weeks and months as the newness of being back out there goes away and the real routine of performing, getting himself up for the next game comes to the fore. The injury room is getting smaller and we keep moving.”
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