Matt Gill has urged his new Walsall team-mates to forget route one and pass their way out of danger.

The Norwich loanee is primed to make his home bow tonight after penning a month’s loan on Friday and has immediately bought into manager Dean Smith’s methods.

Gill impressed on his debut, Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Exeter, where the League One basement boys left empty-handed despite dominating for long spells.

The Saddlers are winless in 2011 with Smith still searching for his first victory since succeeding Chris Hutchings four games ago.

But Gill insisted if the Saddlers continue their passing philosophy they can escape the League One drop.

He said: “It’s not a dogfight, where we’re hitting it route one, we’re playing some good football.

“It’s one or two lapses in concentration which are costing us. The lads played some really good stuff and created a lot on Saturday.

“Normally when you play in struggling teams you don’t create much but that’s not the case here.

“The lads are really behind the gaffer and that’s the main thing, everyone is pulling in the same direction and wants the same thing.

“As a manager you don’t worry too much if you’re creating chances all the time.”

Gill has arrived from the Premier League chasing Canaries, who are third in the Championship, to add steel to the Saddlers’ engine room.

And the 30-year-old is also ready to bring the feel-good factor he has experienced at Carrow Road this term.

He said: “I would like to think I’ve got a very positive mentality.

“That’s what’s helped me at Norwich, the gaffer Paul Lambert likes to be surrounded with positive people and I’m sure Dean does as well. I am going to be as positive as I can and everyone just needs to enjoy the football.

“Everyone is backing the gaffer and him and his assistant Jon Whitney have been very positive – that’s what the lads here have been taking into every game.

“It gives us a platform to go on and play well and I’m sure the results will come.”

Just four wins in their last 26 games make sorry reading for the Saddlers but Oldham boss Paul Dickov, who has taken his side to eighth in League One, is wary of the basement boys.

He said: “It will be a difficult game, regardless of their league position. They went down to Exeter and lost 2-1 but, from the reports I’ve had, it seems they put in a good performance.

“What we have to do is show the same mentality we have done in the last two games. If we get that, we believe we have players in the team who will create chances.

“We know it will be a hard game and we have to go into every match 100 per cent focused.

“I will make sure they do that, because it will be a tough, tough place to go to.”