Walsall boss is focused on the future
Wednesday 27th April 2011, 9:02AM BST.
Walsall manager Dean Smith has told the Saddlers to forget their Easter woes and focus on the future.
Smith’s men tossed away the lead against Sheffield Wednesday and Oldham to pick up just two points over the weekend to leave their survival hopes in the balance.
The 1-1 draws allowed them to escape the League One relegation zone, but they sit just a point ahead of fourth-bottom Dagenham & Redbridge.
Now, ahead of Saturday’s visit of Charlton, Smith has moved to lift the Saddlers’ spirits – which were hit after Jason Lowe’s 88th minute leveller denied them a win at Oldham on Monday.
The manager said: “You have to forget about it, it’s gone and there’s nothing you can do. My concentration is now on the Charlton game.
“They’ve done really well and are a tough team to play against but we’ve got a team who work hard and their teamwork cannot be underestimated.
“I would have taken our current position. I was talking to my No 2 Jon Whitney and it seems a long time ago that we were talking to each other in the dugout at Tranmere when we were 3-1 down with six minutes to go.
“It shows how far the team have come. We’re disappointed we’re not three points from the drop zone but we’re one point and we’ll take it. It’s a massive boost we’re out of there and we need to concentrate.
“It’s there for someone to stand up and be counted and make themselves a hero. They can do that if they get the goal to keep us up.
“They will be trying to because they’ve got that work ethic in them.”
The Saddlers boss admitted he had to pick his players up after the Boundary Park draw but insisted they gave their all.
He said: “The boys were disappointed after Monday and you could see that in the dressing room because they were so close. They’ve given me everything and I can’t ask for any more.
“It’ll be a big game on Saturday and we’ve got to continue with the mindset we need to win each game.”
UK Sport
Latest Blog — A week is a long time in football
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