Sam Mantom: Walsall need to be firing

Midfielder Sam Mantom has warned Walsall they need to be more ruthless in front of goal.

The 23-year-old, who missed the vast majority of the last campaign with a knee injury, is now fully fit and raring to go after a gruelling summer fitness programme.

Mantom is expected to add creativity and goals to a Saddlers side who scored only 50 times in League One last season.

He said: "We want to be taking the game to teams, putting them on the back foot and stamping our authority early.

"The manager wants us playing attacking football, he wants us keeping the ball, passing and moving and being brave in the final third.

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"We are team that wants to play the right way and if we play like we know we can the goals will come easily.

"I really don't know why we struggled last season, maybe it was a bit of inexperience, maybe a few nerves caused a lack of composure.

"But that won't be an issue this season. I'm very confident we will score a lot more."

Mantom, who was Player of the Season in 2013-14 season, knows Saddlers fans are expecting him to play a key role in increasing the team's attacking threat.

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But he isn't letting any supporter expectation put him under pressure, saying: "I know that, when I'm in top form, and I can score and create.

"It was massively disappointing to miss so much of last season, especially as we weren't scoring enough goals. I was sat on the sidelines and couldn't do anything about it.

"We did find goals hard to come by but we've got a different mentality this season. Players are a little bit older and wiser and there is confidence about the group."