Jon Whitney: Don't panic, Walsall are still in it

Boss Jon Whitney has told supporters not to panic after Walsall slipped to back-to-back defeats for the first time in more than a year.

The Saddlers make the long trip to promotion rivals Gillingham tomorrow having lost at Oldham on Saturday and at Sheffield United in their previous League One fixture.

Those results meant Walsall lost back-to-back fixtures in the league for the first time since February 2015 with the defeats seeing them drop to sixth in the table.

But a win at Priestfield Stadium tomorrow will move Whitney's side back up to third, with the interim boss insisting belief in the camp remains high.

"We have got seven games to go and of course at different times of the season attitudes and emotions change," he said. "Some people are panicking but we are in a great position to kick on.

"The result against Oldham makes things a little bit more difficult.

"But we now need to pick up points tomorrow to really put pressure on Burton.

"A result against Oldham would have been great because we would then travel to Gillingham with a bit more confidence and a bit more momentum. The lads were disappointed but their heads weren't too down because at times we performed really well.

"They had one shot on goal, we got hit by a sucker punch but sometimes in football you get kicked in the teeth. But we are looking up. We are not going to catastrophize. We are staying positive."

Whitney utilised a new 4-3-3 formation against the Latics with the system giving the likes of Romaine Sawyers, Jordy Hiwula and Anthony Forde licence to roam around the pitch.

And the interim boss felt there were many good things to come out of the game.

"When I played I worked off a back four and I know how to coach from a back four," he said. "I know we have got the players to play that system and the important thing now is to make sure we are solid at the back."

Meanwhile, Whitney confirmed Tom Bradshaw (groin) and James O'Connor (calf) will be assessed today ahead of the trip to take on Justin Edinburgh's Gills.