Jon Whitney: Work with individuals important

Jon Whitney has stressed the importance of man-management as he closes in on being named permanent Walsall boss.

The 45-year-old won nine out of 13 league games after being appointed interim head coach following the sacking of Sean O'Driscoll back in March.

Whitney guided the Saddlers to a third-placed finish in League One but was unable to follow it up with promotion after defeat to Barnsley in the play-off semi-final.

[tweet id="735757834281844736"]

His impressive overall record though is expected to see him named permanent manager in the coming days.

But while Whitney accepts the importance of tactics and formations, he believes understanding how to get the best out of each individual player the most important thing for any manager.

"It's not always about managing a team or a squad, it's about managing players individually," he said.

"What we have to try and do on the psychology side of the game is get the players – no matter the situation – to do what they do best.

"Anyone in any line of business will tell you it can be hard managing people.

"But you have to get people to open up so you can help them.

"You have to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are so you can get the very best out of them."

Whitney, who is known for his energy and enthusiasm, played under characters such as Neil Warnock and John Beck in his playing days.

And the former physio revealed Warnock had a unique way to making sure he was game ready.

"Neil Warnock used to get me and put me in a room with his sheepdog two minutes before every game to calm me down," he said.

"Because, if he didn't, he was worried I'd come out in the first minute, snap somebody in half and get sent off.

"He realised that I was too motivated, so he used to put me in a room by myself and let me out when the team went out."