Video: Lessons learned from Walsall loss
Boss Jon Whitney believes there were some valuable lessons to be learned from Walsall's friendly defeat against Derby County.
Goals from Darren Bent and Tom Ince saw the Championship side run out comfortable 2-0 winners at the Banks's Stadium on Saturday.
Walsall had their moments, with the lively Erhun Oztumer and youngster Maziar Kouhyar testing goalkeeper Lee Grant.
But it was the Rams who dominated possession with a team packed with players who have Premier League experience.
Whitney said: "I was a bit frustrated with the performance – but that is just the way we are as a staff and as a group.
"But you have to take a step back and look at the positives. Derby are a good unit. I told the players to reflect – go home, look at your performance but don't over-analyse.
"The two goals we conceded, I could see our shape wasn't quite right. Against Birmingham it was excellent but against Derby we looked a little bit disjointed.
"In the first half our distances were not quite right. If we are going to be a really high, physical pressing team – we have to get those distances right.
"We can see where we could have done better to stop them having so much play."
One of big pluses for Whitney was the performance of second-year scholar Callum Cockerill-Mollett, who was handed his first Walsall start.
The Saddlers chief added: "Callum got 90 minutes at left-back, because I wanted to see what he was like starting a game.
"I was really pleased with him. I thought he was a bit nervous the first 20 minutes but it was a true test for him."
