Walsall boss laments defending
Walsall manager Chris Hutchings has urged the learners in his team to become more streetwise after branding their defending 'comical.'
The Saddlers slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Millwall on Saturday, despite taking the lead through Manny Smith's first senior goal.
Steve Morison's second-half brace sank the visitors and Hutchings reckons his young team need to learn from their mistakes.
He said: "We learned a harsh lesson and the defending for the second goal was comical, to be honest. We had to defend for quite a period of time and looked a little bit shaky. For the last goal we were trying to push up and play offside and we don't do that.
"You try to learn from mistakes. If you keep making them someone else will get an opportunity.
"Netan Sansara is 20, Manny Smith is 22 and they haven't played a lot of first-team football. Mark Hughes is only 23 and relatively young and they have got to learn, that's what it's all about. They need to learn quickly."
Defeat left the Saddlers 10th in League One, but Hutchings insists they are still well placed to keep in touch with the leading pack.
He said: "We knew before we got into the position we're in that it is all about consistency.
"We are going to have blips along the way, but there is a long, long way to go. There's a few clubs that would like to be in the position we are in, but there's a few whose position we would like to be in."
Darren Byfield missed a glorious first-half chance to put the Saddlers 2-0 up which would have all but killed off the Lions.
But the boss was more disappointed at his side's inability to keep the ball which led to the hosts dominating the second-half.
He said: "Millwall retained the ball better than us, let's not kid ourselves. I don't think we put five or six passes together. It was a bit like a hot potato at times."
