Boss is confident in scouting network

Walsall boss Chris Hutchings is backing his club's scouting network to come up with the goods in this vital summer for the Saddlers.

The manager will get his best opportunity to date - budget permitting - to reshape the League One outfit during this close season.

But the club will have to muddle on after a season which brought the departure of Mick Halsall, a long-standing key figure in the Saddlers scouting network.

Hutchings, though, believes the club's never-ending gathering of 'intel' will serve him well scouring the list of released players and potential loan targets from the more youthful end of the market.

He said: "The scouting is always on going. You could have list of right backs or centre forwards, sometimes it jogs your memory and you think 'he wasn't bad' so then you add him to the list.

"You might have a list of 10 players, but then get down to the ninth because the other have been taken. They will all be doing the same thing, players leave their options open.

"Players leave things until the last minute to get themselves sorted out."

Although adding experience is a core aim for Hutchings this summer, it does not rule out adding more youth to the tanks.

He said: "We do our homework - that's why we're constantly out during the week watching Birmingham, West Brom, Villa, Wolves or Stoke reserve games.

"We're out here, someone covers London and Dave Hamilton does the North and North East area.

"We know about a lot of young players as well of experienced ones, but experience is going to cost you more money."