Matt Richards raises Walsall stakes
Walsall midfielder Matt Richards has raised the stakes and claimed anything less than the play-offs next season would be a failure for the club.
Walsall midfielder Matt Richards has raised the stakes and claimed anything less than the play-offs next season would be a failure for the club.
A promotion push is the 25-year-old's minimum expectation after the Saddlers finished 10th in League One last term.
Richards insists the squad will be good enough to compete – despite uncertainty surrounding the eight players who have yet to sign contracts.
And the former Ipswich man reckons last season's experience should help them compete for the top six.
He said: "This year we are more prepared and I fully expect us to be higher than we were last year and compete for those play-off places.
"I thought we could maybe have pushed on a little bit more last season and been there or thereabouts for the play-offs.
"But there's teams coming down from the Championship who are very strong – Sheffield Wednesday are a massive, massive club.
"So it's still going to be very tough."
Richards is one of the lucky five senior players to have a deal for next season and is waiting on the likes of captain Mark Hughes and Julian Gray to commit their futures.
But the midfielder hasn't spoken to his team-mates about their options despite seeing them at maintenance training last week.
He said: "We let each other get on with it. Everyone has decisions but hopefully everyone will sign else we might be playing six-a-side next year!
"I think with the players that have been offered contracts, the squad will still be strong and I think we can compete even more next year.
"It was a young squad last year with a few experienced players mixed in so the more experience the younger players get, the more it is going to come together and they will be more prepared for the season coming up."
Richards won over a sceptical section of support after impressive displays in midfield with Richard Taundry late last season and is already eyeing a central berth next year.
He said: "I probably prefer to play in the middle – that's where the ball goes most of the time and wherever the ball goes, that's where I want to play. But I'm happy to play anywhere.
"At the end of the season I really enjoyed playing in the middle with Richard Taundry and I thought we linked up very well."
