Confidence back for Walsall manager
Walsall manager Chris Hutchings has insisted his players have repaired their shattered confidence - despite slipping back into the drop zone.
Walsall manager Chris Hutchings has insisted his players have repaired their shattered confidence - despite slipping back into the drop zone.
A battling 1-1 draw at Dagenham and Redbridge on Saturday failed to stop the Saddlers being sucked back to 22nd in League One, after other results went against them.
Players admitted their confidence took a battering following an eight-game winless streak, but they have now lost just one of their last four outings and Hutchings reckons they have rediscovered their belief.
He said: "The win last week was a big thing. We have good players and they've got to take confidence from the results we're getting.
"They have a belief, an attitude and desire to go and play and work hard. You always want to pick up points on your travels so let's take the positives out of it and move on to the next one.
"We know we had defeats prior to it but we're looking forward now."
But Hutchings was disappointed with the Saddlers' first-half display which saw Darren Currie head Dagenham in front, before Martin Devaney's 50th-minute leveller.
He said: "You've got to come out of the blocks, it doesn't matter who you play.
"You could have all the ability in the world but if you don't have a hunger or desire to put that ability on show it will stay in the dressing room.
"You have got to have that and we challenged the players at half-time to come out and show what they're made of.
"It was no shock to us how Dagenham played and we had to deal with it, but when we got the ball we were a little bit static and didn't put them on the back foot."
Devaney's strike was his first since November 2009 but Hutchings played it cool despite the Barnsley loanee's electric start to his Walsall career.
The manager said: "It's just the second week, let's see how things go. We've got him here for another couple of games so let's hope we keep getting results.
"He's a good player, he's got quality and I was pleased he scored because last week he was excellent and put in a good shift."
