Spa dip lifts the Saddlers' spirits

Matt Gill today revealed Walsall's Jacuzzi dip has lifted the Saddlers out of hot water.

The team spent Thursday at Champneys spa ahead of their 6-1 mauling of Bristol Rovers on Saturday as they moved off the bottom of League One.

It was the brainchild of boss Dean Smith as he looked to give his men a break from the mental and physical strain of a relegation fight.

And Gill, who scored his first Walsall goal in the rout, admitted the break was key to revitalising the Saddlers.

"It was a bit weird seeing all the lads wandering around in flip-flops and white dressing gowns," said the Norwich loanee.

"It seems to have worked though. The lads have mentioned already that perhaps we should go every Thursday.

"You can just train for the sake of it sometimes. The manager took time out and had a look at it and thought 'yeah, let's give the boys a break' and it changes things around. If you're in the same routine all the time it could get a bit monotonous.

"We had use of the gym, the pool and the Jacuzzi. I didn't have a facial but my nails aren't bad!"

The midfielder bagged the second after Andy Butler's opener on Saturday and paid tribute to Smith, who brought him in from the Carrow Road wilderness.

"He's been brilliant since I've been here, I've only got positive things to say about the gaffer. He's been first class," he said.

"The manager realised we'd had a lot of games recently so we had a bit of an off-load day with no training at the spa. It was a good day, a bit of laughing and joking."

And Smith is now braced for a request from his relaxed squad to return to the spa ahead of Wednesday's trip to Notts County.

He said: "We had a day on Thursday just to lay off the legs. It was a hard game on Tuesday (a 1-1 draw against Oldham) and the training ground was a bit muddy so the chief executive gave me the funds to go to the spa and we got the result.

"The lads are asking for it again unfortunately now - I'm not sure I've got the funds to do it."