Walsall boss wants stability for stars

Walsall boss Dean Smith has vowed to end the Saddlers' end-of-season contract scramble.

The manager wants more stability at the Banks's Stadium and will try to tie down his stars before the end of next term.

The club have traditionally waited until May to offer new deals – although they agreed a two-year extension with former striker Troy Deeney in September 2009 – which left a huge summer turnover.

But Smith will move to end the uncertainty and insisted he will offer early contracts - if players deserve them.

He said: "The way I see it is, if players are doing well on a one-year contract come Christmas, then you can sort out a deal for them – there's not a problem with that.

"The way football is now with the big turnaround in players at every club, not just ours it is every club now, I think short term deals are the way it is going.

"But if I think a player is worth a two-year deal I will give it to him."

Smith has signed Ryan Jarvis, Claude Gnakpa, Kevan Hurst and Mat Sadler on 12-month terms, without the option to extend this summer but insisted it will benefit the club.

The Saddlers boss said: "I don't mind one-year deals because I think it makes players hungrier. You've seen it before where players get three-year contracts and go off the boil for a little bit.

"The new players I am bringing in, I have done all my checks on them. I cannot see into the future yet so I don't know how they are going to perform but hopefully they will come in and do really well.

"That's what I want and, hopefully, I will be offering a few more contracts come Christmas."