Batches of five games the plan for Walsall
Defender Jason Demetriou revealed Walsall have batched their games into groups of five in their bid for promotion to the Championship.
The in-form Saddlers sit top of League One at the halfway stage, following a blistering run of form that has seen them go unbeaten in their last 13 fixtures.
That run has continued despite injuries to key players Rico Henry and Tom Bradshaw, as well a managerial change with Sean O'Driscoll coming in to replace Dean Smith.
And Demetriou revealed the new head coach has grouped Walsall's remaining fixtures into groups of five, with the team targeted to win at least 10 points each time.
The Cypriot international said: "The gaffer has set up a new regime. We have the games on boards in batches of five.
"We think we need to take seven points from each batch to finish in the play-offs and 10 points to go up automatically. From the first three games, we have won all three so we have nine points.
"It means we are just one point off our target and if we keep that going for rest of the season we will be on course for automatic promotion.
"Of course we are going into every game to win it. But grouping the games together gives you a good little target to look at every day.
"It's a good incentive and means we don't get too carried away when we win or too disappointed when we lose."
Despite the new points target, Demetriou insists O'Driscoll has changed very little at the club since replacing Smith in the Banks's dugout.
The 28-year-old full-back knew Smith well having previously worked with him at Leyton Orient, but he believes O'Driscoll deserves credit for not tinkering too much with a successful side.
Demetriou said: "I still have to thank Dean because he did a massive job here. He built the base that is here and, as players, we were a bit nervous when he left.
"But we were the ones doing it on the pitch. The best thing is that Sean has come in and he is working well with (coaches) Jon Whitney and Neil Cutler.
"He is just improving things he is not changing things. If you come into a team and you want to change everything – sometimes you lose the boys.
"I don't know why – I guess football players are a bit spoilt like that. We are like babies sometimes.
"Sean has come in and kept everything the same while trying to improve us on the pitch.
"But the lads deserve credit too, it's easy to say but it's such a good group here and we are all in it together.
"I have been at a lot of clubs, been in a lot of teams and it's not easy to find the collective we have here."
