Jon Whitney: Walsall will be all-energy again
Interim boss Jon Whitney fully expects his Walsall team to put on another energetic display at Fleetwood Town tonight.
The Saddlers will play their second away fixture in the space of just three days when they travel to Highbury Stadium for the League One clash.
It's a game that continues what has been a gruelling season with Walsall having already contested 44 fixtures.
But Whitney has rubbished suggestions his team may be tired and instead insisted they are fully prepared for tonight's game.
The 45-year-old said: "After the Chesterfield game, I thanked the players for their efforts and thanked them for helping me win my first game.
"I told them I was proud of them all but then the focus immediately shifted to Fleetwood.
"We will be ready to go again because we are fit enough and good enough to repeat the performance we put in at Chesterfield.
"People keep saying we are probably tired at this stage of the season but everybody is tired. It comes from the mind for me.
"If your mindset is right and you enjoy what you do then your energy will increase. If your energy levels increase, you've got a better chance of getting a performance."
Whitney believes the Saddlers will have a great chance to achieve their season aims, if they can maintain the performance levels shown in the victory over the Spireites.
He said: "If we play like that every week, we will be in contention. You can't guarantee results.
"I have been involved in games where you are unbelievably on top and then you get sucker-punched. I'm not so naïve to not know that it doesn't always go your way.
"But what you have to do is give your all and leave everything out on the field. If you come in with something left you haven't done your job."
Meanwhile, Whitney was delighted with the performance of two-goal Sam Mantom in the win at the Proact Stadium – even if he did substitute the midfielder while he was chasing a hat-trick.
Whitney added; "Sam was fantastic. He had stretched his calf a little bit and I know just how much ground Sam covers.
"I know when players are reaching their limits there is always a slight risk of an injury and I'm sure he'd rather play at Fleetwood rather than score a hat-trick and pull up with a calf injury.
"The composure he showed for his goals was excellent though."
