Jon Whitney: Time for Walsall to step it up again

The new-look Saddlers have taken four points from their opening two games but after praising his team for the battling qualities they showed in Saturday's 0-0 draw at Oldham, Whitney now wants to see more in the final third.

"The battling qualities have been the most pleasing thing but we don't just want to become a team that battles and stays in games," he said.

"We need to start understanding how good we can be and take what we are doing in training into matches for a longer period of time.

"I think we can see some unbelievable technical ability but we have not really produced it.

"It is fine to say things like 'last year we would have lost this game' but we can't keep saying that.

"I want players to believe this is a special unit and we have players who can create and are technically very gifted.

"They have shown the battling qualities, now go and see if they can stop our passing game, see if they can live with our tempo on the floor, see if they can live with us when we play in the final third like we can do."

Captain Adam Chambers is set to return after missing Saturday's game with a hamstring injury, while Jason McCarthy is likely to deputise at left-back in place of Rico Henry.

The Saddlers were yesterday awaiting scan results to see how much time the 19-year-old will miss after dislocating his shoulder at Oldham, though Whitney admitted he was not expecting good news.

"It's the last thing we needed but we have to take it on the chin," he said. "These things never come at good times.

"We will just have to get on with it, that is part of football. It is the risk we take playing this game. We will deal with it and move on. We have Plan B ready."