Jon Whitney striving for Walsall to reach next level
Jon Whitney has challenged his Walsall players to reach the next level as they prepare for crunch games against Scunthorpe and Millwall.
The Saddlers extended their unbeaten run in League One to three matches as they played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Peterborough on Saturday.
Now they face back-to-back home games against two teams tipped for promotion – with early pace-setters Scunthorpe at the Banks's Stadium tomorrow before Millwall visit at the weekend.
Whitney's side has made big strides forward in the past fortnight, with the Saddlers looking more assured defensively as the team continues to gel.
But now the boss wants his players to go up another gear.
"In the past few games we have stepped up our consistency," Whitney said. "But now I think we aren't far off from stepping up to the next level where we really control games.
That is what we will be looking to do over the next two games which are both mouth-watering home games. As a team we are creating chances.
"Our front five are doing really well and our back five are defending resolutely when needed. They are the ingredients of a successful team. But I think we will only get stronger from here. We are on the right path and if we continue to learn and we all get two per cent stronger, I think we are going to be really powerful."
Walsall received a big boost at London Road with both Florent Cuvelier and Isaiah Osbourne returning to the squad after a month on the sidelines. Cuvelier started the game before being withdrawn on the hour-mark while Osbourne entered the fray as a second-half substitute.
"The plan was always for Flo (Cuvelier) to do 60 minutes – I thought he did really well," Whitney added. "He gave everything and so did Ozzy (Osbourne). They were both chomping at the bit
