Jon Whitney on his half-century of Walsall games
Jon Whitney claimed to have never had more energy for the task of managing Walsall as he prepared for his 50th game in charge.
Today's visit of Bristol Rovers to the Banks's marked a significant milestone for Whitney, who made his managerial bow with the Saddlers during two caretaker stints last season.
After taking permanent charge last summer, the 46-year-old has overseen a major overhaul of the squad and his team sit 14th in League One.
Whitney joked: "It doesn't feel like 50 games, it feels like 1,000!
"The weeks just pass by. I look at it and think where has Christmas gone? January has almost gone. But I am enjoying every day. I love it. I have got more energy now than I had at the start of the season."
Whitney believes he is steadily developing as a manager, adding: "Am I better coach from a year ago? Definitely. Am I better person? Probably not because I think I was okay back then. But I think I have developed as a coach. I have been helped by various people and hopefully my players have developed as well and they can see that, together, we will be successful."
Rovers were set to be backed today by more than 2,000 travelling fans.
