Dean Keates plans to bring in more new Walsall signings
Boss Dean Keates remains confident Walsall will make more signings this month.
The Saddlers have already bolstered their ranks with the arrivals of Matt Jarvis and Omar Mussa since the opening of the January transfer window. But Keates believes they need more additions, with the boss hopeful more players will arrive in the next seven to 10 days.
“I’d like to think over the next week to 10 days there will be a few more bodies added to the squad to help us go forward,” he said. “We need to add and push on.
“Sometimes these things take time. We are in a situation where we aren’t going to be everyone’s first choice. We have a list, we work through that list and we need to keep making phone calls.
“You work your way through it and eventually you get the type of player you think will help you improve the group and take it forward.”
While Keates expects Jarvis to make an instant impact at the Banks’s Stadium, he admitted he had an eye on the future when snapping Belgian under-19 international Mussa.
“He is someone who we have had on trial for a few weeks and he’s someone we believe we can work with,” the boss continued. “He has got some very good attributes and he’s different to what we have in the middle of the park.
“He will be added to the squad but he is more for the future than an immediate impact.”
Travelling
Meanwhile, Keates has told his players to make Walsall’s fans proud when the team takes on Bolton today.
More than 1,000 Saddlers supporters are travelling to Greater Manchester for the FA Cup third-round clash.
Walsall haven’t won any of their last five games, with a Boxing Day loss against Bristol Rovers and New Year’s Day defeat at Charlton particularly tough to take.
And Keates wants his players to make it up to supporters by getting through to the fourth round of the Cup competition.
“We look back at the Boxing Day game it was a poor performance,” the 40-year-old added. “Then in an ideal world we see the game out against Luton.
“Individual errors at Charlton have cost us. For long periods we were camped their half, we moved the ball well and we created opportunities.
“The lads will keep plugging away and keep working hard and all being well we will give the 1,000 plus who are travelling to Bolton a day to remember and be proud of.”
