Walsall facing 'six-game season' says Jon Guthrie
Jon Guthrie has labelled Walsall’s League One run-in a ‘six-game season’ as they bid to stave off the dreaded drop.
The defender said the side ‘know what they must do to reach League One safety – but admits now is the time for action rather than words after their 3-1 defeat to Doncaster at the weekend.
A run of four successive defeats against some of the division top sides has plunged Saddlers back into the relegation zone.
However, Walsall players have taken positives from some of the performances in that dire run of results.
And at the Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday, Guthrie believes they could have had a point had they taken their chances, despite falling to a two-goal deficit in the first four minutes.
Asked if the performance gives them heart, Guthrie said: “It does. Against Portsmouth, Sunderland and Barnsley we didn’t play too badly.
“Against Doncaster, at 2-1 we had chances. The gaffer said to us at half-time it could have been 3-3.
“He wanted us to stay positive going into the second-half but we couldn’t quite nick a goal.”
And Guthrie understands the importance of converting their chances into goals as they battle to get themselves clear of the drop-zone.
“We have got to start taking our chances. We have got to be stronger in both boxes,” added the centre-half.
“The goals we conceded at Doncaster were too soft. We did create but we weren’t ruthless enough – you can say it’s unlucky but you have got to be more clinical.”
Next up for the Saddlers is Oxford United – a side who have hauled themselves out of the dogfight with three win from their last three games and now look to be on the brink of safety with 49 points.
“We have got a six-game season now,” said Guthrie.
“We all know what we have to do to stay in the league. Every game is absolutely massive and we have to go into every one looking for the win.
“We face a lot of teams in and around us. We know what we have to do and it’s down to us players to do it now.
“We have to focus on ourselves. We know what we have got to do to stay out of it at the end of the day.
“It’s time to stop talking and get out and show it on the pitch.”
