Brian Dutton: Walsall players must show their 'pride'

Friday night’s 1-0 defeat to Barrow made it five losses and two draws from Dutton’s opening seven games as manager – with only one win in the last 14 matches overall.

The Saddlers sit 19th in the division and eight points clear of relegation, but with two games in hand.

Walsall play one of those games in hand tonight and are in desperate need of a win to lift spirits and put more daylight between them and the bottom two.

Many experienced players have underperformed and Dutton has called on them to stand up and be counted.

Dutton said: “My voice is hoarse trying to tell the players, it’s a case of players taking ownership and pride in being a professional footballer.

“Representing the football club and your family with honour and we didn’t do that (against Barrow).

“There’s periods (of good play) for Walsall at home to the strugglers. Once the chips are down we come out fighting and that’s not good enough.

“We have to have authority from the first minute and take the game to teams.

“There’s a warm fuzzy feeling when opposition coaches come across the M6 and see the signs and the stadium because we’re a soft touch.

“That needs to change and it can only change if players are willing to step forward and be leaders.”

Despite Walsall’s poor form, they have performed better and picked up improved results on away trips.

The two draws under Dutton have both come away from home – at Stevenage and Exter – while the unfortunate 1-0 defeat away to Cambridge saw the team’s best performance for several weeks.

Starting tonight Walsall’s next four games are all away from home, including two huge fixtures against the bottom two teams Southend and Grimsby.

When asked if there is any benefit in that fixture list and being away from home, Dutton added: “There appears to be, we’re performing better away from home.

“That might be something that the lads can cling to but for me it’s about having a good, hard, long look in the mirror and thinking about how that individual can take ownership.

“How they can take the club and team forward, rather than thinking about whether being at home or away is a good omen. Think about yourself and how you can change things.”

Midfielder Alfie Bates insists that the lack of supporters means playing away from home makes no difference – as he calls on the team to prove their worth and ‘put right’ the wrongs from the Barrow defeat.

When asked if it’s a relief playing away, Bates said: “I’m not sure it’s about playing home and away, there’s no fans so we don’t feel that pressure.

“We need to step it up another level and go again.

“Everyone feels the same thing, I’m not the only one to come off the pitch and feel disappointed.

“Everyone is disappointed in the staff and players.

“Losing is not good enough. We’re miles better than that.

“We’re miles better than what we showed against Bradford, we stepped it up against Cambridge and we need to show it again in the games to come.

“We’re trying to build something but at the same time we need to get results.

“That has to come from us. We have to focus on the next game.

“We haven’t got long to wait and on Tuesday night we need to put it right.

“That’s the only thing we’ll be concentrating on.”

Cameron Norman is likely to come back into the starting XI and may replace Tyreik Wright, providing a player more comfortable in right-wing-back.

Caolan Lavery, who was dropped and an un-used substitute against Barrow, could return to the team and partner Josh Gordon up front. Wes McDonald will also be targeting a return to the side.