Scunthorpe v Walsall - Match Preview

The Saddlers only need one point from the remaining fixtures to mathematically secure their League Two safety – although bottom club Grimsby would have to win all of their games and overcome a 22 goal difference swing to have any chance of catching Walsall.

This means Dutton’s side are essentially safe and after previously warning of an overhaul of the squad in the summer, the head coach has called on his side to show a sense of pride in tomorrow’s clash away to Scunthorpe United.

He said: “I need to pick a team that is going to go out there and have a sense of personal pride.

“Those that want to do it for themselves and their family and also for Walsall Football Club. I’ll be picking that team accordingly.

“We don’t want any coasters between now and the end of the season. We want to win as many points as we can.

“I couldn’t stomach another performance like the one against Salford.

“The players aren’t daft, the chances of them getting relegated from this position are almost impossible.

“The players have to cross that line and represent themselves and Walsall. That comes from within.

“It’s an awful period at the moment where we don’t know what’s going on with players, whether they have other clubs lined up and whether they’re 100 per cent committed to Walsall.

“We’re in an awful position in terms of how committed these guys are, but I shall be picking a team of good, honest players.”

Scunthorpe are on a run of poor form, having lost their last three and conceded 10 goals in the process.

But Walsall themselves have now lost their last two and Dutton is eager to see a return to the performance level that saw them beat Forest Green and Tranmere before that.

He added: “The confidence we take into it is, minus the last two games, we were in good form.

“We were undefeated in six and won two on the bounce. We need to see that form return and to do that you need to cut out those silly goals that we give away.

“We need to play with a bit more personality and character. If I can pick a team that will do that for me, then no doubt the performance and result will follow.” Defender Hayden White was taken off after 66 minutes on Tuesday, while Dan Scarr made his return from injury.

The right-back may lose his place, with Cameron Norman also returning to the starting XI, but regardless of that he is determined for the Saddlers not to end the season with a whimper.

He said: “As a professional you don’t want to get relegated to start with.

“We’ve passed that barrier now and we don’t want to limp over the line.

“We want to go out there, entertain, and try and win games. It’s not coming together at the moment.

“On the back of the two wins we thought we’d turned the corner but this is a set back on that road.

“There’s another game on Saturday and we have to try and put it right.”

Walsall have tended to struggle against the teams around them this season and when asked how they will approach Scunthorpe, he added: “We’ve been to Southend and struggled to win, so just because they’ve shipped goals in their last few games doesn’t mean it will be easy. We need to prepare right and hopefully get three points. I don’t think we can change our approach, we want to get three points in every game we play in.

“Whether it’s Scunthorpe or Cambridge, who are top of the league and we put a great performance against.

“We approach it the same way and go there to try and win.”