Matt Taylor’s Walsall are putting a shift in

The Saddlers’ squad have been training six days a week during pre-season with Taylor, who took the reins at the Banks’s in May, eager to create a sense of togetherness in his new-look squad.

Walsall have already signed 11 players with more expected through the door before the campaign kicks off on August 7.

Taylor said: “If we are going to be successful this season we are going to have to make sacrifices as a group of people.

“We can’t go away in pre-season so, if we want to build relationships, what are we going to do? We are going to use the training centre.

“That is what we have done. We’ve spent a lot of time together, had lots of meetings and a huge amount of time on the grass.

“Hopefully, we are getting there. We will look to change it soon and give the lads a regular day off in the week but we are a new group of people together and we need to work each other out in terms of personalities.

“It is hard on the players but pre-season is meant to be hard.”