Express & Star

Matt Taylor desperate for a win to lift the mood at Walsall

It cannot be said enough, Walsall could very much do with a victory and, hopefully, tomorrow is the day.

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The Saddlers’ winless run so far in 2022, and especially the back-to-back defeats in League Two, have brought on a glum feeling among supporters.

Having seen winger Otis Khan depart in the past few days, too, three points against Exeter City at the Banks’s Stadium would come as a much-welcome boost.

Boss Matt Taylor is desperate to beat the eighth-placed Grecians as he said: “We are doing everything we possibly can to win a game.

“We train hard and learn. But while training has been good this week, what is most important is performing on Saturday.

“If you look at where we want to be and where we are now, obviously, it’s not parallel.

“In football, mood is so important. When you’re winning, everything is rosy and certain aspects of the game get swept under the carpet.

“Flip that around, when you’re losing, all of a sudden we’re doing everything wrong.

“I don’t think we are. That’s where I have full confidence in the group of players we’ve got.

“Do I understand the frustration after losing two games? Of course.

“But it’s important that there’s no panic on my behalf.

“I totally understand how the fans feel, and they feel that way as they’ve seen the players perform at higher levels than they have done recently. They have an expectation of the players.

“What the players need to do is get back to the levels they’ve hit this season, and I have no doubt we’ll win football matches.”

Walsall go into the clash 15th and with the sense that the season is not heading anywhere fast.

They could significantly change the outlook, though, as they go into successive home games – Bradford City coming after this on Tuesday.

“That’s the wonderful thing about football,” said Taylor.

“Football is so emotional, and our supporters truly care.

“They’re emotionally invested. I’ve asked them all to be on this journey with us, and they are.

“The most important thing is that they continue to be invested emotionally, as they’ve supported us wonderfully.

“I do understand the frustration, because I also know how good this group of players can be.”

The Saddlers have no fresh injury worries heading into the encounter.

Barring a last-minute addition, they will not have a fresh face in for this game.

When asked how the search for new players is going, Taylor added: “The players we are in conversations with are good players at other football clubs.

“Now, what’s important is we respectfully go about those conversations, and we will do.

“Jamie (Fullarton, technical director) is working extremely hard.

“We’re trying to get the right players, both technically and in terms of the group dynamic.

“In an ideal world, we’d have them now – or had them in on the first day of January. But we don’t live in an ideal world.

“If we have to wait slightly longer, that’s what we have to do.”