Why are Walsall stuttering again as pressure builds on Mat Sadler to turn the tide
Mat Sadler has shuffled his pack multiple times in recent weeks, but the results have shown no sign of improvement regardless of the personnel on the pitch.
He made three alterations on Tuesday night as Evan Weir was taken out of the firing line after struggling for consistency of late.
Albert Adomah also led the line following his dazzling second half cameo in the 2-2 comeback draw at Chesterfield just three days earlier.
But Walsall lacked a cutting edge once again in the final third and switched off defensively in two key moments to succumb to a 2-0 defeat at Bristol Rovers.
10 changes in three games - but little sign of improvement
Since naming an unchanged team in the goalless draw against Accrington Stanley on January 24, Sadler has made no fewer than 10 changes across the past three games.
That has included dropping out-of-form players such as Connor Barrett, Jamie Jellis, and most recently, Weir.
Walsall have even tweaked the midfield, both tactically and in terms of personnel in recent weeks, and attempted to create more width by flipping between a 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 within games.
Yet Sadler has been unable to strike upon a formula that works, at least not consistently.
The tactical switches worked in the second half at Chesterfield last weekend and his new look midfield looked really promising in the 3-1 victory at Tranmere Rovers in mid January.
Win at all costs
But nothing good has been maintained over a sustained period of time since the turn of the year, and Walsall are fast losing ground on their promotion rivals, as results continue to decline.
Walsall topped the league after beating Crewe Alexandra 1-0 on Boxing Day, but have sunk to seventh following a run of just one win in seven games since.
That leads to the question: what does Sadler do next? Well, the simple answer is to win the next game against Barnet at Bescot on Saturday.
On current form, that is a much tougher task than previously imagined, but they need a turning point in their season.
The remnants of last season's capitulation is still raw and many fear that history is once again repeating itself.
The best way to quell those concerns is to get back to winning ways, and if not, then patience will only continue to wear thinner and thinner.
Barnet are on the rise
Barnet won't be pushovers either and have made a really strong account of themselves upon their return to the EFL.
The Bees were beaten in each of their opening three league games - including a 2-1 defeat against Walsall in the reverse fixture at the Hive in August.
However, Dean Brennan has helped lift them into 11th-place with four wins in their last seven games in League Two.
Walsall to assess captain Matt
On the injury front, Jamille Matt did not train with the squad on Thursday due in large part to the weather conditions, but will be assessed ahead of the weekend.
The 36-year-old sustained a hip problem at Chesterfield, which forced him off at half-time, and was absent for the defeat in Bristol.
Kacper Lopata (thigh) has also been ruled out - while Harry Williams (Achilles) and Jake Hollman (hamstring) are both long-term absentees.
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