Mat Sadler responds to questions over his future after Walsall lose to Barnet

Daniel Kanu offered Walsall a brief reprieve when he halved the deficit, but Kabongo Tshimanga restored the Bees' two-goal cushion four minutes later. 

Many of the home supporters headed for an early exit, while those that did stay made their dissatisfaction known. 

'Ultimately we know we have to win games'

On the calls for him to be sacked, Sadler said: "Unfortunately we live in this world now where everyone wants something straight away. 

"That goes with media sucking that rhetoric out there and that goes with supporters' dissatisfaction. 

"Ultimately we know we have to win games. Unfortunately we are not top of the league by 20 points, we are in the play-off positions at the moment, it is certainly not a poor season, but we are going through a spell that we need to come out of quickly.

“I don’t think it helps the players, the unsettled feeling – I was in the stadium at Bristol Rovers the other night and having that support right behind you is what you crave and want but we also know that needs to reflect in the energy we give off. There is give and take from both (sides) with that.

“All I know about is working hard and we have to work hard. We have shown that over the past couple of years, that’s what this group does but we need to get back to that quickly."

'Disappointed as much as anyone else'

Walsall have lost back-to-back games, are winless in five in League Two and have won just once in their last eight in the league. 

Although Walsall remain seventh, Chesterfield have closed the gap to just a single point after beating Bristol Rovers 3-2. 

The pitch survived a morning inspection and another deluge pre-match, but Barnet played some lovely football, as Walsall were emphatically second best.

When pressed about his future, he replied: "We have brilliant people at this football club, steady people who have been around the block in this game like I have and see how it changes quickly. 

"We have to remain positive that the change will happen, that we will get back on that front-foot. 

"The past month has been frustrating. I am not going to hide from that, but we are not going to feel sorry for ourselves.

"I'm disappointed as much as anyone else that follows the club that we didn't win today, and that we're going through a spell," he continued. 

"Any of that is just words and we need to put that into action. We just need to keep working hard to get back to who we are. 

Sadler made three changes in total - and has made 13 across the last four games in total. 

However, a flat first half performance saw them trailing at the break, while his four substitutions at the break made little impact. 

Instead, things went from bad to worse, but Sadler remarkably refused to dispense with his five-man defence.

"I don't think anything to do with shape has contributed at all today," he added.

"That willingness to run was the biggest thing in that first half. Back-threes work very well up and down the country and they've worked well for Walsall too. 

"So we can talk about whatever we like shape-wise, but it's not that, and we just have to get back to playing how we play."