"Sharpen the pencil" - Stewart Mairs outlines the scale of Walsall's summer rebuild

Stewart Mairs says Walsall simply need to “sharpen the pencil” rather than rip up everything from the roots this summer.

The new head of football will help oversee a summer of change at Bescot alongside recently-appointed head coach Lee Grant.

A significant overhaul within the squad is expected following the release of 12 players - with the club already working towards bolstering the squad.

But Mairs has argued that there are already strong foundations in place and that his job is merely to help provide an “extra five to 10 per cent” boost.

“My job is to add that five or 10 per cent”

“We need to be in this together and that already takes you a good way down the road,” Mairs explained.

“And of course, we need a bit of quality. We haven’t scored enough goals, we had quite a few individual and sloppy mistakes, which at any level you cannot afford to make.

“It’s about really sharpening the pencil with a lot of this stuff rather than a full branch and roots sort of change.

“My job is to come in and add that five or 10 per cent and supporters those areas that need a little bit of help.

“Then together, we can drive the whole functioning parts together.”

Mairs also recognised the frustration of the supporters after the anticlimactic nature of the past two seasons.

“The fans are certainly crying out for it. They’re super passionate and frustrated,” he added.

“To be that close, it’s almost like the world is collapsing on you not once, but twice.

“Football is an unfair game at the best of times. The fine margins, the low-scoring: it all increases the amount of jeopardy in the game.

“What we can do is control the basics and do that right.”