Results or rotation? - the balancing act Mat Sadler is attempting to strike at Walsall

In total, Walsall have played four games in the space of 13 days, which has prompted Sadler to heavily rotate his team in recent weeks. 

Another hectic month ahead

He made no fewer than four changes for the Saddlers' 2-0 defeat at Cambridge United on New Year's Day, which included a complete shakeup of the midfield. 

A pair of goals in either half by Ben Knight helped Cambridge climb into the play-off spots and to within just two points of Walsall in third. 

League leaders Bromley stretched their lead over Walsall to five points with a 2-1 success against Newport County, while second-place Swindon Town moved three points clear with a 2-0 success over Gillingham. 

Sadler hit out at the congested fixture schedule in his post-match interview, but there will be no rest for his squad ahead of another action-packed month in January. 

After Fleetwood, Walsall will travel to Norwich City in the FA Cup, Northampton Town in the EFL Trophy and then to Birkenhead for an early kick-off against Tranmere Rovers in the space of just six days. 

That suggests that Sadler will continue with his policy of rotating the squad - especially with such little recovery time separating the defeat on New Year's Day and the next game. 

Short-term pain for long-term gain - but is it worth the risk?

The caveat to that argument is that every team is in the same boat and Cambridge delivered the goods having made the same number of changes to their team. 

It is clear to see what Sadler is trying to achieve because one of the key issues in the second half of the previous campaign was that fatigue set in like a plague. 

The challenge he faces is attempting to find the balance between managing his player's minutes and picking up points. 

That was something he was succeeding with just a week ago, but the past two results has raised more questions than answers. 

Having said that, it cannot be underestimated just how many obstacles Sadler has had to overcome to help propel Walsall into the promotion mix once again. 

Walsall could conceivably have nosedived into oblivion after the disappointment of the previous campaign, but have instead overseen a significant overhaul of the squad to push on again. 

That's not to say Sadler is immune from criticism and his decision to take off top scorer Daniel Kanu at key moments in the previous two defeats has been bizarre. 

Sadler has defended his decision because he wants to reduce the risk of Kanu picking up an injury, but it felt to the supporters as a gesture of him conceding defeat. 

Not every decision that a manager makes will be popular, but Sadler will need to make sure that his pragmatic selection calls over the winter bear fruit later down the line.