Walsall boss Darrell Clarke 'loves' passion from Saddlers fans

His team fought back from 1-0 down to share the points against Macclesfield after a 74th minute equaliser from winger Wes McDonald.

It came after Clarke’s side had put in a poor performance for most of the game, before the goal sparked several chances that could have seen Walsall snatch all three points.

At one point during the second half, one fan who was sitting near the dugout targeted Clarke for the team’s performance, prompting the manager to briefly react, telling him to be quiet.

And Clarke says that passion is important from the club and fans alike.

“The fans are passionate,” he said.

“A fan was digging me out and he gets a nibble back off me.

“I don’t mind it, I love the passion here.

“It’s always going to be like that but I’m brought up that way to have a bit of a nibble.

“I’m always very respectful of the fans that come and they’re opinionated.

“But so am I as well, we’ll achieve together.

“How we do that is that we’ll win football games for them and then they’re happy.

“Can we play a lot better? Yes.

“But we’ll put it in the bag because I think we’d have lost that game (against Macclesfield) in October to be honest.”

Meanwhile, Clarke celebrated his 42nd birthday yesterday and despite a difficult start in charge, he insisted he’s ‘thoroughly enjoying' his time in the Black Country.

“I feel around 52 sometimes,” he added.

“It’s a tough old job but I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

“It won’t always be dark at six, let’s make sure that people know that.

“We’ll keep chipping away.

“Minus a disastrous October, like I said before, we’ll be right in the mix.

“We just have to keep working and getting the players better and fitter through the course of the season.”