Craig Westcarr: Time for Walsall FC to kick on

While speaking with the press following Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Colchester, the forward laid bare his feelings at not being offered a new contract during the season.

After ending the campaign with a career-best 16 goals, the 29-year-old is clearly affronted to be among those players who will sit down with Dean Smith today to discover if they are part of the club's plans for next year. He also questioned the policy of leaving the futures of several players in doubt until the end of the campaign.

But when it was pointed out that the situation now – with several key men already signed up – is far preferable to the wholesale changes of years gone by, Westcarr gave a response which will strike a chord with many supporters.

"Since I have been here we have been on the up," he said. "People say three or four years ago we didn't do this and that.

"But at the end of the day, you have the players now, build on it – don't just use excuses but build on it.

"You either want to build on it or you don't. We will see what happens but we can't keep using excuses from four or five years ago."

It is a feeling no doubt shared by many fans as they await developments, after a season which fell flat in the final third. Many are now eager, like Westcarr, to see the club build from their current foundations.

Whether the forward will be offered new deal, it's hard to say, as it is for any of the other players meeting with the manager today.

What is certain is that Smith faces the biggest summer of his three-and-a-half year reign to date. Unquestionably, it is one which will scrutinised by a fanbase at its most expectant yet.

Progress since Smith took charge in January 2011 has been impressive but the past few months have shown the higher you climb, the harder it can be to maintain.

At times this season, the Saddlers appeared agonisingly close to cracking the top six but the slump of two wins from the final 18 games has somewhat soured the mood.

Regardless, the general feeling from Smith and players is that a major overhaul is not required, though the next few days will give a clearer indication as to the task ahead. Keeping Andy Butler, though the matter is out of the club's hands, would provide a huge boost. Then the focus must be on providing more competition across the pitch, particularly in midfield, while finding the players who can provide cutting edge in attack.

Smith for one appears bullish about the weeks ahead.

"We know what we need, we know what we need to recruit and we've got funds now that we can go and use," he said after Saturday's game.

Whether the rebuild turns out to be large or small, there is confidence in the manager's ability to bring in players who will have an impact.

While the likes of Troy Hewitt and loanee Michael Ngoo might not have worked out this season, they are the exceptions and Smith can point to an impressive recruitment record.

Two of those players meeting the manager today, defenders Andy Taylor and James Chambers, were signed off the street while Westcarr himself negotiated his release from Chesterfield in order to move to the Banks's.

Then there's Sam Mantom, named player of the season on Sunday, Paul Downing, Romaine Sawyers and Richard O'Donnell – players brought in for free who have become key components of the team.

Key focus now is on what the "funds" Smith speaks of will constitute. For starters, there is the money generated from the sale of Jamie Paterson and Will Grigg's tribunal.

Smith has been at pains to point out it was his decision to not to spend cash available in January but while the club will, quite sensibly, never rip up its operation model and Football Philosophy, there is surely now the desire to see the manager trusted with more of it.

Sound decisions over the coming days and weeks and we might begin to say the Saddlers really are building something.