'Great to see' Jeff Bonser back at Walsall
Manager Dean Smith thinks it was "great to see" Jeff Bonser back at the Banks's Stadium after Walsall's chairman ended his self-imposed match-day exile.
Bonser was in the stands as the Saddlers drew 1-1 with Oldham on Saturday, the first time he has attended a league game for more than five years.
The chairman has remained an active figure around the club during that period but has deliberately stayed away from matches due to the criticism he received from a section of supporters.
Manager Smith has been among several who have in the past tried and failed to persuade him to return.
When asked about Bonser's presence on Saturday, Smith said: "It's great to see. He has been very supportive and I think everyone wants to see him back here. He is very supportive.
"He is a football fan and he wants to come and watch games. There is no big story in it."
Smith will this week continue efforts to bolster his squad. The manager is keen to add two more players before the transfer window closes, with a central defender and midfielder at the top of the list.
Despite conceding a late equaliser on Saturday, Smith felt his team generally performed well at the back but was less than impressed with the amount of times they lost possession.
He said: "We have got to be better on the ball. I told the front two at half-time that it needed to stick a lot better.
"If you are going to play two up there you have to make sure you keep hold of it and bring others into play but it came off them a little bit too much.
"The two wing-backs tired a bit I thought, Jason (Demetriou) and Rico (Henry), as it's a tough shift, particularly in those conditions getting up and down.
"They will get fitter as the season goes on. Defensively I thought we were OK. We kept the ball in front of us an awful lot."
