Jon Whitney aims to bring festive cheer to Walsall

The Saddlers boss has proved he is no Scrooge after once more granting his players Christmas Day off.

But he has done so on the proviso they do not over-indulge and remain in peak condition during the hectic Christmas and new year period.

Whitney said: “It’s about making sacrifices off the pitch. You have to be disciplined. We are elite athletes.

“We are the entertainment now. Everyone else can be drunk and merry. We can still be merry but we can’t be drunk.

“The teams who keep their discipline over this period will be the ones who maybe turn draws into wins.”

Today’s trip to Rochdale is the first of four games in 10 crucial days for the Saddlers.

Explaining his decision to give players Christmas off, Whitney added: “It’s about trust. Trusting the players to do enough and be ready for Boxing Day.

“As a player, I always wanted to play. I’ve never been one for one-off days. Why can’t every day be Christmas?

“I think you should be happy every day of the year. I definitely won’t be a humbug but for me it is about spreading a bit of love 365 days a year.”

Walsall were 11th in the table heading into today’s game, seven points adrift of the top six and seven clear of the bottom four.

“As a group we have to decide which way we want to go,” said the boss.

“Individually, you have to make a decision whether you want to make those sacrifices and push on a bit more, or be happy with being inconsistent and always looking over your shoulder?

“As a group, we want to look higher. We have to make sure we stay in touch now and this run of games is going to be important. It won’t make or break the season but the momentum and consistency of the performance has got us to where we are.”