Inconsistent Walsall are in need of a little bit of class

At times the Saddlers have been excellent, on other occasions they have been hugely underwhelming.

And that is why – at the half-way point – they are sat rooted in mid-table, eight points from the play-offs and 10 clear of the bottom four.

Dean Keates has made no secret of his desire to strengthen his squad next month. Here we take a look at his Christmas list.

Where do Walsall need to strengthen and why?

They need to tighten up at the back but a goalscorer should be the number one target in my opinion.

Over the last few months, the Saddlers have become too reliant on Andy Cook for goals.

Morgan Ferrier is a huge talent who you’d expect to come good.

But after his flying start to the season, he now hasn’t scored since September. And while Josh Gordon works hard, he has just one league goal and remains a work in progress.

Everyone could do with chipping in more, particularly the wide players and the centre-backs.

But a forward who can play off Cook and stick the ball in the net would give everyone a boost.

Give an example of a player you’d like to see Walsall bring in this January, and why you’ve picked them...

Following on from the first question, a player like Tyler Roberts would be ideal – a forward with that touch of class.

It’s unlikely the former Saddlers loanee will be made available on a temporary basis by Leeds.

But Walsall’s should be looking for a similar high-quality loan from a Premier League or Championship club.

Locally, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy at Villa could be an option – especially with Dean Smith in charge there now.

And Wolves’ Niall Ennis is also a player worth considering.

Could there be any departures from Walsall this month?

Potentially quite a few players could see their time at the Banks’s Stadium come to an end.

Keates has a number of players out of contract at the end of the season.

And if they are not part of his plans long-term, there is no point in them sticking around if they have options on the table.

Decisions are also going to have to be made about the players Walsall currently have on loan.

All fans will hope defender Jack Fitzwater remains at the club until the end of the campaign.

Fellow centre-back Connor Johnson is also a useful option and gives the squad real depth at centre-back.

But the futures of Kane Wilson and Connor Ronan are not so clear.

Both players have a lot of talent but are perhaps still finding their way as footballers.

Despite having been at the club for six-months, it’s still hard to know if Wilson is a full-back or a winger. And an unforgiving League One isn’t really the place to find out.

Ronan meanwhile is a wonderfully gifted footballer.

But – a bit like Erhun Oztumer – he seems tailored for a number 10 role – something Walsall don’t use all that often.

You can argue all of Keates’ permanent signings in the summer have been good additions. But the loans haven’t been as effective.

How much money will Walsall spend in January?

We all know the Saddlers are never going to truly splash the cash in the transfer market.

But last January the club saw a six-figure move for winger Jake Jervis collapse.

They also signed Ferrier and Gordon for fees in the summer.

And Keates has revealed there is money available to him next month. It’s never going to be a lot. But a fee around the £100,000 mark shouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility.