Darrell Clarke happy with Walsall's summer business
Darrell Clarke has declared himself satisfied with Walsall’s summer rebuild despite missing out on a winger before this week’s transfer deadline.
The boss had been confident of adding a wideman as the 17th and final addition to his new-look Saddlers squad, only for the deal to fall through.
But Clarke remains upbeat after a window which saw him undertake an overhaul he claims was the biggest in the EFL.
He said: “We had the largest turnover in the league and we are not going to lose sleep we did not quite get the last one over the line.
“I’m pleased with the people we have got in the building. It has an adaptability to it, the right mix of hunger and experience. Now we have to make them better players.”
Walsall have scored just three goals in their opening six League Two fixtures and boosting his attacking options had become Clarke’s chief focus during the window’s final weeks.
Striker Rory Gaffney joined on a season-long loan from Salford last weekend but a winger proved elusive, with the boss determined not to bring a player in just for the sake of it.
“It was a little bit frustrating,” he said. “I wanted to bring a wide player in and I thought I was pretty close to bringing one in. I’m not going to go into details.
“All I will say, is there is no point panicking when you miss your two or three potential targets and end up pulling in someone you don’t want.
“I didn’t want to work with another development player, I wanted something different but it didn’t quite come through.
“I am working with a 24-man first team squad. We have to settle things down now. We will set about now doing what we are paid to do, which is make players better. We have a good few months until the madhouse starts again.”
