Walsall boss Darrell Clarke eyes ‘long-term’ journey

With the club likely to miss out on a play-off spot this season, Clarke has openly said that promotion is the target next campaign.

To do that, he says he is juggling all visions for the club as he looks to build a 'journey' towards a return to League One.

“I think you’ve got to as a manager look short-term, medium-term and long-term, you’ve got to hit those," he said.

"Although we’re in an industry where your average tenure is still 13 months as a manager so that tells its own story.

"But you’ve got to prepare the club and improve the club in all aspects of it and that’s what we’re aiming to do and build to do.

"We want people to stay with that journey and enjoy that journey, obviously you enjoy it when you’re winning football games on a consistent basis.

"That’s my message for my players, that they’ve got to show me over a period of time that they can compete in the top seven of this division and be top seven League Two players to enable us to eventually get out of the division.

"That’s got to be the task, that’s an ongoing thing over the short-term, medium-term and long-term.

"You’re always looking ahead for the areas of the team and the squad that needs to be improved on because you’re not doing your job properly if you’re not."

Within that, Clarke has a squad with several players running out of contract in the summer.

The 42-year-old likes to keep contract lengths to himself, but he has said that short-term deals are preferable because it will keep players 'on their toes'.

“Players have got to earn their next deal and keep showing me they’re going to do that," he added.

"In the group there's ones that will be here because they’re contracted, or there’s a question mark, or they’re a definite from what they’ve shown so far.

"That’s the beauty of having players not on long-term deals and keeping them on their toes to make sure they’re achieving the goals that we ask of them."