Dean Smith: Walsall were not good enough to beat Stevenage
Dean Smith today demanded Walsall's players raise their standards after expressing dismay at Saturday's dismal defeat to Stevenage.
The Saddlers slumped to a 3-2 defeat against the already relegated hosts and have now picked up just 13 points from their last 17 games.
"We had a chat about how for two-thirds of the season we were a top six team and for the last third, for whatever reason, we haven't been," said Smith.
"I told them we need to reflect on the season, review it and get better."
"That is the only thing we can do because the end of the season has not been what we wanted it to be."
The Saddlers were challenging for the play-offs for the first two-thirds of the campaign but now need a result against Colchester this Saturday to ensure a top half finish.
Smith added: "I don't usually go in (to the dressing room) but I felt this was the time because it was a game we should easily have won - no disrespect to Stevenage.
"It hurts because we should have won the game and this has happened too often in the final third of the season.
"We have had a chat and spoke about how far we have moved forward and how far we have come individually and collectively but recently we have fallen away from the standards we have set."
Smith was left particularly unimpressed by a sloppy first half performance which left the Saddlers trailing by Jimmy Smith's opener. They hit back to lead through Mal Benning and Craig Westcarr's quickfire double but Jo N'Guessan levelled, before a dreadful error by Benning allowed Luke Freeman to snatch a later winner for the hosts.
Smith says the players agree with his assessment that things must improve.
"They see the problem as well," he said. "We said for the first two-thirds of the season we were a top six team and for the last third of the season we have been a bottom half team and we have got to be better than that.
"As I've said to them, the players who were out there on Saturday are the same players who put in such good performances at Wolves, against Brentford home and away and Leyton Orient home and away, Rotherham home and away.
"We have to make sure those players come out every game and play."
