Walsall’s Money talks

He started by saying that he sees the Saddlers` promotion success to be a launch pad for further progress

He said: “There was a great expectation around the club that we should have a good season and I genuinely felt we would have a chance. Having a good start got us into a good position and we have been able to see it through. Now we want to try and see it through even further by pushing Hartlepool for the title.

“We have probably got to win all three games. If we win our two home games that will give us a chance going to Swindon on the last day of winning it.

“We have been in the top two since the fifth game of the season and were top for 25 weeks in a row so I think we deserve to still be in contention and we will give it our best shot.”

As for the season as a whole, he said:

“We were outstanding in the first half of the season and our football was of a really high quality.”

The second half was a bit more of a struggle. Results have come in recent weeks but the pitches have been poor and the football tends to become a lot more nervy.
I would like to think that, even though we still have to do the right things to win matches, we can play with a bit more freedom now.”

“The two top teams have done it in different ways,” he added. “We got off to a good start and have been able to maintain it in the main, while they got off to a poor start and then have come like the proverbial express train. The run they have had has not been a good run, it`s been a once-in-a-lifetime run.”
His expectations for next season are plain to see:
“There`s still a re-building job to do done,” said Money. “It was important that we arrested the slide and we have been able to do that.
“Now we have to try to be as positive as we can over the summer and try to build a team capable of competing in the next division.
“Every club that gets promoted feels they need to strengthen and we will be no different.

“There are a number of players out of contract and the first thing is to secure those we want to stay and then look to add some who can help push us onto that next stage.”

“We know what type of people we want, although they are not easy to get because those players are sought after,” he added.

“This club has a history of being well run and that is not going to change. But the chairman will do his best to give me a budget to work to which will give us a chance.”

He once again stressed his desire for an out and out goalscorer as being the big priority:

“In the next division it`s the forwards that make the difference and when you move up to the division above it`s the same. I would suggest pretty much everybody else will be after the same thing,” Money said.