Walsall fans 'within rights to be angry' - Byfield

Interim head coach Darren Byfield says Walsall supporters are "well within their rights to be angry" after falling out of promotion and play-off contention.

The Saddlers were top of League Two on Boxing Day as they looked to make up for their collapse of the previous season.

However, another disappointing second half of the campaign saw them fall out of the top seven and led to the departure of head coach Mat Sadler.

A major cause for the club's slide was their dismal home form, picking up just one win and eight points from their final 12 home league matches since 29 December.

Byfield went to speak to fans after a 2-0 defeat by relegation-battling Harrogate in in their final home game on Saturday.

"I went over to the fans and I spoke because they're well within their rights to be angry," he told BBC Radio WM.

"But they started arguing with each other. I went over and said 'don't start arguing with each other, we're together in everything we do'.

"Be angry with us, that's allowed, but I don't want to see that between the fans. They all pay their money and they all want us to win and frustrations do spill over, but don't let it be that side."

Former Walsall forward Byfield said the team's struggles was down to mindset and confidence rather than technical issues.

"You have to have a mentality that if you don't score you don't concede, and if you don't win you don't lose, and too many times this season we haven't done that," he said. "That's why we are where we are.

"We're not in the play-offs, we're not in automatic promotion, so there has to be a mentality shift.

"You hear one boo from a fan, or two or 10, you can't hide, go and show them. Turn boos into cheers, turn (opposition) clean sheets into goals.

"Whether it's me or someone else, that's what we have to instil in our players. Unfortunately I can't do it in six weeks, and maybe that's where we are at the minute where players can't get out of that mentality they're in."

Byfield has laid down a stiff challenge to his players ahead of their final game of the season at promoted Bromley on Saturday.

After picking up eight points in his seven games as interim boss, the trip could be Byfield's final game in charge if the club decides to bring in a permanent successor to Sadler.

"We've got one more game and they've not been beaten at home, so there's your carrot, boys - go and win at Bromley," he added.