Walsall manager Jon Whitney has spoken ahead of this weekend's Emirates FA Cup - First Round clash with Newport County, and has looked back at last season's First Round defeat to Macclesfield Town, admitting that there are lessons to be learned heading into Saturday evening's clash.
Jon, who was speaking via the Express & Star, said; "We had a very young team last year and we didn't perform. All the expectancy was on us and it will be the same again this Saturday. They will have their crowd behind them, the game is being shown live on Welsh TV. But we are expected to win the game because we are a League One team.
"I think all those factors probably levels things out. And I think it’s the team that wants it more that gets through in the FA Cup. That is what it comes down to at the end of the day, and I’ll put a team out that wants it more."
46-year-old Whitney then went on to discuss his belief that last weekend's defeat to Southend United, which cost the Saddlers their unbeaten home record, has put more pressure on his side heading into this weekend's cup clash, he continued; "It’s a tough draw – it’s a 5.15 kick off. It and there is a bit of pressure on us now. If we had won against Southend we would be going into it with more momentum.
"We could have gone into the game five matches unbeaten and with an unbeaten home record. But now we have to be more resilient and handle that pressure. There is no doubt it is a potential banana skin.
"We have got to face that because they are a League Two team. We have got to be good enough to still step forward. We need to go there and do a job on them and make sure it's us in the Second Round."