Walsall boss Mat Sadler admitted he had been thinking of ways to set up his team for their Boxing Day clash with Crewe Alexandra from 4am on Christmas Day.
Speaking to the media after his side had secured a 1-0 win thanks to Jamille Matt's first league goal of the season, Sadler sought to praise his team for their stubborn display as they remain top of the table.
He said: "For the whole day. I was thinking about it at 4am in the morning when the kids woke up as well.
"But it’s always a little bit different, the Boxing Day game, because the preparation is slightly different, so you always worry slightly about that, but I thought the players were magnificent and gave us nothing to worry about.
"We were outstanding. I thought we could have scored a couple more from set plays, but in the second half, I thought we were very good.
"At the end, we needed to just show that resilience to defend the box. I thought Flinty was a monster there.
"There's loads of family here for the players. You could see them on the pitch at the end. I want that. I want families to be part of this journey together, alongside the supporters.
"I want everyone together. Merry Christmas to everybody, and keep with us on the journey that we're on together."
Quotes: Express & Star.