Walsall boss Michael Flynn has sought to praise his side for their hard work during Tuesday evening's pre-season defeat to visitors Coventry City.
Played in sweltering heat in front of around 2,500 fans, the Saddlers slipped to a three-nil defeat to their Championship opponents as goals from Kasey Palmer, Josh Eccles and Fabio Tavares easily secured the win.
With the gaffer taking a slow and steady approach to pre-season, the former Newport County man insisted that, despite taking on three goals, there were plenty of positives to work on heading into the new campaign.
Speaking via the Express & Star, Flynn said; "We're getting there. In this heat, the boys that have done 90 minutes, fair play to them as it was warm just on the touchline.
"There were a lot of positives. The goals conceded were negatives, but we're seeing a lot more of what the players' understanding of the game is.
"There's one or two we'll need to work on. It's just an unfamiliarity with how they've been coached before. We'll get there."