Walsall boss Mat Sadler appeared frustrated by fans demanding his dismissal after their 3-1 defeat to Barnet but admitted performances must improve.
Chants calling for Sadler to go rang out a number of times during a meek display in which the Bees starved the hosts of possession, picking them off through goals from Adam Senior and Idris Kanu either side of half-time.
Daniel Kanu pounced on an error to run in his 16th goal of the season to give Walsall hope, only for Kabongo Tshimanga to seal the deal just three minutes later.
It marked Walsall’s fifth League Two match without a win, a run that has seen them slip away from the automatic promotion positions.
Responding to the chants, Sadler said: “Unfortunately we live in this world where everyone wants something straight away.
“That goes with media, that rhetoric out there, and supporter dissatisfaction. Ultimately we know we have to win games.
“Unfortunately we are not top of the league by 20 points, we are in the play-off positions at the moment. It is certainly not a poor season, but we are going through a spell that we need to come out of quickly.
“I don’t think it helps the players, the unsettled feeling… but we also know that needs to reflect in the energy we give off. There is give and take from both (sides) with that.
“All I know about is working hard and we have to work hard. We have shown that over the past couple of years, that’s what this group does, but we need to get back to that quickly.”
Sadler also expressed confidence that he has the backing of the “steady people” at the top of the club, “who have been around the block in this game like I have and see how it changes quickly”.
Home goalkeeper Myles Roberts swatted Senior’s 26th-minute effort away from the top corner, but the Barnet left-back thudded a shot inside the near post from fellow full-back Kane Smith’s pass three minutes before half-time.
Sadler made four changes at half-time, including his entire midfield, but the one-way traffic continued with Idris Kanu hitting the top of the bar with a cross.
Idris Kanu claimed a well-crafted second, slamming in the rebound from Roberts’ point-blank save after 54 minutes and, while Mason Hancock’s deflected cross enabled Daniel Kanu to score into an empty net in the 64th minute, Tshimanga removed all doubt three minutes later by tapping in Idris Kanu’s cutback from the left.
Despite the triumph, Dean Brennan felt his Barnet side should have won by more.
“I said to the players at half-time, that performance should be a 3-0 lead and that’s a big problem for us,” he said.
“For us to get better and have real success in the EFL, we have to be ruthless. In the second half we were, our play was outstanding.
“Realistically, the performance today should have been a five-goal (win) and it wasn’t. I know what we need to do, what it takes to bring success. We’ve just got to make sure everyone is on the same page.”
