Walsall boss Mat Sadler remained calm about the future of top scorer Daniel Kanu after the on-loan striker again shone in the League Two leaders’ 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury.
The Charlton loanee scored for a fifth successive game to take his tally for the season to 11 – and Addicks boss Nathan Jones admitted this week a January recall to The Valley was possible.
If it happens, it will be the fourth season running Walsall, whose lead at the summit was cut to two points, have lost their leading marksman back to parent clubs in the winter window.
“We are looking after Charlton’s player well and they are very, very pleased with how we are looking after him,” Sadler said.
“We give everything to loan players when they come to the club and we are a good destination for them, that’s what we want to be.
“We are not in control of everything but we are doing a good job by the parent club. Nathan (Jones) has to look after his own team like everyone.
“We’ve got a great relationship with Charlton – everyone is doing the best by their football clubs and we’ll continue to do the best by ours.”
Kanu smashed in a 25-yard rocket to give Walsall a third-minute lead but missed an easier chance soon after as the Saddlers failed to make first-half dominance pay.
“It was there to be won in that first half – then if you don’t get that second goal, you always leave yourselves open,” Sadler added.
“That was the disappointment, that we didn’t take those chances – we needed to be braver to go and get that second goal.”
Tom Anderson’s deflected equaliser rewarded Shrewsbury’s second-half improvement although Courtney Clarke clipped the bar for Walsall soon after.
After taking just five points from the opening 30 available, Town have lost just two in 10 and sit 20th, two points above danger.
“We conceded to a fantastic strike which could have affected other teams in terms of mentality and it didn’t do that to us,” said pleased boss Michael Appleton.
“Then for 25 minutes in the second half, that’s as good as we’ve been for a long time, it was more of what I want to see.
“The spirit and quality they showed to get back into the game was brilliant.
“The last 15 minutes was like a game of basketball with both teams going for it, trying to win – in terms of our attitude to the game, it was great to see.
“I’m encouraged – from an application and attitude point of view, I can’t ask for any more but I do think there are more wins in this team.
“If we play like we’ve done today we will win more games of football than we will lose.”
