PEP Clotet will have to wait until 3pm tomorrow to know for sure, but from what he has seen this week, the Oxford United boss is satisfied his players have got Blackpool out of their systems.

Having a training camp in the days after the poorest display of the season is purely coincidental.

But Clotet has sought to make the most of the additional contact time with his players while they stayed at Gibraltar Barracks in Surrey.

It should have helped the squad get back on track from a display at Bloomfield Road which was out of character with the season as a whole.

United’s manager was frustrated with what he saw in Lancashire, but is confident Walsall will see a very different team tomorrow.

“I always think about the big picture,” he said.

“I’m proud when I see this group playing the football they are producing with that level of attitude and quality for the fans.

“You don’t really put too much effort into (analysing) a bad half, you just park it, move on and keep growing.

“This week I have seen a team that’s very focused and very positive.

“They know we have had a very decent start and we have got a lot of points from a very difficult moment for us because there were a lot of new players and new ideas coming in.

“Even though I didn’t change anything major, just tweaking a little bit always creates a bit of uncertainty.

“Despite that we managed to put in some strong displays and get a lot of points.”

United have reserved their best football in Sky Bet League One this season for the Kassam Stadium, where they have yet to taste defeat.

With a winless run on the road stretching back to last December, Walsall may well arrive with an initial aim to frustrate their hosts.

The U’s boss said: “I think a team must prepare for every situation.

“We have done our homework and if they come and play defensively we just need the tools to unlock them.”

It could mean another afternoon where patience is a virtue, but that should not be a problem.

All nine goals United have scored at home in League One have come in the second half and Clotet has been delighted with the way supporters have understood the game plan.

“It shows they know about the game and what the team is trying,” he said.

“It’s a pleasure when you’re a coach and work for a club where their supporters know about the game.

“They know how difficult it is to build something based on the quality they’re building and they give that patience to the lads when they are playing.

“As soon as the lads manage to get something out of the game they feel very proud for the fans and themselves.

“I always have the feeling we do it together with the fans, because they help us to manage the game by giving us support at the right times.

“We always feel they are there.”