Saddlers boss Hutchings succeeded Jimmy Mullen in January 2009

Walsall boss Chris Hutchings feels that promotion from League One may not be a realistic ambition in the near future.

The Saddlers are rubbing shoulders this season with a host of bigger, better- supported clubs, Leeds United, Norwich City, Southampton and Huddersfield

And Hutchings told BBC WM: "You have to be realistic. We all have aims of being in the play-offs and promotion.

"But not everybody can with the resources that you have and you just have to deal with it."

The Saddlers have been inconsistent this season and, after finishing 13th last term, again look likely to finish just below halfway in the table.

But Hutchings is already setting his sights on a better campaign next time round.

"We want to be higher," said the former Wigan boss. "We want to get the best players in that we possibly can with the budget we have, that's run in the black.

"We have to take our hats off to everybody who deals with that side of things. It's difficult, but that's where we are.

"There's many teams like ourselves in the league who are fighting to get extra supporters in, and fighting hard to do as well as we can."

The successful youth structure at the Banks's Stadium remains an absolute key to bolstering the senior team.

And, with that in mind, the Saddlers have given three 18-year-olds their first professional deals.

Strikers Jamie Paterson and George Bowerman have agreed terms along with defender Alex Hickman.

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