Skipper Nicky Forster insists none of the players involved in Tuesday’s horror show at Walsall can complain if they are axed for Saturday’s trip to Scunthorpe.

Forster, 35, was as critical of his own display as he was of Albion’s team performance following the 3-0 defeat which leaves the Seagulls three points adrift of safety with ten games to go, six of them away, starting at play-off contenders Scunthorpe on Saturday.

He said: “My performance wasn’t as good as it should be and when we don’t play well the first person I look at is myself. I have to hold my hand up and admit that.

“We have to look at ourselves. The manager assessed the performance with us yesterday and there may be changes on Saturday and no one can grumble if that is the case.”

Forster pulled no punches in his assessment of Albion’s display at Bescot where three first-half Walsall goals meant the second period was little more than a damage limitation exercise.

The Seagulls registered their only shot on target, a Dean Cox effort, in the 83rd-minute and apart from a header wide of the target Forster and strike partner Lloyd Owusu were living off scraps for most of the night after goals from Mark Bradley, Troy Deeney and Anthony Gerrard put the Saddlers in control.

Forster said: “We were second best all over the pitch and we have been told that in no uncertain terms by the manager.

“We know that. I can’t account for it but we have to find some answers because it wasn’t good enough.

“We missed out on every second ball and if I’m honest we lacked desire and that is hard to take. We have got to be better.

“Positives? I shouldn’t imagine the gaffer could take any whatsoever. It was a backward step. It looked like we’d taken a step forward after beating Yeovil 5-0 on Saturday and had something to build on so Walsall was very disappointing.”

While Albion were being dismantled at Bescot, Saturday’s opponents were beating struggling Hereford 3-0 to move back into the top six.

Scunthorpe have only lost three home league games, two of them against promotion rivals Leeds and Leicester, and have been beaten just once in their last five outings after a run of three successive away defeats in February stalled their push for an immediate return to the Championship.

“Scunthorpe will be a very tough game,” warned Forster.

“With no disrespect to Walsall, it will be a harder game on Saturday and we have to find some resolve within us if we are going to come away with anything.

“We have to put Tuesday behind us and make sure that at Scunthorpe on Saturday we roll our sleeves up and fight because one thing is for sure, if we turn in performances like Tuesday’s again we will be relegated.”