In the build-up to a second away game in four days, the Latics boss addressed the shortcomings that undermined his side's performance in the Midlands and has challenged his players to quickly rediscover the standards that have brought success this season - as recently as last Saturday.

Mellon is adamant they have the quality to compete with anyone in League Two.

But he says that will only happen if the players consistently produce the levels he is confident they are capable of.

"We know the way that we want to play," he said.

"It's about getting back to the version of us consistently that looks like scoring goals and keeping clean sheets, passing the ball and showing that desire to want to press the ball and win the ball back and all the aggressions and all those characteristics.

"It is all about that. It is only about that."

Mellon revealed he held frank discussions, individually and collectively, in the wake of the Walsall setback in which he outlined expectations.

"We had a good meeting with individuals and the group and we spoke about what the asks are of us as a team and people, mentally and physically, technically, tactically all that kind of stuff and I expect to be able to see that more because that's the asks of this football club," he explained.

"So they will be expected to train properly and then show those qualities at the weekend and be that best version of ourselves and go and get a result, because we definitely know that it's in there."

Mellon admitted the inconsistency so far had created uncertainty, and that is something he is looking to correct.

"We don't even know what we're going to get ourselves sometimes," he admitted.

"I think it's all about us concentrating on being the best version of ourselves and knowing that when we are that we can be a match or better than anybody in this division.

"So if we can just turn up and be that version of ourselves we know that we can cause anybody problems."