SIMON Grayson admits City do not have the quality to match their play-off rivals.

But he expects to see his team “busting a gut” to beat Walsall this afternoon and keep their hopes alive.

His side are approaching “must win” territory after four losses in the last five games have sent them drifting down the table.

Grayson refuses to accept the top six is now beyond them – and is demanding a response against the Saddlers at Valley Parade.

He said: “The supporters want to see things happen and they are not getting value for money from the players at this moment in time.

“They should be busting a gut and desperate to go one step further than they did at Wembley last May time. There should be the inner desire to do it.

“Have we got the quality that other teams have? Probably not.

“But you’ve got to try and get the best out of the group you’ve got.

“What other people do is out of our control. We’ve got to make sure we turn up and put in a real whole-hearted performance.”

City won for the first time since New Year’s Day with a tense 1-0 victory over Gillingham in their last Valley Parade appearance. But they failed to kick on from that with Thursday’s meek effort at Blackburn in front of the TV cameras.

“Players aren’t producing the sort of performances they are capable of or have done in the past,” added Grayson.

“The crowd want to see a reaction and so do I.

“We’ve obviously had a couple of days extra on Walsall to recover and we’ve got to play with an intensity.

“Every team – and all the best teams in Europe and the world – play with an intensity off the ball to stop the opposition from playing. Then when they get it, they go and do what they are capable of.

“You won’t get a rollicking from me for trying to make things happen, get a cross in, have a shot, try and take somebody on.

“But too many players are taking the safe option and not trying to be positive enough.

“Players have to show that real desire, inner belief and confidence that they want to make things happen. They’ve got to enjoy what they are doing.

“There’s an air of acceptance that if it’s going against us and we don’t go in front, then it’s not going to be our day.”