I always think timing is an interesting factor - the new deal is launched to the press the same day as the EFL CEO announces his departure
I think you will find the deal was announced in November 2018.
I think Keates should be courageous and invite Craig Shakespeare to come and assist until the end of the season. Keates is obviously having difficulty seeing the wood for the trees. New eyes, new ideas and a nrw voice might help.
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I don’t think Craig would want to come as a number 2. If he came at all i think he would want to be totally in charge.
I don’t think Shakey would touch us with a barge pole. His stock is still fairly high at the moment.
I really don’t see Bonser making a change, unless he just promotes from within. No established or proven manager would take the job IMHO.
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These kind of threads always provide such a rich stream of humorous content. Bearing in mind our history appointing managers some of these suggestions are utterly ludicrous - even more so than similar threads at the end of the Whitney era!
Suspending all rational thought for a minute; Craig Shakespeare who did okay at Premier League club (on Premier League wages) is going to come into a crisis hit League 1 club (who have a history of rolling out legends as sacrificial lambs) on miserly wages and possibly the lowest budget in the league - as a NUMBER 2 to a novice!
Hahahaha do some Walsall fans ever engage that brain they have been given…almost as ridiculous as Allardyce. I can sit here and type the names of decent managers that might save us but we would not pay for until I get sore fingers, but we all know it won’t happen under JB 
I understand we can all dream but come on people, lets get real and stay on planet earth…
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I think we’ll get Chambo and Ward until the end of the season at some point.
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I bet if they asked Ray Graydon to come in until the end of the season to assist Keates he would come and I dare say Keates would welcome him. Even more important I think it would win over the fans, but the danger is we could end up with 2 fallen hero’s.
With regards to the squad I have seen enough quality to get us out of this mess but I don’t think the wingers rolling in as Keates put it is the answer. We would be better off with 3 -5 -2, get some crosses in to Cook and stop the opposition wingers and full backs having it all their own way.
Just my opinion.
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Graydon wouldn’t come back.
I’m glad of that too. Far too good a man for this set up.
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I agree Funk and have said the same on numerous previous posts - some folk don’t seem to realise what WFC has become during recent years…
Shaky wouldn’t come anywhere near us…
Chambers doesn’t strike me as a person who could be bothered with the hassle of managing others. I reckon it will be Graham Biggs. Not like our masses of academy geniuses are keeping him very occupied anyway 
Sir ray has already been through that, bonzo said he sacked sir ray because he looked a beaten man and didn’t want to put him through any more heartache.And deano is going through it now.
Ray Graydon is an elderly man now, the last thing he needs at this time of life is a crisis hit football club - all down to the same man that sacked him prematurely.
What would make this situation even more unbearable than the greatest hero in recent times coming back and failing miserably?! I would rather get relegated than have either that happen or the whole situation having a negative impact on a true legends health / retirement
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I met Ray a few years ago in Spain and he would have come back then although it was a while ago. Every time he saw me he shouted ‘Up The Saddlers’ - what a legend.
Personally I think a new manager is the best option, we can’t keep putting out a different team every week, with the wrong mixture of players and wrong tactics. We need to decide on the best team and get the ball down and play football.
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Does Chris Nicholl still show up at the JB stadium ?
My point is for Keates to invite Shakespeare to help him out not to replace him. A different voice might change things.
But surely the expensive backroom staff he has assembled have enough experience? or are they hanging him out to dry?
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Our history and in particular Bonsers, suggests that in the main, we/he appoint unknown cheap managers. Often barely tested.
I think i read he is suffering from early onset of dementia 