That is fair enough, the right way to do it.
The problem being that doing it that way, opportunities like this season won’t come around often, if ever again.
If promotion was that important to them, I genuinely believe they would have acted at the latest when we lost at Barrow. It was clear by then if not before, Sadler was not capable of getting us out of the rut.
As Walsall fans, of course we’d love to see the club splash £18 million on top players and charge up the leagues—who wouldn’t want a Wrexham-style fairytale? But let’s be honest, that’s not how this is going to work. Trivela is an investment company, not a billionaire’s passion project.
From the start, they’ve been open about their model: a multi-club structure. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’ve invested in another club. That £18 million, why are we bothered? It’s money from their investors - not from Walsall FC.
We’ve already seen players moving between Walsall and Drogheda, and while work permits might limit similar deals with Silkeborg, there’s potential for future collaboration.
You know the “well run club” line we clung to under Bonsor like some bastion of moral supremacy, well it’s exactly the same as that, just worded with an Masters in Business Administration degree from an American university.
Unfortunately, at this level it is. When we missed out in the League 1 play offs we questioned why we didn’t take advantage of the loan market like Barnsley did.
In relation to the questions and fans forum, yes we do, it’s about how we achieve that incremental improvement next year. If we’re in League 2, that has to be promotion.
I’d take a very very small fraction of that, that’s the issue. If you have 18 million quid to spend on another football club, you have the money to give us an extremely strong League Two side. It’s just fact. People can be ok with that, and that’s fine. More power to them, I could never. Especially when being asked to dig further into my own pocket.
What on earth has that got to do with anything? You won’t answer because it doesn’t, but I’m a Walsall fan, not a fan of their, or their investors Bank Balances. If they were concerned about that, then purchasing an English lower league football club was a very interesting choice to just feather a nest egg. Why would I give a shit about that?
It’s amazing that Walsall fans are now excusing a lack of investment, because “hey it’s not our money”, after belly aching about Bonser not putting his own money in for decades.
Christ mate. We are really scrapping the barrel there if the pay off for a lack of investment is Evan bloody Weir.
I’m still waiting to understand what as fans we need to do to meet Trivela halfway, would be useful if you could address this 
I think you are missing the bigger picture here - Trivela isn’t a group of multimillionaires throwing money around to buy instant success. They’re a multi-club investment group, and their approach is built on sustainability and long-term value.
Their investors will expect a return at some point, so dropping £18 million on a League Two club just isn’t realistic - you’re never going to recoup that kind of spend at this level. That’s why their model is more measured, focused on growth across their group of clubs, rather than splashing cash for short-term gain.
Nope. I get that. There’s a world of difference between that and what I am suggesting.
Ironic considering you just tried to claim I am not seeing the bigger picture, when you just misrepresented my point completely. I said a fraction of that would be sufficient.
Called it.
Failure to gain promotion this season will directly be down to the pig-headedness of one man, everything else is peripheral in respect to this.
I agree it is on Sadler.
And I don’t blame Trivela not backing Sadler in January for us not getting promoted. However, them not acting when it was clear Sadler could not turn it around, should not be ignored.
How do we know Trivela haven’t already invested a fraction of that into Walsall FC as well? Just because the headline figure wasn’t here doesn’t mean nothing’s been spent.
Look at January. We brought in players who, on paper, looked like smart signings. Wheatley seemed a solid addition on loan, and Harrison generated a fair bit of excitement on here. Unfortunately, it just didn’t pan out the way we’d hoped on the pitch (let’s avoid the Sadler debate here).
Let’s not forget - we also pushed to sign Freddie Draper for what would have been a club record fee. The deal was ready to go until Lincoln pulled the plug at the last minute. It shows intent, even if it didn’t come off.
Turning it around (doing enough to gain promotion ) from the position we were in around Christmas, involved us doing so little that I still can’t believe it hasn’t been achieved and I’m sure Trivela can’t either. Five minutes of solid defending at the end of the game at Cheltenham would have sufficed.
Oh they will have! an extremely bloody small one granted but it will indeed be a fraction 
Careful mate, if you’re not careful you will come down with Cherry Blossom poisoning.
Yeah. You keep saying that and didn’t respond the last time I pointed out that wasn’t the case either so not going to attempt it again.
I agree with you. I have said that many times.
There must have been a point though where it became clear promotion was in danger and Sadler could not get us out of the rut. I’d say after the Barrow game, but the concerns started quite a bit before that.
I completely agree - Sadler has to take responsibility, and like many of you, I think it’s time for a change in the dugout. But pointing fingers at Trivela for not spending a fraction of that £18 million here misses the mark.
The real question isn’t about that money - it’s about what comes next. We need to understand Trivela’s plan for next season: how they intend to keep driving that incremental improvement and, just as importantly, how they’ll ensure we don’t end up in a downward spiral.
Or Sadler making a sub in injury time. Insane!
One of the questions ISSA has already raised and will be asked at the fans forum, if given the opportunity.
Only if you want to conveniently ignore it.
At least you get a response, I’m still sat here on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what more I can do to meet Trivela half-way, beyond buying a ST, going to Crewe on Saturday, spending money in The Locker, buying my lad a replica shirt.
Come on @DavidWFC, last chance.
To be honest, if Nathan Lowe hadn’t performed the way he did, we probably have been relegated by now.