I have to say if Sadler gets this team automatically promoted (and let’s be honest there’s no real standout team so far so winning the league remains a possibility) then it will go down as one of the greatest decisions made in Walsall history.
When he was appointed I was underwhelmed like many on here but prepared to give him a chance. First few months of last season was exactly why I didn’t want him as team was just the same as previous seasons, lack of goals, lack of intensity, playing players in wrong positions (McEntee) and many other issues. The odd decent result like beating Stockport or winning away at Bradford just papered over the cracks.
In a few years time we’ll probably pinpoint the turning point as being 1-0 down at Notts County and then coming out second half and completely outplaying them and winning. It’s worth remembering that losing that day and the club would’ve been very close to the bottom 2. Instead won it and then you had the fantastic Wrexham win three weeks later which gave the squad more belief.
In reality the form in 2024 has been largely good and now it’s turned into promotion winning form in last 10 games.
Still long way to go but just like 15/16 there’s a prolific CF and goals from all over the pitch to help him. I just hope there’s a decent plan if Lowe is recalled as we’ve been here before.
Sadler has got the team doing what I expected Clarke and Flynn to do but both failed spectacularly. Bit of luck or did Trivela realise there was a coaching mastermind behind the scenes all along? Like many decisions in Football that become brilliant I suspect it is a combination of the two.
It would be a praiseworthy effort, but it would hardly be thought of as better than that achieved by Bill Moore, Chris Nichol, Ray Graydon and Richard Money who all became manager when the club was in a very poor state, and won promotion in their first season.
More similarities to Tommy Coakley actually, who fans didn’t really want and had an extremely poor start, but turned it round in the second half of the season and got promoted the following season.
I agree with SaddlerHQ though, Sadler must have been close to getting the sack with our league position and the feelings of a large section of fans towards him.
Coakley did spend a lot of money. We do not know how much Sadler’s budget was but he is mainly working on developing players whereas Tommy C brought in players such as Christie and Forbes who were well established.
It was his second full season wasn’t it? He turned up part of the way through 57-58 and we went up in 59-60. It was still a brilliant achievement, although it happened before I was around.
Haven’t you been paying attention Laundryman. Saddlers budget was slashed more viscously than a Freddie Kruger victim, according to all those in the know
I think it would be on par at least with Dosh, if not better. Back then the club was chronically mismanaged but with the double relegation there were still some decent players left, they just needed some structure and he built superbly from the back. DD won the league so unless Sadler equals it he’d probably edge ahead.
Certainly not arguing against Sir Ray, he’s in a league of his own.
I just think to me I didn’t really rate the Sadler appointment, last season was up and down and club for quite a few years has had the feel of just happy to exist mid table in league 2 so this form has to me come out of nowhere.
It’s different to say 15/16 where Smith had been building that squad for a couple of years and you felt a season like that was around the corner, I didn’t see this dominance right at the top happening anytime soon but here we are and long may it continue.
I’m one of Sadlers biggest critics. I’d have seen him up the road early last season. I’m also a huge fan of Richard Money. I think his job is harder than Moneys was. Even if he gets up via the play offs his achievement would beat Moneys title.
Then again I’ve said several times on this thread - this is Div 4. Decent keeper. Organised hard to beat team. Get a goalscorer. You’ll be in the mix.
Spoke to BB today in the Locker and talked about MS and the worry about if other clubs come calling.
His reply is, “I speak to MS daily, and he feels like he has something to prove here first. If someone did come in for him , we would do our best to match what they are offering”
Said a few weeks ago, might have been in this thread, but he’s got to be one of the best young managers in the country at the moment.
The way he’s transformed the club, on and off the pitch in such a short space of time, how well people speak about him and now he’s getting big results where his style of football is extremely effective.
The likes of Shrewsbury, who are struggling in the division above would probably be the first team after him.
They were slated at the time, but seems like it was a masterstroke by Trivela who gave him a new contract in the summer.
Not taking anything away from MS and I have always been one of his supporters, however the football management structure is no longer one person it’s a whole group from Jordan, ROK through to Sadler, Waddock , Byfield and the all important Stats / Data guy.
MS fits perfectly into this model and when at some point he does move on I’m confident in the management structure that unlike when Dean Smith left everything that has been built up in the last 18 months will not come tumbling down. However by the time he does leave we will be a mid championship side😁
In all seriousness I think you are absolutely spot on with your analysis. The backroom staff are belonging to the club and not Sadler as such, so I imagine if he departed for a job elsewhere the rest of the staff would not move, you would still have Waddocks expertise and we would be looking just to replace a head coach. The foundations we are building are strong and robust.
This was stated at the time of recruitment, if we were to lose the figure head manager or coach the rest of the “structure” would stay in place. The aim to move away from if a manager goes we don’t have to replace the whole team and start all over again and even a change in how we play and that would mean possible changes in playing staff been required. Boom to bust not the incremental progress model they wanted, I was a bit suspect but the plan seems clear now.
It also aids recruitment of young players, you know what you want and the direction of development too
Hence the importance of getting the right manager in the first place
Thumbs up all round
Pretty unlikely though if that’s in league one given the higher demands at that level compared to down here where the club really should be challenging for promotion now after five years at this level.
Just the manner of it is astounding me. I thought it would be more like Bradford/Chesterfield, drawing games and grinding out other wins and being around 7th-9th rather than right at the top completely demolishing certain teams with goals all over the park.
Hardly anyone saw this coming at the end of July when Josh Gordon was the marquee summer signing at that point.
I suggest you take a look at how he has faired at local non league clubs. He’s tried management. I’m pretty sure at both Walsall Wood and Alvechurch they kicked on after him. Didn’t do much under him. Might be a good coach / staff member though.
Not disagreeing as your right but to play devils advocate Crawley fans spoke well of him whilst acting as caretaker manager, of course they were a bit of a basket case at the time, perhaps he communicates better with pro,s rather than those with lesser experience or understanding.
But I would of thought Waddock as caretaker until a process took place would be more likely
