Walsall’s summer checklist: restructure, new head coach and ruthless calls | OneFootball

Walsall face a pivotal summer after a 4-0 home loss to Cheltenham all but killed faint play-off hopes.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, work is under way to appoint a head of football, then a successor to Mat Sadler. Darren Byfield is in interim charge, but defeats to Swindon and Cheltenham last week have dented his prospects unless results swing dramatically in the final three games.

Seventeen players are not contracted beyond the summer, including loanees Myles Roberts, Kacper Lopata, Jid Okeke, Rico Richards, Daniel Kanu and Aaron Loupalo-Bi. Out-of-contract names include Priestley Farquharson, Rico Browne, Aden Flint, Evan Weir, Alfie Chang, Brandon Comley, Charlie Lakin, Jamie Jellis, Dylan Thomas, Jamille Matt and Albert Adomah. With last term’s release-retain deadline falling a fortnight after the regular season for non play-off sides, a similar window would be tight, particularly if a new head coach is calling the shots.

Pressure is mounting on Trivela after winter recruitment repeatedly faltered, stalling talk of incremental progress and leaving an eighth straight season in the fourth tier looming. Sadler’s summer work, from smart loans to non-league finds, owed much to early planning, and uncertainty now clouds that process.

The incoming head of football must be aligned with the head coach and will be expected to drive football strategy and oversee first-team, academy, medical and performance, recruitment and analysis. Trivela met early promises by buying Bescot’s freehold and renovating The Locker to grow matchday and non-matchday income, while some structural tweaks have fared better than others. Momentum has seemed to stall over the past 18 months, particularly since the group bought Drogheda United and, more recently, Danish club Silkeborg IF.

There is also a challenging market, with rivals such as MK Dons and Salford City spending heavily. Walsall’s 2024-25 revenue of £8.226 million ranked third in the division, while a £1.968 million net loss was smaller than several peers.

First, appointments in the football department must be settled. Then come hard calls on split-opinion out-of-contract players, with another overhaul likely in the post-Sadler era.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com