Walsall’s search for a new head coach, what we know so far | OneFootball

Walsall have yet to appoint a permanent successor to Mat Sadler, leaving supporters waiting to learn who will lead them next season.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, Sadler was dismissed in March after two wins from 14, a sequence that included his first run of three straight defeats in two and a half years. The Saddlers were three points off the play-offs then, and finished 13 adrift.

Former Huddersfield Town manager Lee Grant has been linked and is believed to be on the shortlist. He was sacked in January after eight months, departing with a 41.7 per cent win rate. Before that he spent three years on Ipswich Town’s coaching staff.

South Shields boss Ian Watson has also been mentioned, though chairman Geoff Thompson has twice rejected the idea on social media. Boreham Wood’s Luke Garrard was another name, but he signed a new contract on Monday.

Interim head coach Darren Byfield oversaw the final 10 games, starting with five unbeaten before four defeats in the last five. He said his future was unclear at full-time on the final day, and if he were a leading candidate you would suspect the club might have confirmed him by now.

New head of football Stewart Mairs said last week the search is intense and thorough, and not thought to be far away. With 12 players released, the next head coach faces an immediate rebuild, and patience may fray if the wait extends beyond the end of May.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com