Walsall head coach search, what we know so far | OneFootball

Walsall are still to appoint a permanent successor to Mat Sadler, leaving next season’s plans on hold. According to ExpressAndStar.com, head of football Stewart Mairs says the search has been intense and thorough and that an appointment might not be far away.

Sadler was dismissed in March after two wins in 14, including the first run of three straight defeats of his two-and-a-half year reign. Walsall were three points off the play-offs, a gap that grew to 13 by season’s end.

Former Huddersfield Town boss Lee Grant has been linked and is said to be on the shortlist. He left in January after eight months with a 41.7 per cent win rate. Before that he spent three years on Ipswich Town’s staff ahead of his first managerial role at the Kirklees Stadium.

South Shields manager Ian Watson has also been mentioned, though chairman Geoff Thompson has twice denied it on social media. Boreham Wood boss Luke Garrard, another name raised, has signed a new contract.

Interim Darren Byfield led the final 10 games, an initial five-match unbeaten run followed by four defeats in the last five, and said after the season he was unsure about his future. The club released 12 players last week, so the incoming head coach faces an early overhaul.

Byfield suggested before the final game that clarity could come within a week, but that window has passed with little public update. Patience may fray if the wait drifts beyond May, with transfer and pre-season planning pressing.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com