Walsall 2023/24 Season Preview: Future looking bright

Walsall are set to embark on their fifth season in League Two after relegation in 2019, but this time fans can be cautiously optimistic.

The Saddlers finished 16th for the second consecutive term last season, leading to Michael Flynn being given his marching orders. He was replaced with ex-Walsall player Mat Sadler, who is taking on his first senior management role.

He will be joined by former Cambridge assistant Gary Waddock as his number two as well as former Saddlers hero Darren Byfield as first team coach.

The trio will be looking to put some difficult times behind them after failing to finish above 16th since the 2019/20 season and with the club on their fourth manager in four years.

Last season was technically an improvement on the last as they were never in danger of relegation, but they need improvements after winning just three league games since the turn of the year.

Sadler has set out to make changes with yet another squad overhaul this summer and has brought in some serious talent for the level.

Transfers

Players in: Ryan Stirk, Chris Hussey, Priestley Farquharson, Douglas James-Taylor, Danny Johnson, Freddie Draper (loan), Harry Williams, Jackson Smith, Ross Tierney (loan), Aramide Oteh

Players out: Liam Kinsella, Manny Monthe, Hayden White, Conor Wilkinson, Timmy Abraham, Andy Williams, Joss Labadie, Peter Clarke, Jacob Maddox, Sam Perry

Some Walsall fans were understandably concerned when midfield stalwart Liam Kinsella and popular defender Manny Monthe were included on the released list, but they have replaced them both and then some.

Ryan Stirk is familiar to League Two fans after a stellar loan with Mansfield Town in the 2021/22 season and he has already impressed in pre-season with Walsall. Irish Under-21 international Ross Tierney will also provide plenty of flair from midfield.

Chris Hussey and Priestley Farquharson are very solid defenders in League Two and they replace Manny Monthe and Hayden White perfectly. They will be joined by promising youngster Harry Williams, who joins the club from Alvechurch.

However, the best signings are in the forward areas. Danny Johnson will grab the headlines as he looks to build on his fantastic loan spell at the club last season, but Freddie Draper looks every bit as good. The ferocious young striker presses relentlessly and will force plenty of mistakes from defenders, creating chances for Johnson to bury.

Douglas James-Taylor enjoyed a somewhat mixed loan spell at the Bescot Stadium last season but showed flashes of ability, while Aramide Oteh was a rare bright light in a dire campaign for Crawley Town. Goalkeeper Jackson Smith will also offer strong competition to Owen Evans for the starting berth.

Playing style

Pre-season matches are rarely an indication of quality, but they have given a glimpse into how Walsall could look to play this season.

In their annual friendly against Aston Villa, they showed a strong level of defensive resilience and looked highly organised in a back three. Hussey, Farquharson and Donervon Daniels provided a solid back line, supported by Oisin McEntee and Liam Gordon. McEntee is not a natural full-back and drifted inside to become more of a midfielder, but he screened the defence well.

The Saddlers can also count on Joe Riley and Tom Knowles as potential full-back and wing-back options, with both players chipping in over the course of the summer. Youngster Tom Owen has also been given opportunities to impress in pre-season. Central defender Joe Foulkes has also been promoted to the Walsall first team after an impressive loan spell at Kidderminster last season.

Sadler can also count on a strong midfield, with Brandon Comley McEntee being joined by Stirk and Tierney in the centre of the park. Last season’s Young Player of the Season Isaac Hutchinson offers some creativity alongside youngster Ronan Maher to support their stacked front line.

Their issue lies in the wide areas, where they lack any real creativity. Walsall have not been playing with wingers this summer, shifting the creative burden to the wing-backs. The only player that really fits this mould is Gordon, with Knowles being more effective further up the pitch. Liam Bennett filled the role last season, but they are still yet to truly replace him after he went back to Cambridge in January.

This is perhaps why they have not looked fully comfortable when trying to play on the front foot in pre-season. Despite playing two National League sides and a youth team in their final three friendlies, they failed to truly control any of the games.

If they were to make any more signings this summer, it should probably be a more progressive wing-back.

Finish

While Walsall have had a very strong transfer window, League Two is shaping up to be an incredibly competitive league this season.

Newly-promoted sides Wrexham and Notts County look almost certain for promotion alongside defeated Play-Off finalists Stockport County. Gillingham and Doncaster Rovers have also heavily strengthened while Bradford City will be eyeing up another strong campaign. Salford City and MK Dons look a step below those teams, but both will be gunning for the Play-Offs.

It will seemingly be almost impossible for any team outside of this clutch to make any real dart at the Play-Offs. Combine that with Sadler being a new manager and an unknown quantity, and it looks likely to be another season in midtable.

However, they should have enough to get their first top-half finish since 2020 and build an identity to carry into a potential promotion push in 2024/25.

Prediction: 10th