Walsall Season Preview 2021/22: Taylor made for the Saddlers

Last season was just awful if you’re a Walsall supporter. The club’s downward trajectory continued and it was only the failings of others that stopped them from being relegated.

If you were one of the unfortunate few that tuned in to watch the Saddlers play Southend away, you’ll understand how long 90 minutes can actually be. It was a dreadful game played out by two teams who looked desperately short of both quality and hope.

A summer of rejuvenation has changed the mood around the Bescot with chairman Leigh Pomlett vowing never to put himself through another campaign like 2020/21.

He set about putting to right the football structures required to run a modern football club and brought in a manager in Matt Taylor who is articulate, bright and blessed with a vision of how he wants the game to be played.

Jamie Fullerton was appointed technical director while the new manager will also be able to call upon the experience of his assistant Neil McDonald. All this bodes well, but it is prudent to remember that changes of this nature can take time to bed in and have an effect.

The squad churn that Saddlers fans have been used to is prevalent again this summer but not without reason. They needed a reset after the recruitment last season left them without enough quality to adequately compete. New players arrive then, and new hopes and expectations arrive with them.

The main thing for Walsall is to make sure progress is made and the disaster of 2020/21 is not repeated, ever!

The Squad

Matt Taylor and Jamie Fullarton hae rebuilt the Walsall first-team squad and there is a lot to like about the work so far.

At the back Manny Monthe, a monster in the heart of Tranmere’s defence when they won promotion in 2018/19, has joined after leaving the Wirral club this summer. He has been joined by Rollin Menayese, a man who struggled at Mansfield but really shone at Grimsby during the second half of last season.

Ash Taylor has signed from Aberdeen but will be better known to EFL fans from his time at Northampton. He is considered a solid defender and with Dan Scarr heading to Argyle, this is a good replacement. Zak Mills, another hard-working defender, offers an option at right-back.

They have added experienced full-back Stephen Ward, a player who has 50 international caps for Ireland, as another leader for the younger pros to follow. 22-year-old midfielder Jack Earing was snapped up from Halifax and is a play with potential.

Pacey forward Brendan Kiernan is an underrated addition. He is has landed at the Bescot after a decent campaign with Harrogate in which the highlight was his hat-trick in a thrilling 5-4 win against Cambridge.

In attack, a position where they really struggled last season, they have brought in Conor Wilkinson from Leyton Orient after a really good season in East London. The rangy forward netted 15 goals during the campaign where he was often on the right of a front three. Walsall hae also added Kieran Phillips, a 20-year-old striker on loan from Huddersfield, but they still feel a bit light in attack overall.

In goal, Jack Rose remains from last season and he’ll be fighting for the number one spot with Carl Rushworth, a young stopper from Brighton who is highly-rated by the Seagulls.

Newcomer to watch: Joss Labadie

Joss Labadie leaving Newport was not a huge surprise but the fact he landed at Walsall was a big one. The midfielder has been a key player at Rodney Parade over the last few years and he’ll be sorely missed, fan reaction alone will tell you that.

His presence in the centre of midfield will be a massive boost for Walsall who lacked that leadership last season. Alongside Liam Kinsella, Sam Perry and Alfie Bates, the Saddlers now have some really nice options.

Verdict

The Saddlers have made a lot of changes over the summer and that could take time to come together, however, there is a lot of positivity around the place again which is great to see. Cautious optimism about the coming campaign is undermined only by a suspicion that goalscoring could still be a problem for this side. A mid-table finish, however, would not be a bad thing and anything more would be a welcome bonus.

words James Richards, D3D4 Football