Football Season Review

Walsall had a massive summer clearout after two seasons in which they fell short of their Play-Off expectations. However, things didn't exactly go the way the Saddlers faithful expected them to, as Walsall started the season with a horrid run of form which saw them slip into the bottom four very early, and fail to show any signs of life until New Year. Hutchings' reign lasted until January 4th and he was shown the door after the 4-1 defeat to Peterborough which left his side eight points below safety 21 games into the season, with Dean Smith, the head of the youth academy, taking over in what was initially expected to be a caretaker role. Initially, the Saddlers struggled to really get going under Smith, but started to improve with the home wins over Dagenham & Redbridge and Southampton being among the Saddlers' most important results of the season. Eventually, Walsall entered the final found of the season a point below Dagenham, who occupied the final relegation place. The Saddlers lost at Southampton, but the Daggers were crushed by Peterborough with a 5-0 scoreline, allowing Smith's men to complete an unlikely escape. Smith made a few signings during his time in charge, but none of those had a huge effect on the side, and the real difference between his and Hutchings' time in charge was that they players managed to find an air of confidence under Smith. Walsall fans will remember this as a season in which their side managed to pull off a great escape, but everyone in the club will be determined not to let something similar happen next year. The squad has far too much quality to be in the relegation dog fight, and what made Walsall fight against the drop in the first place was Hutchings' poor management in the first half of the season.

Player of the Season: Andy Butler