Football Season Review

Walsall endured their worst season in over half-a-century as they finished in a lowly 19th position in League 2. They went into the season having had a steady if unspectacular year under manager Darrell Clarke. He was working with a small squad even before the global Covid-19 pandemic and owner Leigh Pomlett was forced to tighten the purse strings even further. Performances remained uninspiring and things got worse in January when midfield playmaker Rory Holden suffered a serious knee injury and striker Elijah Adebayo was sold to Luton Town out of financial necessity. Clarke didn’t need much tempting when Port Vale came calling in mid-February and his defection came as a complete shock. Brian Dutton was placed in charge for the rest of the season and Pomlett’s faith in him looked rather misplaced. A desperate run of 13 games without a win saw the Saddlers slipping towards relegation and only back-to-back wins saved them from the drop. Dutton was sacked less than 48 hours after the end of the season. His successor will inherit a poor squad with Holden the only standout player. Liam Kinsella battled hard in the middle of the park whilst Emmanuel Osadebe enjoyed an encouraging second half to the season. The right manager might get more out of strikers Caolan Lavery and Josh Gordon but will have to make several additions during the summer.

Player of the Season: Emmanuel Osadebe