Walsall potential is there with one-of-a-kind Jon Whitney
Jon Whitney has already been tasked with transforming Walsall's fortunes once in the past few months.
And now the 45-year-old, who in my opinion passed that first test with flying colours, is now set for an even greater challenge.
The news all Saddlers fans had been expecting was finally confirmed yesterday when the Walsall stalwart was named as the club's permanent new manager.
Handed a three-year deal, the retired defender now has to try and keep the club in the promotion picture despite a raft of players being expected to leave.
It's fair to say the majority of supporters back the appointment but there are those who would like to have seen a more experienced man take the helm.
And while there will be candidates out there who have managed more games in League One, none of them would have been able to match the commitment and enthusiasm Whitney will bring to the role.
Whitney, as a character, is a one-off. And he doesn't mind you saying so. He is passionate, hard-working and positive. He also refuses to be downbeat.
Spend 20 minutes in his company and you feel like climbing Everest and it's that belief which rescued the Saddlers last season.
Under Sean O'Driscoll, it looked like Walsall's impressive start to the season would go to waste and that they would topple out of the play-offs. But Whitney galvanised the squad and made sure they pushed Burton Albion all the way before having to settle for third spot.
At that point, all Walsall fans would have given him the manager's job on a permanent basis. And yet, there is no denying the play-offs were a huge disappointment.
In hindsight, it's clear Whitney should have gone with a more defensive line-up in the first leg.
But it's hard to see how anyone would have stopped Barnsley going on to claim the third promotion spot – with the likes of Adam Hammill, Ash Fletcher and Lloyd Isgrove performing at levels way above League One.
Sceptics to Whitney's appointment will also point to the defeats at Sheffield United and Bradford.
The reality though is that after taking charge of 14 games last season, Whitney enjoyed an impressive 57 per cent win percentage.
Whitney will probably always have to live with the tag of being a former physio. But having played the game professionally, worked as the head of Walsall's medical department and been a close adviser of Dean Smith, he is vastly experienced.
He is also Walsall through and through and knows the make-up of the club and which players will suit its philosophy.
As with any managerial appointment, he is a gamble. But a Saddlers team in the mould of Whitney has the potential to achieve more than if they had just appointed another journeyman.
