Halsall warning to Walsall
Mick Halsall today delivered a final warning to Walsall after making a surprise switch to Wolves.
The Saddlers' ex-head of youth moved to Molineux yesterday and has been appointed assistant academy manager with the Premier League new boys. Halsall spent a decade at the Banks's Stadium, nurturing the likes of Matty Fryatt and Scott Dann, and last season eight of the first-team squad were former trainees.
But the 47-year-old, who replaces John Perkins and will work with the 16-18 age group, says the Saddlers cannot keep expecting the same success in the future. "People can't expect the conveyer belt to continue at the rate it has," he said.
"There's going to be a stumbling block somewhere and a lot of the time that comes down to the scouting, the recruitment structure.There isn't a conveyer belt of four or five every year, you have to be realistic."
Halsall pointed to Manchester United, who saw an explosion of youth in the early 1990s with David Beckham and Paul Scholes breaking through before a lull.
"I think they'll be one or two breaking through but not the masses we've seen in the past," said Halsall, who will work with Wolves academy manager Kevin Thelwell.
