Walsall supporters deliver Mat Sadler verdict in Express & Star survey

Our end-of-season poll found nearly two-thirds of Saddlers fans want the 40-year-old axed following the stunning collapse which saw their team miss out on promotion from League Two last season.

Walsall looked almost certain to go up when they sat top of the table in January, with a 15-point buffer over fourth place.

But they won only three more matches to miss out on automatic promotion in agonising fashion on the final day of the season.

Though they rallied to beat Chesterfield in the play-off semi-finals and reach Wembley, further disappointment followed as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat to Wimbledon in the final.

The stunning fall has shaken confidence in Sadler, who signed a new three-and-a-half year deal when his team were top of the pile, having recorded a club record nine-match winning run.

Of the supporters who took part in our survey, 65 per cent did not believe he should remain in charge for next season.

Fans are split, meanwhile, over the vision of owners Trivela for the club. The US-based firm have been criticised for not supporting Sadler sufficiently in the January transfer window, following the return of top scorer Nathan Lowe to Stoke.

In our survey, just 52 per cent of supporters said they had confidence in the owners, with fans split evenly when asked if they were happy with the standard of communication from the club’s hierarchy.

New chief executive Ben Sadler has proved a popular figure with 78 per cent of fans polled believing he has been a good addition to the board.

The January departure of Lowe, meanwhile, was seen as the key turning point in the campaign, with 97 per cent of supporters confident the Saddlers would have been promoted had the 19-year-old remained with the club.

Lowe scored 18 goals in all competitions and was named League Two’s young player of the season by the EFL despite playing in the division for only half of the campaign.

It is up front supporters believe the Saddlers must strengthen most this summer with 91 per cent of those polled believing that is the area which requires most attention. Yet only 37 per cent of fans expressed confidence the club will get their recruitment right.

A significant shake-up of the playing squad is expected with 13 players out of contract and Liam Gordon and Ryan Stirk among those to have already departed. More than four-fifths of supporters in our survey believe the club will require five or more signings this summer.

Defender Taylor Allen convincingly beat Lowe in the vote for player of the season, while the play-off semi-final win over Chesterfield was the best memory of the year for most supporters.

The gut-wrenching final day at Crewe, which saw Walsall win but miss out on automatic promotion due to Bradford’s late winner at home to Fleetwood, was voted the lowest point.