Comment: Mat Sadler is entering beginning of the end territory after Walsall collapse

Only Barrow (three) and Tranmere Rovers (six) have picked up fewer points in the division so far in 2026. 

Their 2-0 home defeat against MK Dons on Monday has cut them 11 points adrift of the automatic promotion places, although only three points separate them from the play-offs. 

However, current form suggests that that gap will only widen, and the tension within the fan base is becoming increasingly insufferable. 

Seven games without a win is unacceptable for any team and it's difficult to see how Sadler survives the wrath of the supporters much longer. 

It felt as if the 3-1 defeat against Barnet earlier this month marked the point of no return, but there is certainly a sense that Sadler is entering beginning of the end territory at Walsall. 

His spell has featured many highs, but they have been tainted by the lows that have followed. 

An inability to maintain expectations, and the sheer extremity to which they have dropped off in the past two seasons, have ultimately led to this point. 

The infamous collapse of the previous campaign still lives fresh in the memory. The latest run of results are only adding salt into gaping wounds. 

Many bought into the long-term vision and a largely smart summer recruitment model has helped Walsall build squads capable of mounting a promotion charge. 

The issue has been maintaining that and the stumbling block has consistently coincided with poor business in the January windows. 

As far as that is concerned, fingers must be pointed towards the board, who have failed to equip Walsall with the ammunition to get over the line at the business end of the season.

That was widely reported last season, and despite keeping hold of top scorer Daniel Kanu, the lack of improvement overall has left them desperately short in some areas. 

None more so than in attack. Kanu has netted 16 goals but the lack of depth besides him is becoming increasingly alarming. 

Aaron Pressley has scored once in over four months and it was naive to expect veteran pair Albert Adomah and Jamille Matt to fill the void. 

It was also a damning indictment of his lack of trust towards January loan signing Aaron Loupalo-Bi when he opted to introduce Harrison Burke with Walsall trailing 1-0 with 15 minutes to go. 

Loupalo-Bi did eventually enter the action in the wake of Courtney Clarke's knee injury a few minutes later, but it hardly suggests that he is confident in his attacking options. 

The 20-year-old has struggled on his first loan in the Football League and his experience feels very reminiscent to that of Ethan Wheatley last season. 

Sadler perhaps summed up the issues best in his post-match press conference when he said that Walsall seem to be "playing within themselves". 

They look afraid not to make mistakes, and because of that, are not playing with the bravery required to create chances, and of course, score goals. 

Walsall have failed to find the net in five of their last nine games in League Two with only Crawley Town and Harrogate Town (both six) scoring fewer since the turn of the year. 

Sadler has attempted to tweak things. He has made 15 changes across the last five games and has experimented with a variety of midfield set-ups. 

Yet there has often been a frustrating theme prevailing time and time again. An insistence on playing the ball long has been met with groans from the stands, and that has remained the same regardless of the personnel on the pitch.

Sam Hornby insisted that the management team have equipped the players with everything they need to deliver the goods on the pitch and that they have "no excuses" for their seven-match winless run. 

But ultimately the responsibility will always boil down to the manager and time is running out for Sadler to prove the doubters wrong.