Walsall analysis: Darren Byfield bold approach rewarded with stellar display in Crewe win

Former boss Mat Sadler had religiously stuck with a 3-5-2 formation for the majority of his reign, but Byfield immediately took a different approach. 

Byfield meant business with bold selection

Byfield had vowed to play front-foot football and his bold selection suggested that he meant business. 

38-year-old Albert Adomah rolled back the years on the right wing and Jid Okeke was able to express himself more on the left. 

Rico Browne was also brought in from the cold after over two months without playing a single minute in League Two and produced a very steady performance at right-back. 

Why Flint call made sense

There were so many interesting tactical tweaks across the pitch, but his decision to leave Aden Flint out was perhaps the biggest talking point of all. 

Flint had been the only Walsall player to start every league game this season and seemed indispensable during the first half of the campaign. 

Questions have began to be levelled at the 36-year-old in recent weeks, although that has been the case for all of his teammates following a dismal run of two wins from the final 14 games under Sadler. 

Yet it made complete sense to trial things without Flint. Sadler had experimented with a variety of defensive combinations - albeit within the confines of the 3-5-2 - but was reluctant to drop Flint.

That is not to say that Flint has been the problem, but as Byfield explained at full-time, it seemed an ideal time to freshen things up. 

And that is exactly what he did. There was a renewed energy about Walsall and Adomah set the tone for an excellent display when he provided the breakthrough inside the opening four minutes. 

Packing the box (and a punch) in attack

It came from the first Walsall attack of the game, but they showed a cutting edge which has been lacking since the turn of the year. 

Jid Okeke nudged the ball forward to Mason Hancock and cleverly took Tommi O'Reilly out of the equation with a darting run down the right. 

That created the space needed for Hancock to deliver a low cross into the box which was initially seized upon by Daniel Kanu. 

His shot was blocked but Charlie Lakin delivered a bouncing cross to the back post for Adomah to apply the deftest of flicks into the bottom corner. 

It was the perfect start, but was also the reward for packing the box and committing players forward to supply the right kind of service in the final third. 

Walsall had 21 touches in the opposition box - 11 of which resulted in an attempt at goal - and finished the afternoon with a commanding xG of 3.85. 

Adomah was a menace with his runs in behind and threaded a through ball in behind for Kanu who was upended inside the box by Crewe goalkeeper Lawlor. 

Kanu backed to end goal drought 

It was just the second time Walsall had been awarded a penalty in League Two, but they have failed to score on both occasions, as Kanu's tame effort was comfortably repelled. 

The Charlton Athletic loanee - who has scored 16 times this term - has failed to score in any of his last six games, but Byfield backed him to hit the goal scoring front again when asked about his drought.

Kanu rattled the post with a header moments later, but Walsall went in at the break pleased with the first half showing, which had seen them reduce Crewe to very little due to their efficiency out-of-possession. 

They pressed in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Brandon Comley playing an instrumental role as the defensive screen to prevent the creative O'Reilly and young Slovakian playmaker 

That prevented Crewe from building out from the back and stopped the creative O'Reilly and young Slovakian playmaker Matúš Holíček from picking up space between the lines.

Kanu led the press and was backed up by willing runners such as Jamie Jellis and Lakin alongside Adomah and Okeke, who virtually formed a blockade at times to stop Crewe building out from the back. 

Walsall started on the front-foot once again after the break, but there was a slight lull in the entertainment when Crewe began to bring on attacking reinforcements. 

Proactive subs made the difference 

This was when Byfield prove his worth with a string of proactive changes. First, Aaron Pressley was introduced and Kanu was shunted out to the left. 

Vincent Harper also impressed when tasked with filling the void at right-back after Browne succumbed to a knock picked up in the first half. 

Pressley came close when he glanced a devilish cross from Jellis inches wide, but the Scotsman was rewarded for his tenacity in front of goal when he added the finishing touches to a sweeping run from Adomah down the left. 

By that point, Alex Pattison had also been introduced, and Byfield picked the right moment to finally revert to the back-three. 

Pattison marked his emergence from the bench with a superb ball in behind for Adomah, who capped a dreamy afternoon with a delightful dink over the onrushing Lawlor. 

It might just be one win, but it was exactly the lift Walsall needed at the end of a tough week. Byfield passed his first audition with flying colours, and left fans wanting more as decision time looms for Trivela in the search for the next head coach.