Walsall left in a state of limbo after Cheltenham drubbing

The collapse of the previous campaign seemed impossible to ever repeat.

This time around, Walsall did not have the 12-point cushion at the summit to fall back on though.

Instead, they have tumbled out of the play-off equation and could even possibly plummet to a bottom half finish.

Walsall have collected just four wins from their last 20 games in League Two, which is not too dissimilar to the wretched run of three victories in their final 21 matches last term.

Play-off dream dead and buried

And if there could be one game to rub salt into gaping wounds - then their 4-0 humbling at the hands of Cheltenham Town at Bescot on Saturday proved exactly that.

It left their play-off dream dead and buried and inflicted further misery on a fan-base which has had the rug pulled from under its feet once again this season.

In the build-up, Darren Byfield and Co set themselves the ambitious target of winning all of their remaining four games.

Yet they failed to translate that message on to the pitch, as they entered freefall mode during a second half horror show.

The scores were goalless at half-time and Walsall had created the better opportunities despite clearly looking under par.

Albert Adomah curled a sumptuous shot inches wide, Charlie Lakin dragged a gilt-edged chance wide and only the crossbar denied Daniel Kanu his 19th goal of the season.

Freefalling Saddlers ship four

But as Byfield admitted afterwards, Walsall were far too passive and resorted to sideways and backward passes - of which many failed to find its intended target.

The wayward nature of their play generated plenty of moans and groans from the home stands and understandably so, although things would rapidly get worse after the interval.

Defensive errors have been endemic this season, and that creakiness at the back has creeped in again over the past three games.

First, Cheltenham worked the corner short and found Jordan Thomas in an abyss of space outside the box. His scuffed cross alluded a crowd of Walsall players and Harry Ashfield was afforded a free run into the box to slot his finish past Myles Roberts.

That signalled the start of the meltdown which was exacerbated when Connor Barrett was caught dwelling on the ball. Hutchinson easily sidestepped an uncharacteristically weak challenge by Aden Flint to stride into a sea of space and curl an excellent shot into the top corner.

If one former Saddler getting on the score-sheet was difficult too stomach, then the sight of fellow ex-Walsall striker George Miller knocking in a third was physically sickening.

It was schoolboy defending once again. Arkell Jude-Boyd lofted a hopeful ball forward towards the edge of the box where Lakin lost his aerial battle.

The knockdown was pounced upon by Miller who lifted a deft finish over a despairing Roberts. His strike led to a mass exodus at Bescot and there were very few left the witness the fourth which was scored in stoppage time.

George Nurse breezed past Harrison Burke to leave him stranded and Flint could only hack the ball straight at the former Walsall loanee. The ricochet fell invitingly for substitute Josh Martin who immediately fired into the far corner.

Byfield honeymoon period over

As for Byfield, this humiliation has likely scuppered his chances of entering the frame when the time finally comes to appoint a permanent successor to Mat Sadler.

Yet the problem stretches far beyond Byfield, even if his selection has been questionable in recent weeks.

The seven changes in the defeat at Swindon Town on Easter Monday felt a tad too far and his substitutions have left a lot to be desired in the most recent games.

His honeymoon period has well and truly expired, but there was very little expectation when he took over in the first place.

Walsall had won just twice in 14 games prior to his spell as interim head coach and had left themselves far too much to do in the play-off race.

Over to you... Trivela

Then, Trivela also need to be asked questions, which they duly have by the supporters after a second successive promotion collapse.

Why has the form nosedived so dramatically post-January? What were the lessons learned from last season and where is the evidence to suggest that they have?

As for next season, the state of limbo that has been self-inflicted only reinforces the notion that they’re a club drifting.

A new head of football is set to be appointed before a new head coach, but will that be in time to decide on the future of the 11 out-of-contract players?

Trivela vice president Matt Jordan and head of recruitment Andy McGregor can make plans in the background, but as Ben Boycott once said in the summer of 2023, the head coach (Sadler at the time) always had the final say.

Ultimately, there are more questions than answers at this stage, and Trivela have a big summer ahead to get many supporters back on side.