Walsall chief Ben Boycott on Lee Grant, cost of football and his physical presence

Grant has helped spearhead a major overhaul of the squad alongside head of football Stewart Mairs, head of recruitment Andy McGregor and CEO Ben Sadler.

Walsall have offloaded 15 players since the end of last season and have added 14 new faces so far during the summer transfer window.

Boycott pleased with Grant’s role in Walsall rebuild

On the summer rebuild, co-chairman Boycott observed: “It’s a significant rebuild on multiple levels and really after some of the frustrations we’d experienced in the previous season.

“Going to a pretty fundamental rebuild level in terms of even how we think about the technical departments.

“I’ve been really pleased with how Lee has approached it on a number of different levels.

“Of course, everybody knows with the amount of loans and the amount of contract expiries that we had. There were significant outgoings and anybody could see there was going to be a significant rebuild from a squad standpoint this summer.”

Walsall have signed the majority of players on long-term deals, as Grant strives to put a heavy emphasis on development.

That collaborative approach has provided Walsall with much vaster resources on the transfer market.

Boycott on refining Walsall’s recruitment model

The club drew up player profiles ahead of the window and have recruited on that basis to build a squad of players which align with Grant’s vision.

He continued: “I think between Stewart [Mairs], Lee and Ben [Sadler] - they’ve done a really good job and it’s been a logical, orderly process in the sense of we started with the rebuild of the structure of how we organise the football department.

“But inside of that, we have really spent a lot of effort on how Lee wants to play, how he wants to set-up and player profiles based on that.

“We have pursued targets on that basis. As ever, you miss some of the targets you want to get and so there has been any number of comings and going, deals that were going to happen that didn’t, and deals that have happened.

“But overall that has happened under the umbrella of a really thoughtful approach of having a manager who knows how we wants to set-up, how he wants to play and recruit accordingly.

“Including a couple of loans, we have made some good signings where we’ve paid fees, or sorted stuff out with other clubs.

“I think we’re in a fairly good spot to having the squad that plays the way that Lee wants to play.”

The constant increase in costs in professional football has been a problem which Trivela have had to navigate throughout their four-year reign.

Boycott on rising costs in football

Although Boycott insists that that does not define their strategy and reiterated that many other clubs face a similar predicament.

“I would say it has come as a surprise over the last four years since we've been involved just how much the cost of things have increased.

“But I think that has come as a surprise to everybody. So I don't think that's just news to Walsall Football Club, I think that's news to everybody.

“If you just look at the percentage increases and average League One, League Two and of course Championship player budgets over the course of the last four years since we've got involved in English football.

“It's a really unsustainable year on year increase which is happening every year. Certainly that has come as a surprise, but that has not defined our strategy, but certainly it's something that we have to take under consideration.”

Boycott visited the UK frequently in the earlier stages of Trivela’s tenure, but has been criticised for his lack of physical presence in more recent times.

The American acknowledged the concern of the supporters on that topic and explained some of his reasons for his less frequent visits.

Boycott on reduction of trips to UK

“It’s a totally fair question for the supporters to ask. I don’t think I’ve ever geared my attendances to those things to if the team does well, then I’ll go, and if we’re not going well, then I won’t go,” he concluded.

“My overarching comment is that Trivela is larger than it was four years ago and Trivela itself as the ownership group has been more involved than it ever has been.

“Our Chief Finance Officer, our Chief Operating Officer and our Chief Sporting Officer are here quite often and in daily communication with the club.

“We’re quite active and involved. As far as my personal travel, some of that comes down to family and personal circumstances.

“The United States is a long way away. I’d say our commitment to Walsall has increased not decreased, our collective time commitment as Trivela towards Walsall has increased.

“I still intend to be here very frequently. Early on, when Trivela was a much smaller organisation, it was naturally the case that I was going to be here more often.

“But I will continue to be here physically and Trivela itself are more actively involved than we have been at any point.”