Walsall are 12 points clear at the top of League Two following a club-record run of nine consecutive wins. The Saddlers have won more games than any other team in English football and claimed more points. No other side has scored more goals.
An extraordinary season is unfolding in the Black Country under Mat Sadler. He won the manager of the month award for December and looks a good bet for January having won at Notts County before putting five past Tranmere and four past Milton Keynes Dons.
This latest victory came even after on-loan top scorer Nathan Lowe was recalled by Stoke. Could it be that nothing is capable of derailing Walsall’s bid for a first promotion in 18 years? “There is a hell of a lot of work left to do,” Sadler tells Sky Sports.
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Watch highlights of Walsall’s 4-2 win at home to MK Dons last time out
What has been the secret? “I do not think you would expect me to say anything other than hard work. That is us. We are relentless. We want to be as organised as we can be and we want to have that mentality that means we work as hard as we possibly can.”
Speaking in an office overlooking the Bescot Stadium, Sadler naturally stresses that this is a team effort, even mentioning the kitman, Dave. “He is meticulous. It is a collective effort. We train, play the next game, debrief, recover and go again. Like I say, relentless.”
Sadler knows this club, knows these supporters, and knows what it means. He had two spells here as a player, the first of those coming under Dean Smith when the club was in League One. Bringing the good times back to Walsall is something close to his heart.
“There is a lot more positivity about the place than there has been for a long time. The last decent season was with Dean in, what, 2015/16? So it has been a hard time for the club and the supporters have stuck with the team so we want to repay them.
“There is a real energy about the place. We have got to keep hold of that. The fans have come to the party so many times when needed. Some of the away attendances have been out of this world, in fact. We are desperate to give them some more memories.”
His success is an example of the need for patience. Initially appointed on an interim basis in April of 2023, there were challenging moments in his first full season. Walsall were 19th in early December of that year. Few could foresee the rise that has followed.
“Clearly, since last December, we have been very settled in the way that we want to play, with a settled shape and formation and all of that. We have kind of built it from there,” explains Sadler. “So, there has been an upward curve for a little bit of time now.”
He adds: “We always wanted to be organised and athletic. That was the starting point. But last season we were hampered by injuries. We had five different centre-halves out at different times. It was always my intention to be this way. But at times, needs must.”
Now able to settle on his preferred 3-5-2 formation, used in all 24 matches this season, these players know their jobs and the underlying numbers show why they are top. Walsall have had the most shots in League Two and faced fewer than any other side too.
But what makes this success unusual is that it is being achieved with remarkably little of the ball. They rank last but one in League Two for possession. Even in that 5-1 win against a Tranmere team with 10 men for most of the match, they had less off the ball.
“We try to earn the right to play in the middle and front third rather than focus too much on how we play through from the back third. I think it would weaken us by opening our team up and trying to play through at times, especially with the pitches in this division.
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Walsall broke a club record with their 5-1 win over Tranmere Rovers
“Personally, I could not care less about the stats because I think if I set up and I played a pass back from our goalkeeper to our outside centre-half who then kicked it forward, then the stats might be a little bit higher. But then I would open us up as a team.
“I do not want to do that. I always want us to be really compact, really organised. I would rather just take away that one pass, which might move us up that table. That is how I see it anyway. Others will see it completely differently and I am well aware of that.
“But for me, I want us to be a high-energy front-foot team that wants to play football in the opposition half. We are a team with a clear identity now, a clear focus on how we want to be and how we want to go about things, and that has been my main focus.”
At a time when many illustrious clubs have coaches who make a virtue of playing one way, Sadler is keen to have as many different ways to beat the opposition as possible. “Set-pieces, for example, are a big focus.” Walsall also rank second for set-piece goals.
“We have to be that,” Sadler explains. “The first goal against Notts County started from a long throw. I want to try to have loads of different ways to win games. If we go behind, we have to find a different way. If plan A is not working, we can go to plan B.”
It is a testament to the maturity of Sadler’s side that they are able to do this. And yet, here comes another surprise. The average age of Walsall’s starting line-up this season is the youngest of any team in League Two. “The guys are young and hungry,” says Sadler.
“They are desperate to do well and they bring a real energy to the place. And they are marshalled by some fantastic experienced guys.” That has been a crucial element to the culture that Sadler has been able to create behind-the-scenes at Walsall this season.
Jamille Matt, the veteran 35-year-old striker, is a pivotal figure. Albert Adomah has been an important addition this season, while Donervon Daniels remains the club captain. “We have incredible leaders who, even when not playing, come to the fore,” he adds.
“We have got that environment where we believe in each other, no matter what, some wonderful characters. We have got lads that have been with me for a while now, so we all know what to expect from each other because we have been together for some time.
“This is why managers talk about needing time. Teams change their manager so often that maybe some of these little things do not come out as much as they would if time were given.” Walsall feels different. Sadler has just signed a new contract until 2028.
Walsall head coach Sadler recently signed a new contract until 2028
“You do not get that sort of time very often, especially in League One and League Two. But this is an incredibly stable football club to work for. The guys here are top people and I love working for them and with them. It is the way to build things, it really is.
“Listen, if you’re not going to have the biggest budget in the division where you can just go and do whatever you like, and then get to the next window and just do whatever you like again, then you have to build with an identity and stick to the plan. So, this is ours.”
What next? “We will just keep working really hard with our plan.” There is still a long way to go but with a 12-point lead over Crewe Alexandra in second spot when the top three will gain automatic promotion, the momentum is certainly with this Walsall side.
Not that Sadler is ready to think about that yet. “This is all great but we are nowhere near the end. It means nothing. If we get to May and do what we hope, then great.” But what would it mean to him? He smiles. “I will tell you then. Right now, there is a lot to do.”
