Walsall comment: The reasons it went wrong for the Saddlers

But the truth is, a lot of Walsall fans woke up this morning hurt, angry and upset.

The pain of relegation has not gone away. It’s not going to go away for a while.

But while being in League Two next season is a bitter pill for fans to swallow – it’s not what angers them the most.

What really hurts is how it has come to this and how they no longer feel connected to the club they love.

Just three years ago, the Saddlers ran out 5-0 winners at Port Vale on the final day of the season. It meant they missed out on promotion by a single point.

But the team that walked off the pitch having been relegated at Shrewsbury on Saturday is a shadow of that side.

And it’s a catalogue of bad decisions that have led to Walsall going from within touching distance of the Championship to League Two.

It all starts at the top.

It is the understanding of the Express & Star that the Saddlers’ budget this season would have been middle of the road for a team competing in League Two.

But for the past 12 years, they have been a League One side.

You cannot expect to punch above your weight every single year.

It simply isn’t going to happen, it will catch up with you in the end.

It’s during the last two January transfer windows that we’ve really seen the effect of the budget.

The reality of football is that players cost more mid-season than in the summer.

Walsall have – just about – competed for signings in the close season. Heading into this campaign, Andy Cook, Josh Gordon and Josh Ginnelly were all good captures.

But look what happens when the price goes up just slightly.

In the 2017/18 season, January saw the arrival of Julien Ngoy, Justin Shaibu and Krystian Bielik – players who weren’t good enough or who didn’t even play.

This year Matt Jarvis, Aramide Oteh and Cameron Norman haven’t had the desired impact.

That’s not a coincidence, the budget has hamstrung the team.

But so too have the decisions the top brass have made – especially when it comes to the appointment of managers.

In the interests of fairness, there has been a logic to the last three managerial appointments.

Sean O’Driscoll was the overwhelming fans favourite. You could argue Jon Whitney deserved a shot.

And at a time of crisis, Dean Keates helped unite the club - he also did an excellent job at Wrexham.

But all three have since been sacked with results and performances just not good enough.

Ultimately they weren’t the right men. But it is the job of the board to work that out before things go wrong – not when it’s too late.

For supporters though, it’s important to remember nine people sit on that board.

On social media, a lot of anger has been directed towards chief executive Stefan Gamble and club secretary Daniel Mole.

But as well as owner Jeff Bonser – Rob Bonser, Nigel Bond, Peter Gilman, Richard Tisdale, Roy Whalley and Leigh Pomlett all sit on the board.

Where are these people now and what have they been doing for the past three years?

They have stayed in the shadows while at least Gamble and Mole have tried to speak with fans.

It is every member Walsall’s top brass that deserves scrutiny – they are the people who have to take the lion’s share of the blame.

But there is still blame elsewhere.

Whitney handed two-year-contracts to a whole host of players who ultimately haven’t been good enough to do anything other than fight relegation.

But it wasn’t just at first-team level, he gave extended deals to a host of youngsters who have never been anywhere near the first-team.

And that wasted the little funds he and ultimately Keates had available.

Keates too made errors that had a huge impact on the team this season.

It was abundantly clear he didn’t want a host of the players he inherited.

But he still needed them to play for him. Were they really going to give him their all when they knew he would get rid of them at the earliest opportunity? Obviously not.

During games as well Keates needed to be better. He often waited too long to make changes.

While the decision not to enter the reserve league this season backfired badly with fringe players, and those coming back from injury, hardly able to get any minutes once the Saddlers exited the Checkatrade Trophy.

And then we come to the players themselves.

What a chance they had to get themselves out of trouble with a run of games against Accrington Stanley, Southend and Wycombe.

But a whole host of them lacked the character and bravery needed to play in high-pressure matches like that.

When the chips were really down, they did not perform. They let themselves and the club down.

With the greatest respect to the likes of Gillingham, Accrington, Rochdale, Southend, Shrewsbury and Wycombe - none of them are great sides.

But they all finished above Walsall. And the players need to look at themselves and ask how they allowed that to happen.

So there we have it. There is no one reason why Walsall have been relegated.

It is a combination of factors with the board, the managers and the players all to blame.

Now though there is no margin for error.

When you mess things up in League One, you end up in League Two.

When you mess things up in League Two, you end up in non-league.

And that doesn’t bear thinking about.

Under Dean Smith, the club had a clear philosophy that allowed it to compete despite the limited budget.

It involved developing young players, developing players let go by bigger clubs and playing in a clear way that fans understood and were on board with.

If we are honest, the club’s philosophy has been unclear ever since Smith left.

As Martin O’Connor said, the time has come for a major reset.

The board has to work out a clear plan where the club is heading.

Then it has to find the right manager to execute that vision while also giving him the tools needed to do the job.

If – as the Express & Star understands – the budget this season is middle of the road for League Two it cannot be cut.

It should be increased, but as a bare minimum, it cannot be cut.

With 19 players out of contract, there will be a revolving door at the Banks’s Stadium this summer.

But the time has come where every decision now has to be the right one.

That’s because it is unthinkable what could happen if poor decisions continue to be made.