Leigh Pomlett disappointed with Walsall's season of underachievement

The Saddlers endured a vastly difficult season as Matt Taylor was sacked in February before Michael Flynn’s appointment.

Ultimately, they finished 16th in the table – 23 points adrift of the play-off places.

When asked for his thoughts on the term as a whole, chairman Pomlett told the Express & Star: “Underwhelmed. I think we should have done better.

“We should have been higher in the league. We underachieved, and with the squad that was assembled, we should have been threatening the play-offs.

“I reflect back on the season as one of missed opportunity.

“It was frustrating as we won games we weren’t expected to win, and we lost games we were expected to win.

“The low point was at Scunthorpe. The high points were beating teams like Port Vale, Forest Green and Tranmere.

“It was very frustrating for everyone at the club.

“That seven-game losing run in the middle killed our season.

“We were OK before that. When we beat Vale, I thought ‘this could happen for us’ as it was a good, physical side with lots of pace.

“I thought it could threaten, but the next game after that, we went to Carlisle and lost.

“We never gained momentum that could push us like Mansfield did, or Bristol Rovers did.

“We sort of upped and downed and never gained that momentum.

“Overall, it was frustrating. It wasn’t what we set out to achieve.”

The seven-game losing run highlighted by Pomlett culminated with a sorry loss at rock-bottom Scunthorpe and resulted in Taylor’s dismissal.

Flynn was able to lift them from relegation danger and pick up some impressive results in the circumstances, but it was another bottom-half finish.

Walsall’s three seasons in League Two have seen them end up 12th, 19th and 16th.

On if the division is proving a tougher nut to crack than first thought, Pomlett said: “I thought it was going to be tough, and once you get into it, it is tough.

“Where it matters is getting a degree of stability as, by and large, anyone can beat anyone.

“We can beat Exeter, we did beat Mansfield. It’s around the infrastructure of the club.

“That’s why I don’t think there’s any reason why Walsall shouldn’t be in the position of Mansfield or Northampton.

“We could have and should have done that. That’s my frustration.”