Walsall v Grimsby - Match preview
Walsall head coach Mat Sadler will be reunited with his former Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Hurst when his side welcome Grimsby Town to Bescot on Saturday.
Sadler played 90 times for Shrewsbury under Hurst across two seasons at the New Meadow, which included a run to the League One play-off final in 2018.
Grimsby have registered one win, two draws and one defeat from their opening four matches in League Two.
And Sadler will put sentiment aside as Walsall aim to end a run of three without a win in all competitions. Though the boss admits his regular contact with Mariners boss Hurst and assistant Chris Doig has eased over the last week or so.
“We’ve both got a lot on, Hursty’s got a lot on with what he’s trying to put together there, I try not to pester him too much,” Sadler said.
“Doigy lives not too far from me, we don’t meet up as much as we like to but he’s in the car at a similar time so we get to catch up at times, naturally those calls have been a little less common in the last few weeks!
“Those are guys I hugely respect, they’re fantastic people, they played at really good levels and have coached in this league and the next two above. They are extremely experienced with what it takes to get results in this division.
“Most importantly they’re good people and I look forward to seeing them both.
“Most definitely, Doigy and I speak regularly, they are people I love to pick the phone up to, they are my go-to people to speak to for that bit of advice or after an event. I’m lucky to call them pals.”
The most glaring issue from the opening stages of the season has been the amount of goals conceded.
Walsall have leaked a dismal 16 goals in six matches in total, including three in stoppage time.
Morecambe scored a late winner on the opening day, while Crewe fought from two behind to equalise at the death at Gresty Road last Saturday. However, the numbers in front of goal have improved dramatically with Walsall scoring 12 so far.
Danny Johnson’s return has been a major plus with the marksman already finding the net twice, while Freddie Draper has chipped in with his first EFL goal and two assists.
Sadler will be delighted to be back on home soil after Walsall prolonged their wretched run on the road over the past fortnight against Wrexham and Crewe respectively.
Walsall have not won away in League Two since Boxing Day – a run which now stretches 15 games.
The Saddlers’ only victory so far came in a 2-1 triumph over Stockport at Bescot, and home form could prove crucial if Walsall fail to improve on the road.
Tuesday night’s EFL Trophy opener ended in a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Brighton Under-21s.
Although Walsall fell the wrong side of the result, the game did give Sadler an opportunity to rest players for Grimsby, as he made a total of seven changes.
This means the likes of Donervon Daniels, Chris Hussey, Ryan Stirk, Isaac Hutchinson and Danny Johnson will all be fresh for the weekend.
Another positive was the return of Tom Knowles, who marked his recovery from injury by climbing off the bench to pull one back late on.
Sadler played Knowles at right wing-back during pre-season, and his energy down the right will undoubtedly be a major boost.
