Walsall’s released door has opened once again now the season’s over like one of those swinging doors at the front of the Morrisons where Fellows Park used to stand: some players’ll get trapped in it, some have escaped.




Jon Macken’s departure will be the most concerning if he’s not replaced adequately come August. The players on Walsall’s books – at least, those expected to sign or tied down to a contract already – Will Grigg, George Bowerman and Alex Nicholls, even Emanuel Ledesma (though it seems the possibility of him signing is rather remote), will not be able to play the role he has for a couple of seasons.

That’s not to say that Dean Smith hasn’t done the right thing in letting him go. I thought Smith tactically dull, if consistent, in that he would withdraw Macken and throw on a more mobile attacking player in his place. Yet, analyse the season and Macken, with a host of injuries, hasn’t been as critical to Walsall’s fortunes as it might seem.

The matches against Sheffield United away, Notts County away, Dagenham and Redbridge at home in the FA Cup, Leyton Orient away, Sheffield United at home and Tranmere Rovers at home were the only matches that he began and completed.

The home match against Colchester in which Walsall, even after conceding sloppily early on, were excellent was largely done without Macken; Mat Sadler and George Bowerman’s goals were scored after he’d been substituted. Similarly, when Walsall scored three goals against Rochdale at Spotland, in the match played after the Colchester game, Macken didn’t play.

So it’s a fallacy to suggest that Walsall couldn’t score goals without Macken – indeed, it seemed that they couldn’t score enough even with him in the side.

Olly Lancashire being released is disappointing but, as I’ve seen said elsewhere, Smith might suspect that he’s too good to be left out and sitting on the subs’ bench but not quite good enough to push either Manny Smith and Andy Butler out of the first team on a regular basis to merit a new contract. That said, it’s surely too much to ask Lee Beevers, built like a tank but so slow, to sometimes to pair up with one of Smith and Butler if one’s out injured or suspended. Smith must surely look for another central defender to replace Lancashire.

But then Beevers playing at centre back ever so often must have been the reason for why the Daryl Westlake has had another contract offer – Westlake can fill in at right back when Beevers is not able to play there. But since Richard Taundry has been offered a new deal he’s presumably going to be played in the same way, as a utility player, as he has since he started under Richard Money, so the possibility of him being used as (another) right back seems a bit expedient. (Unless Taundry’s going to be played as a central midfielder again, which for the love of God and all that is holy I hope is not the case. I’d go as far to suggest that if Smith starts using Taundry as a central midfielder in August and persists with him there again, he’ll be looking for another job before the season’s end.)

One regret about Lancashire not staying – for whatever reason, it could be purely financial reasons – is that Walsall’s defence was not at all bad so to break that up could be creating a problem that needn’t be. Looking at the finalised League One table, Walsall conceded as many goals at home as Sheffield United – 27 – and they finished third. Notts County, who just missed out on the play-offs in seventh place, conceded two more. It is imperative that Mat Sadler and Manny Smith stay for how important they both were to that success.

I’m quite sad to see Kevan Hurst leave. Not necessarily for football reasons – he wasn’t great, was he? – but his pieces for the programme were quite endearing. But if that means another space for a loanee or a better midfielder then so be it. I’m sure he’ll be fine. He has enough games under his belt to surely get another club, even if that might be in League Two. He’s probably the strongest player Walsall have released. But he’ll be alright; he’s only 26.

Ditto Anton Peterlin. He’s only 25. But it’s unfortunate for him that he was so desperately out of his depth.

*

But, if in need of reassurance, look at the retained list of the squad of 2010/11. Smith offered contracts to Jimmy Walker, Andy Butler, George Boweman, who signed, and Emanuel Ledesma, David Bevan and Matt Richards, who didn’t.

Smith didn’t offer contracts to Jonny Brain, Aaron Lescott, Clayton McDonald, Steve Jones, Paul Marshall, Tom Williams, Alex Hickman and Sean Geddes. (From a purely objective point of view, some of those players were amongst the worst I’ve seen play, period. Brain couldn’t catch, Paul Marshall ran like a chicken and Clayton McDonald’s hoofing up field was at times embarrassingly bad.)

All are playing at lower levels than League One, mostly in non-league, or, in Lescott’s case, aren’t playing at all. Clayton McDonald was involved in a high profile rape trial for much of the season which must have affected his game at Port Vale. Smith made the right decisions on those players he released last summer. Some of his recruits were a bit hit-and-miss – hit: Sadler, miss: Ryan Jarvis, Claude Gnapka – but he didn’t do badly.

Bearing in mind that he’s now chosen to sign or (to offer to) re-sign all the players on Walsall’s books since he’s been manager, Smith knows that next season could be the making or breaking of his managerial career.