3 managers Walsall should consider as Matthew Taylor replacement | OneFootball

Walsall are on the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of head coach Matthew Taylor.

The 40-year-old was only appointed over the summer following a two-year stint as manager of Tottenham Hotspur’s under-18’s side.

After having the Saddlers in mid-table at the end of 2021, Taylor oversaw a complete collapse in form from his Walsall side with seven straight League Two defeats in succession.

The final one came on Tuesday night when they suffered a humiliating 1-0 loss to Scunthorpe United – the league’s bottom club.

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That prompted the club hierarchy to make a decision and it ended with Taylor’s contract being terminated – but who is the individual that is going to arrest the slide? Let’s take a look at some potential candidates.

Michael Flynn

Soccer Football – FA Cup – Third Round – Newport County AFC v Brighton & Hove Albion – Rodney Parade, Newport, Britain – January 10, 2021 Newport County manager Michael Flynn before the match REUTERS/Michael Steele

This one would be slightly ambitious but Flynn is without a club since departing Newport County a few months following a long stint at the Exiles.

He has been linked with bigger jobs than this over the years but is there a chance that he’d fancy trying to turn the Saddlers’ fortunes around?

Flynn boasts nearly a 41 per cent win ratio over his four-year stint with Newport which is pretty good and the football he likes to employ is easy on the eye and he also guided the Welsh club to numerous play-off campaigns.

Steve Evans

Soccer Football – FA Cup – Third Round – Gillingham v West Ham United – MEMS Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham, Britain – January 5, 2020 Gillingham manager Steve Evans Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

There’s a very likely chance that due to the position the club find themselves in that they go down the experienced route, and there’s a whole host of those on the market.

The likes of Keith Curle and Ian Holloway may fancy a crack at this but Steve Evans is someone that could fit the bill.

He has won numerous promotions during his time as an EFL manager and having recently departed Gillingham of League One, the Scot could be open to a quick return to management.

Walsall are a club that he could really turn around so it could be a name to keep an eye out on.

Pete Wild

Soccer Football – League Two – Oldham Athletic v Mansfield Town – Boundary Park, Oldham, Britain – April 22, 2019 Oldham Athletic manager Pete Wild Action Images/Jason Cairnduff EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

Whilst he may not be that experienced in senior management, Wild is carving out quite a name for himself in non-league circles.

He first came to people’s attention when guiding Oldham Athletic to a famous FA Cup win in 2019 against then-Premier League side Fulham as their caretaker manager, but in the summer of that year he moved on to become the boss of Halifax Town.

With 15 wins in 26 National League matches this season, Wild is averaging 1.92 points per game and has the Yorkshire side battling it out with the big guns for promotion to the EFL in third place right now – his managerial skills cannot be in question and he could be ready for the step up.