Is Lee Grant The Man To Lift Walsall Out Of League Two Limbo?

Walsall fans could be forgiven for approaching the new season with a sense of déjà vu, but with a fresh face now at the helm, there’s a renewed, if cautious, sense that this time, things might just be different. The ghost of the last two seasons past threatens to haunt the Bescot Stadium, having delivered a similar, and deeply frustrating tale of early promise that ultimately materialised as bitter disappointment.

Since Matt Sadler’s departure in mid-March, the West Midlands club have been without a permanent boss, with Darren Byfield placed in interim charge until the end of the last campaign. Now, with the announcement of Lee Grant as their new head coach, the Saddlers are signaling a fresh direction for the club, aiming to exonerate themselves of an eight-year stay in League Two.

Before 2019, Walsall was an established League One team, spending much of its time in the third tier this century. In the 2024/25 season, they seemed destined for promotion at the halfway mark, only for a dramatic collapse to limit them to a play-off final, a day that ultimately shattered their dreams. And for the second season running, they sat top of the table on Christmas Day before a new year slump saw them plummet to a mid-table finish.

For a club with the historic pedigree to belong in League One at a minimum, Grant’s appointment is surely aimed at securing the consistency needed to see a promotion campaign through to the end next time around.

Grant’s Huddersfield Chapter: A Learning Curve

Lee Grant’s debut managerial role at Huddersfield Town marked something of a baptism of fire for the former goalkeeper. He was tasked with masterminding an immediate return to the Championship last season for the Terriers, who found themselves in a difficult moment at the time of his appointment.

While Huddersfield initially underlined their status as promotion contenders with a positive start, the 43-year-old manager failed to sustain that momentum beyond the season’s opening months. As their consistency waned and a play-off place appeared to be the ceiling of their ambitions, he was sacked in mid-January.

Despite the challenges at Huddersfield, Grant’s coaching abilities are still highly respected within football circles. His appointment as manager in West Yorkshire raised plenty of eyebrows, but his coaching brand became well-respected during his time as first-team coach at Ipswich Town. He built his reputation at Portman Road for having extensive tactical knowledge and strong player development skills.

Walsall’s decision to appoint Grant suggests they see potential beyond his tenure at Huddersfield. They’re likely betting that with the right support and environment, he can bring success to the club. It’s a fresh start for Grant, and a chance for him to prove his capabilities for a team that would greatly benefit from new ideas and mindset.

A Blank Canvas For Grant And Walsall

The arrival of a man who concluded his playing career at Manchester United signals a complete overhaul in the dugout, welcoming an era of objective decision-making and personalised influence. While Matt Sadler was undoubtedly a popular figure at the Bescot, his tenure, encompassing over 100 appearances as a player and three and a half years as manager, had seen an element of comfort and complacency creep into the club’s operations. Not to mention, a shared psychological barrier between players and staff alike two seasons running, which cannot have helped to ensure the smooth running of footballing matters.

With Walsall announcing 12 releases in their retained list, a significant overhaul of players is anticipated, providing further scope for a fresh start. While his coaching career is still relatively fledgling, Grant will surely hope to reunite with players he has previously worked with at Manchester United, Ipswich, and Huddersfield. Significantly, his new role in the Midlands is titled Head Coach, suggesting a more focused approach to footballing matters compared to his previous position as manager at Huddersfield.

During Grant’s eight-month stint with the Terriers, his particular focus on building attacks and triggering a high-intensity press on the opposition saw his team become notably free-scoring in League One under his tutelage. At the time of his departure from Kirklees, Huddersfield were the division’s leading scorers, a style of football that the Walsall faithful will almost certainly be willing to get behind.

With 15-goal top scorer Daniel Kanu returning to Charlton Athletic after his loan, coupled with the departures of key midfielder Jamie Jellis and experienced players like Aden Flint, Jamille Matt, Brandon Comley, and Priestley Farquharson, attention will swiftly turn to establishing a squad capable of sustaining a season of longevity under Grant’s leadership.

What Needs To Change?

For a team to implode to the extent that Walsall has twice now is fairly unprecedented, and while much of the personnel will be different, they must prove that lessons have been learned if they are to harbour any hopes of success in the 2026/27 season.

At the halfway stage of the 46-game season, Walsall had netted 37 times in League Two; however, in their last 23 games, they only added a further 19 to their tally, representing a significant downturn in their goal threat. This downturn coincided with a defense that became much more porous, as they conceded 14 more goals in their second set of 23 matches than in their first.

At a time when the West Midlanders needed to maintain their standards at the very least, they let them slip, leading to their best-laid foundations going to waste. While Grant should definitely familiarize himself with these unenviable stats he is inheriting as a blueprint to improve on, he shouldn’t dwell on them. Instead, he must look to the future with his new-look Saddlers team.

While footballing failings will undoubtedly rear up, it’s the psychological challenges that threaten to disrupt the Saddlers more than any other, after previous campaigns. It may seem obvious, but the need to stay grounded and not overreact to a poor result or performance is paramount to the fortunes of Walsall under their new boss.

While it is perfectly natural, and simple human nature, to feel murmurings of ‘here we go again,’ Walsall must remember that they haven’t become a permanent fixture of the third tier over the past quarter of a century by dwelling on the past. They have certainly made an early signal of intent to make 2027 the year they return to League One.