I don't claim to have all the answers to The Saddlers problems, but the longer the club ignores the issues, the worse this situation will get, on the field, the promised support for the manager in the loan market has failed to seriously materialise, other than the recent short term acquisition of midfielder Mark Wilson from Doncaster Rovers, there has been a real lack of decent signings, several of the pre-season signings have simply had no effect on the club, the only real bright spot has been the emergence of fan attacking midfielder Jamie Paterson, who's pure passion and desire to win is something to behold.
Turning to the matters behind the scenes over the last nine months or so the club has begun to evolve, with the changes on the board, leading to clear attempts to re-engage with the fan base, however, the sharp dip in attendances is an obvious sign of the clubs failure to achieve their goal.
There are several issues plaguing the club, too many to list here, the main ones being the complete lack of investment, and the other, simply being club Chairman Jeff Bonser, a man who saved the club from certain doom in the early nineties, but who's star has been falling, seemingly ever since, his yearly rent charge for use of The Banks's Stadium, certainly doesn't help matters, but the earlier mentioned investment is an equally divisive issue amongst supporters.
Following last seasons 'Great Escape' manager Dean Smith was looked on as something of a 'Saviour' by supporters, and if the 'Ginger Mourinho' shirts are anything to by, the club too have a soft spot, having led the club from the seemingly inevitable relegation to safety on the final day of the season.
Since then however, there has been something of a stall in progress, the early season hope of a more positive campaign dwindled all too quickly and the usual 'doom and gloom' has set in once again.
The club now sit in twenty-first place, two points from safety and two points off the bottom of the league, in my opinion the time for change has arrived, the board must either back manager Dean Smith wholeheartedly with the support and finances he requires or simply dismiss him and recruit a more experienced replacement for atleast the remainder of the season.
Whichever way the club decide to go, they MUST act now before it's too late.
By: Bescot Banter