Clarke, who has been tasked with rebuilding the Walsall squad following their relegation to League Two, opted to wield the axe by offering just two of the club's eighteen out-of-contract players new deals while letting several first-teamers depart for pastures new.
With Nicky Devlin and Liam Kinsella the only first-teamers to be offered new deals, the manager will need to add numbers to his squad whilst complimenting the players he already has at his disposal.
Speaking via the Express & Star, Clarke said; "You can find every bit of detail you want in the football world now with the scouting tools that are out there.
"I have watched a lot of Walsall games. I have done my homework as such, and now we’ll get cracking. Yes, it’s going to be a tough rebuild, but it’s a rebuild that can be done working within what we work with."
Clarke, who also decided to release several of the Saddlers' backroom coaching team, went on to reveal that he even went as far to discuss the Saddlers' squad with previous manager Dean Smith and soon-to-be-departing development coach John Ward. a man who he worked alongside at former club, Bristol Rovers.
Darrell continued; "I was assistant manager to John. John brought me in. He is a great guy and has got plenty of experience in the game – I know John very well.
"I had a couple of chats with John and a couple of chats with Dean who I get on with and who knows the club very well. You do your due diligence.
"If you are an out-of-work manager, you speak to people who you need to speak to about the club and there is a really good feel about this place."