Comment: Mat Sadler's new deal strengthens Walsall's vision of long-term success

The 39-year-old has talked the talk with his visions of long-term success and his Walsall side are currently walking the walk as the runaway leaders in League Two. 

Walsall boast a 10-point advantage at the league summit at the midway point and have made their best start to a league campaign since lifting the Division Four title in 1960. 

Even Richard Money's title-winning heroes had three points fewer at this stage of the 2006-07 season and the 'class of 25' could be poised to make more history by the end of play on Saturday afternoon.

Their 2-1 comeback win over Notts County at Meadow Lane on New Year's Day propelled Walsall to a seventh league win on the spin for only the fourth time in their history. 

Never before have Walsall won eight on the bounce in the league but Sadler could become the first manager to mastermind such an historic feat when Tranmere Rovers travel to Bescot this weekend. 

The records continue to keep tumbling and it feels as if Walsall are braced for a return to League One after a six-year hiatus, barring a major collapse in the second half of the season. 

There was a fear that vultures may circle on the man in the dugout this winter, but Sadler was quick to bat away any speculation surrounding his future when questioned about links to the vacancies at Millwall and Northampton Town last month. 

But this is the pledge of loyalty that Walsall fans were craving and his commitment will only reinforce the feeling of stability coursing through the club under Trivela's ownership.

That's not to say that other clubs won't be keeping an eagle eye on those on the pitch but Walsall's stellar form can surely only boost their chances of keeping hold of their most prized assets. 

If the Sadler era has proven anything though, it's that time and patience can often be the key to success. 

Admittedly, they haven't achieved anything yet, and Sadler would be the first to reiterate that, but clearly they're a club on an upward trajectory. 

That is something which most people, including myself to an extent, could not have envisaged 20 games into his reign. 

Walsall had collected just five wins by the end of November 2023 and headed to Notts County boasting an unwanted six-match winless run. 

Co-chairman Ben Boycott had even jetted over from the US to address concerns among the fan base but Walsall battled from a goal down to provide the lift off moment under Sadler courtesy of Oisin McEntee's second half double. 

Walsall won half of their remaining 26 games to narrowly miss out on the play-offs but the recruitment over the summer has seen them transform into title contenders over the past five months. 

The departure of Isaac Hutchinson could've shook Walsall to its core but instead they've actually improved as a collective. Sadler's local connections coupled with his shrewd use of the loan and non-league markets has been key to supplementing the collaborative transfer policy implemented by Trivela. 

But everything, including the recruitment model, is underpinned by the team culture which Sadler has meticulously instilled in the camp from the very outset. Those values are embodied by most, if not all of his players, with even those on the fringes willing to sacrifice personal ambitions for the good of the collective. 

Donervon Daniels, Brandon Comley and McEntee fit into that category after going from ever-presents to squad players in recent months. By the same token, Taylor Allen and Jamille Matt have done a role reversal after starting Sadler's early reign as peripheral figures. 

All of whom are equally valued by Sadler and remain key characters in the dressing room whether they're on the pitch or not. Sadler retained the core of his squad over the summer and made tweaks and improvements to take them to another level this term. 

Stability was always key to creating the platform for success and Walsall look destined to achieve both with Sadler at the wheel.