Mat Sadler's Walsall timeline as century in the dugout looms
Mat Sadler is set to mark his 100th game in charge of Walsall when they travel to Cheltenham Town this evening.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Sadler, who turns 40 on Wednesday, has overseen a remarkable transformation at Bescot during his 20 months at the helm.
Here, we reflect on his time in the dugout so far.
November 28, 2023: 'Catastrophe in Cumbria'
The mood was at an all-time low. Walsall had just been beaten by Barrow and were languishing 19th in League Two.
Many were already beginning to turn the screw on Sadler. They had collected just five wins from their first 19 league games and had gone six without a win in the league.
Co-chairman Ben Boycott jetted over from the US and admitted that results needed to improve immediately.
January 1, 2024: 'A Christmas miracle'
Sadler needed a saviour and Oisin McEntee conjured up two second half strikes in a 2-1 comeback win at Notts County.
It would prove the catalyst to a remarkable run of five wins from six games. They beat Tranmere Rovers 1-0 and responded to a 2-1 setback at Accrington Stanley with back-to-back home wins over Crewe Alexandra and Wrexham respectively.
Then, Walsall condemned Grimsby Town to a 6-1 drubbing on New Year's Day, scoring six on the road in the league for the first time since 1948.
