It may not have been the Head Coach that we expected to come in, but it has certainly intrigued and excited the fan base. So who is the man to lead the Saddlers rebuild, and what are the positives and negatives of Matt Taylor, and what does his appointment mean for the team?
Who is Matt Taylor?
Our Matt Taylor is not the one from Exeter (well done bookies). Taylor is a former left sided defender/midfielder, who played nearly 600 professional games in his career, with 324 of these being in the Premier League. He brings with him a wealth of playing experience at a high level, something Walsall have not had in abundance in a while.
Taylor has only managed one game of football in the EFL, when taking on Swindon in an interim role when they were in between managers. Swindon was where he started his coaching career, as a player coach. Upon finishing playing, he joined Spurs, to form part of their Under-18’s setup, where he will remain until June 1st before taking the reins at Walsall. He has helped nurture the young players, and helped them achieve back to back upper mid-table finishes in the U-18 league.
He is a different appointment than what the fans were expecting, especially with barely no management experience. However, he brings with him a wealth of playing experience, and a work ethic and determination that, if he can instill in his players, will go a long way in League Two.
Neil McDonald
To assist Taylor in his first full-time Head Coach role, is experienced Neil McDonald. McDonald has some managerial experience, but he has worked extensively as an assistant. His manager roles have come in the shape of Carlisle, Ostersunds, Blackpool and Limerick. He has worked under Sam Allardyce at Bolton, Blackburn and West Ham, as well as a few other managers, before linking up with Phil Brown at Swindon, which is where he worked alongside player/coach Matt Taylor.
McDonald has worked under some very experienced managers, in a variety of countries. He will provide the know how and expertise to help aid the new Head Coach, which has pleased Saddlers fans.
Verdict
The appointment is a bold move by the club, due to the inexperience as a Head Coach. However, Taylor was an extremely professional player, and has learnt his trade under some top managers, such as Jose Mourinho. Taylor is an exciting prospect, but it is also a risky one, as once again, a lack of experience will always be looked at.
Having McDonald there makes the appointment safer. He is a tried and tested assistant, and he has worked well as a No2, a role which suits him more than being the Manager. He will be able to guide Taylor, especially after working with the managers stated above, as well as Gary McAllister and Graham Alexander.
Fans have been extremely positive about the move, with memories of the duo that were Dean Smith and Richard O’Kelly. It does seem a similar appointment and style, where the new kid on the block is helped by an older and wiser head. In a poll on Twitter, 76% were happy with the appointment, whilst only 3% were not. The other 21% were undecided.
A few commented on how the appointment was well balanced:
“Very happy especially with a older head with him, needs to get the recruitment right”
@eddieatkins84
“Its not just Taylor but also McDonald’s appointment which i think will give us a really solid coaching team and fresh ideas. A good combination. Would like to see a new goalkeeping coach in as well. Hopefully some Spurs youngsters on loan would be good.”
@JWinnall
A few were happy with the prospect of a link being formed with Spurs, especially with Taylor knowing the perfect candidates within their youth:
“For me the most exciting part of the appointment is the link with spurs. Along with our new palace connection and our business with Bristol city the past few years we appear to be building connections with good clubs. Hopefully it can continue”
@bigg_barryy“Has the experience of working at big clubs in the Premier League and most probably picked up one or two things from Mourinho and we also might see one or two loanees from the Spurs under 23 squad”@franko6380
“I’m not going to pretend that I know a great deal about him, other than as a player, so that’s the reason I’m undecided. I do remember him Scoring some class goals though!”@StefanoLawrence“No good judging him yet we really need to wait and see who he brings and how we get on in the first couple of months”@xdave200164x
