Walsall CEO Stefan Gamble has today insisted if Walsall are to get promotion from League 1 then they need to be more strategic and forward planning to compete with the bigger budgets in the division.
The Saddlers have competed for promotion from League 1 in just one season out of the past thirteen but Gamble states that if the club continue to plan over two/three years like they did under Dean Smith then the club can compete.
The Saddlers find ourselves just two points above the drop zone but Gamble is still confident that the clubs blue print will stand them in good stead.
Speaking to Express And Star Gamble said
“Football is not always about the money,”
“Clearly the money helps. But it does not guarantee success at all.”
“As we showed with Dean Smith it is possible to compete if you get a team together, build it over two or three seasons, be patient and give it time.“
Gamble said that when a new manager comes in it does take around twelve months to kick start that planning process but has called on patience to see it come to fruition.
“I think whenever a manager comes in, it’s a big ask to turn things around in six or 12 months and have us challenging for promotion.”
“It takes a bit of time and patience. But at the same time, you have got to be competitive in whatever season you are playing.”
I think his judgement is clouded. Smith was a one off, his professional approach and his attention to detail and philosophy will not come around very often so to continue to pride ourselves on that one season is dangerous. We gave Whitney a while to stamp his blueprint on the club and look where that left us? We are now in a position with Dean Keates where it doesn’t seem there’s a plan in place there neither.
At the moment you do get a feel of make it up as we go along hoping that we get lucky again like the Dean Smith era.
The fact we are now in our second relegation battle in the past two seasons just goes to prove what we are trying to do just isn’t working.
