There were boos and chants calling for Mat Sadler to go with his Walsall side now winless in 7 games after a 2-0 defeat to MK Dons.
MK Dons continued their excellent recent form and moved up into the automatic promotion places in League Two with a 2-0 away victory at the Saddlers, who are bottling it for yet another season.
Milton Keynes Dons have only lost once in their last 14 matches and are unbeaten in 9 games which has seen them move into 3rd place.
As for Walsall it is now 7 games without a win with only one win in 10 games, having been top of League Two on Boxing Day, but now sit 9th with 50 points from 32 games played, 15 points from the league leaders, 11 from 3rd, and 3 from the playoff places.
Mat Sadler said, per the club website: “I thought it was very cagey for the first half an hour.
“I think both teams were feeling each other out a little bit, and then unfortunately we gave that moment away first. It felt very much so a game of moments tonight.
“ I felt that I didn’t see much from their side, and don’t recall Sam [Hornby] making too many saves within the game. Within that, we’ve given that goal away which then just puts us on the back foot.
“Again, at the moment, at our place, we’ve got to find ways of being on that run, back on that energy, back on that positivity and find ways to do it.
“I’m not going to stand here feeling sorry for myself, and that’s what we’ve got a choice of as a group. Are we going to feel sorry for ourselves, or are we going to grind through it.
“At the moment, we’re finding it difficult at home, but we’ve got to change that.”
“I have a fantastic relationship with everyone at this club. That has maintained through good times and bad and that will continue,” he said, per Guardian Series.
“Football is a brutal business at times. You can be the perfect man for the job a month ago, all of sudden that changes but that also changes back the other way very quickly as well.
“I’ll certainly be fighting and keep believing. We will get on that front foot again and back to playing the way we have always played. You have to – otherwise what’s the point?”
“The mistake opened up the game. The disappointment was we didn’t react very well to that for the next 15 minutes,” he contiunued.
“We reacted well in the second half and had more moments. We had times where we were looking for that thing that would change the momentum around here.
“I’m sure I will watch it back and think there wasn’t much in it, but we have to do more and make a choice as to whether we are happy (with that) or take the game by the scruff of the neck. That was what was missing from our performance.”
MK Dons boss Paul Warne said: “Our attention to detail was really good.
“I don’t think they had a shot on target or a corner (in the first half). That’s their big threat. We’re not as big as them physically, but we knew we had to fight for things.
“I would have preferred more than 1-0 by half-time and by the end I didn’t think 2-0 flattered us. When called upon we put bodies on the line, the three centre-halves were different gravy, Rush (Hepburn-Murphy) worked tirelessly.
“There is a real togetherness. In my opinion that is a really powerful force. Even if we hadn’t won, I wouldn’t have cried about it, we would have bounced to the next game. The lads are in a good place.”
Here’s how fans reacted amid boos and chants calling for Mat Sadler to go with Walsall winless in 7 games after defeat to MK Dons…
@ValiantKyle: Imagine winning back to back league 2 titles by Christmas and still not going up, see you next year lads. Here’s to the hat trick next year 🍻
@ScottWFC1888: How can Trivela Pomlett and Ben Sadler sit there week in week out watching this and think that these results performances and tactics are acceptable and think Sadler is still the right man for the job absolutely brain dead all of them fucking clowns 🤡
@LukeGrocottWfc: Someone ask priestly if he still feels it’s alright shushing travelling fans?
@NathanH58509101: Absolutely abysmal, @TrivelaGroup @bensadler12 sack this clown ASAP. You’re just as much to blame as he is. Needing a goal and we bring a fucking CB on when we have a striker who you lot brought in on loan in January. Yet again another sign of you lot not having a clue
@USaddlers: Sadler gone within next few hours please 👍
@Sheldon444: If he’s not sacked in the next 24 hours then what’s the point of the fans turning up week in week out spending their money on watching this dross? Walsall runs through our blood but we’re being taken for absolute mugs.
@sadlersacked: I would like to say hello to absolutely everyone here. Day 231.
@joekwfc: MS has lived and died by his own sword with his anti football ideology. It’s clear the project is going nowhere. Time to act now before we hit freefall.
@Dr_Iron_Hammer7: One win in twelve games, just let that sink in. Relegation form. How can he possibly be allowed to continue? Shameful.
@andy90wfc: We did have a go 2nd half but in the grand scheme of things… 2 win in 15 in all comps… an awful style of play that’s no longer effective… a fanbase that’s made its mind up… just not enough. You can mess it up once and put it down to a lack of experience but twice? Inexcusable
@jimmy329patel: Enough is enough!!!! Sadler out and tonight
@AdzjoMK: Sorry to say this, but we came into game with our front 3 players injured and I expected a real tough game, but your players are not playing for the manager! Apart from a small spell and distance pop shots you had no grip of the game or urgency and looked like you had no ideas!
@wfcjm: I better have seen that fucking wanker crack his neck for the last time.
@LizSaddler: Absolutely dreadful – something has to change we are in free fall again
@TomJebb8: It’s now or never for the board to sack Sadler. Yes it’s great what they’ve done off the pitch but it’s on the pitch what matters the most and Trivela are showing, just how useless they are. They haven’t got a clue. Clearly just a money making scam for them.
Silkeborg fans were right pic.twitter.com/sWml9ijWtK
— Jack (@WFCBagnall) February 23, 2026
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