League Two head coach ‘under consideration’ for jobs at Millwall and Northampton

Mat Sadler, who is head coach of League Two side Walsall, is reportedly ‘under consideration’ for jobs at Millwall and Northampton.

Sadler, has been at the helm of the Saddlers, who are top of the table with 37 points from 18 games played and tipped for promotion to League One, which the club haven’t been in since the 2018–19 season.

He has led his team to being the highest scorers while maintaining one of the division’s strongest defences.

His success at Walsall has caught the attention of these higher-tier clubs, despite his relatively limited experience as a manager, having only managed his current club.

For Millwall, Sadler’s potential appointment would be a bold move, considering the Lions are two leagues above in the Championship while Northampton Town a just one level up, in League One.

However, Sadler faces competition for these roles. For instance, Millwall has also linked with experienced managers like Mark Robins, who has a successful track record including promotions and deep FA Cup runs with Coventry City.

Northampton Town, on the other hand, has been linked with other candidates like Andy Woodman from Bromley, indicating a broad search for the right fit.

Sadler’s journey from player to coach, having played for clubs like Birmingham and Rotherham, adds a layer of football pedigree to his managerial candidacy, but the leap from League Two to Championship or even League One management would be significant.

Walsall boss Mat Sadler is under consideration for the manager vacancies at Millwall and Northampton Town. #walsall #MillwallFC #ntfc https://t.co/pvxj9Odgse

— Pete O’Rourke (@SportsPeteO) December 13, 2024

Football Insider said according to their sources: “Walsall boss Mat Sadler is under consideration for the manager vacancies at Millwall and Northampton Town with Sadler regarded as one of the best young managers in the EFL after impressing at Walsall over the last 18 months.

“Sadler features on the list both at The Den and Sixfields with his good work at Walsall recognised.

“He has won 18 of the 27 matches in charge this term, including 11 from 18 in the fourth tier.

“The Saddlers are two points clear of second-place Port Vale with a game in hand heading into Saturday’s (14 December) fixture against Barrow.

“Young boss Sadler was a coach at the Bescot Stadium before being thrust into a caretaker role in May 2023 and eventually getting the job full-time.

“The 39-year-old, who primarily plays a back three with wing-backs, has taken charge of 81 games in senior management – winning 38 and drawing 16.”

Kelvin Thomas says he ‘wasn’t surprised’ when Jon Brady handed in his resignation due to a ‘variety of reasons’.

“I wouldn’t say that James (Whiting) or myself were surprised,” the chairman said while on BBC Radio Northampton. “There had been some discussions about it. There’s no easy way to say this but being a football manager is a very, very difficult job and it can be a very lonely job.

“Having worked with a lot of managers, I know it can be lonely and I’ve always tried to support managers, not just financially but there’s an emotional support and a duty of care. I’ve tried to use my experience as a chairman to help a manager along.

“All the managers I’ve worked with have had self-doubts and they always question whether they can do better. I think any manager is not that far away from stepping away and Jon just decided it was time for him for a variety of reasons.

“It’s not for me to say why Jon decided to make that decision. You can’t hide from the fact that we don’t have the biggest budget in the league and there are pressures that come with that. We have always backed managers but some teams in the league can sign certain players and there were players that Jon was looking at who financially we can’t get.

“That’s what Jon’s job is – to look for better players. But there’s always that constraint, and I think with Jon social media maybe played a part. I used to talk to him quite a bit about ignoring what’s on social media but sometimes that can be very difficult.

“Results weren’t as good as he would have liked and Jon’s obviously local as well and that was an added pressure because he always surrounded by Northampton fans, so there were a lot of factors behind his decision.

“But we can’t get away from the fact that Jon did a very good job for us and we were very happy with what he did and there was no pressure from us as owners.”

“We hadn’t had any discussion around that,” said Thomas on if he was close to being sacked. “Jon had done enough at his time at the club to be given a bit of time. Every team goes on a bad run, we did last season and we came back really strong so we always had faith in Jon.

“There was no pressure from us and we kept reiterating that to Jon but I think he put himself under such internal pressure that it was tough for him.”

FAVOURITES TO BECOME NEW MILLWALL MANAGER

David Wagner – 3/1
Mark Robins – 3/1
Ryan Lowe – 4/1
Matt Bloomfield – 4/1
Steven Schumacher – 8/1
Gary Rowett – 8/1
Ole Werner – 12/1
Mat Sadler – 16/1

FAVOURITES TO BECOME NEW NORTHAMPTON MANAGER

Ian Sampson – 2/1
Andy Woodman – 3/1
Robbie Savage – 4/1
Michael Appleton – 5/1
Andy Peaks – 6/1
Mark Robins – 12/1
Lee Johnson – 12/1
Leam Richardson – 12/1
Gary Rowett – 16/1
Matt Gray – 16/1
Mat Sadler – 16/1

Twitter users reacted with the League Two head coach ‘under consideration’ for jobs at Millwall and Northampton…

@Walsallfantasti: It was always going to happen when you were doing so well, IF he decides to go (which I doubt, but you don’t know the finances involved) big Ben little Ben and LP said at the fans forum they had plans in place for every possible scenario. Flattering is my takeaway 😉

@ruskyboy: I think that 12 months ago when a lot of supporters were calling for him to be sacked the club stood by him and fully supported him. I think that he will get that and knows he has a mission to get us promoted, so hopefully we hear news about him being rewarded with new contract

@RicardoGravy: He knows he is onto something here which will look very good on his CV. He won’t leave that. Maybe in the summer, who knows 🤷🏼‍♂️

@R_MFC_1885: Don’t you dare @MillwallFC

@Ali_Mac90: Why can’t teams just leave us alone & let us have something nice for once!

@Northentine: Millwall and Northampton, politely fuck off

@CampoverdePadel: Personally hope he moves on, can’t knock getting us to where we are but this squad is definitely good enough for promotion and would benefit from a better head coach thanks jut let us stand In your way

@CraigGrifo: Any manager top of their league would be considered for jobs. The question is does he want them? I suspect he is smart enough to know that until he sees something through that his stock could plummet.

@Bloxwichbrummie: What on earth can Northampton offer Matt? Fuck all! Matt’s part of this growth of Walsall on all fronts.

@Jack08Wfc: Please no

@TheShoeArmy1897: I much prefer this to some of the names banded about. Young manager, based relatively local. Not the other side of the country. Lots of football league experience as a player and building a strong CV as a manager

@graingerrrrr: The wheels on the bus are about to pop 😭😭😭

@RMcCarthy98: Take him all day

@robert0wfc: 😂😂😂😂 dream on he’s here forever

@LiamStewartWFC: He won’t leave

Abandoning the Saddlers with the club and team spirit going in the right direction would seem a strange and surprising decision.

Sadler is doing a brilliant job, building a great team, and he seems to be enjoying his time at the club. I don’t think he would leave any time soon. https://t.co/V6M2lDSu6Y

— Tom Bowen (@TomBowenJourno) December 13, 2024