Exclusive: Walsall set to appoint interim manager

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Credit: Imago Darren Byfield to be named Walsall interim manager as 10.08% promotion hope emerges Wed 18 March 2026 12:01, UK Darren Byfield is set to be named Walsall’s interim manager until the end of the season, sources have told Football Insider.The 49-year-old was appointed the caretaker manager of the League Two side after Matt Sadler’s sacking and has impressed so far.Sources say he will now be appointed for the remainder of the campaign with Walsall planning an announcement imminently.In his first two games in the dugout, Byfield has picked up four points after he beat Crewe Alexandra 3-0 on the weekend before seeing out a 0-0 draw with Cambridge United on Tuesday.The West Midlands club currently sit 10th in League Two, two points off seventh-place Grimsby Town, despite Walsall previously topping the table back in January.What is Darren Byfield’s previous coaching experience?Previously, Byfield has held managerial positions, but much of this has come in non-league. MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES His first job came in 2016, when he took over as manager of Redditch United.

Here, he also remained a player and made six appearances throughout the 2016-17 campaign. League Two Club Playoff Probability (%) Grimsby Town 43.80% Chesterfield 26.96% Oldham Athletic 24.58% Walsall 10.08% Source: Opta Probability Index (March 18, 2026)Further jobs in non-league followed, including taking the reins at Stratford Town, Alvechurch and two different spells at Walsall Wood.After time out of the dugout, he returned in a brief spell as Crawley Town interim manager in the 2022-23 campaign.Here, he took charge of two League Two matches, losing away to Stevenage, before drawing away to Newport County.Since July 2023, he has been a Walsall first-team coach until he was made caretaker manager in March 2026.Could Walsall still get promoted to League One?After a disastrous few months, recent results have kept Walsall in the playoff race.While automatic promotion now appears out of reach for the Sadlers, a campaign back in League One next season is not impossible.According to Opta on 18 March, Walsall have a 10.08 per cent chance of finishing in the playoffs come the end of the season.This low percentage is down to Grimsby having a game in hand, which means that if they win, it increases their gap to Walsall to five points.As a result, Grimsby have a 43.80 per cent chance of finishing in the playoffs at this stage.Chesterfield also have an outside chance of getting in at 26.96 per cent, while Oldham Athletic are at 24.58 per cent.However, it remains to be seen where Walsall will finish come the end of the season, with plenty of twists and turns still left to come.