Huge former Portsmouth favourite is sacked as former Bolton Wanderers, Burnley and West Ham United man exits League Two side

The huge former Pompey favourite has parted company with the Saddlers, after defeat to bottom-of-the-table Scunthorpe left his side four points off the drop zone to the National League.

The 1-0 reverse was Walsall’s seventh successive defeat on the bounce, which proved to be the final act of Taylor’s eight-month tenure at the Bescot Stadium.

A Walsall statement said: ‘Walsall Football Club have parted company with head coach, Matt Taylor.

‘Neil McDonald and Mat Sadler will take temporary charge of first-team affairs.

‘We would like to thank Matt for his efforts and wish him well in the future.’

Speaking after the Scunthorpe defeat last night, Taylor admitted he knew the consequence of not delivering results, but felt he’d be able to reverse his team’s fortunes.

He told the Express and Star: ‘Look, you're judged on results in this game. I knew that when I took this opportunity, and results haven't been good enough at the moment.

‘Do I believe that (I can turn things around) with players coming back from injury and suspension?

‘Yes, most definitely. If I didn't, I'd be in the wrong job.

‘Football is a game where the margins are fine.

‘I don't need to stand here and tell you what the consequences are for me. I knew that when I took the job.

‘I'm not going to shy away from it.

‘The question you ask is quite right because so many of my colleagues have been through similar things that I'm going through now.

‘Am I hurt? 100 per cent. I'm hurt and disappointed as I feel the players should and can perform better.’

Taylor spent six years at Pompey after arriving from Luton in 2002, making 203 appearances, scoring 29 goals and establishing himself as one of the Blues’ most popular players of the modern era.

Taylor went on to play for the likes of Bolton, West Ham and Burnley, before briefly operating as Swindon’s interim manager and later coaching at the County Ground ahead of moving into Spurs’ academy.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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