Ex-Everton midfielder Lee Carsley revived the club’s fortunes, but will leave Brentford at the end of December after the appointment of Walsall manager Dean Smith as Dijkhuizen’s permanent replacement.
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“Bolton Wanderers Football Club can today, Monday 30 November, confirm that the first-team playing squad are yet to receive their wages for the month of November”, a club statement read.
Smith, who conducted his press conference alongside Rasmus Ankersen, a co-director of football at Brentford, said he was happy to work in a model which, to the annoyance of club owner Matthew Benham, has been described as a “Moneyball” system based on statistical data.
Smith was confirmed as the new Bees boss 24 hours before Walsall come to the Greenhous Meadow in League One tonight.
Despite recording just 11 points from 17 games, Lennon has remained confident his men can stay in the Championship after keeping them up last term but how he manages to overcome this latest setback remains to be seen.
“Dean has significant coaching experience in English football, including more than four years as manager at Walsall”.
“We don’t want a guy who plays destructive, boring football”.
“There is a strategy in place and we need to think differently from other clubs in this league to compete with them”, he told BBC Radio London. We gave him his opportunity in management and believed in him throughout his tenure. “However, we now have to look to the future”.
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Former Bristol Rovers boss John Ward, who is Walsall’s professional development coach, will take caretaker charge ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Shrewsbury along with physio Jon Whitney and goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler.
