Squad building in the lower leagues is an inexact science. Putting a team together made up of free transfers and loans is at the opposite end of the spectrum to the big spending of the Premier League, where tens of millions are splurged on the one player who, it is felt, could make the difference.

Experienced managers at the bottom of the football pyramid become skilled at manipulating budgets and identifying the players they need to turn less well off clubs into promotion challengers.

Moore’s Rovers

One such manager was Ronnie Moore. Moore had enjoyed success at Rotherham and built several squads during his first spell at Tranmere that had overachieved relative to their budget. Upon his return to Prenton Park in 2012, he would find that perfect, alchemical blend to create a side capable of not just challenging, but winning the League One title.

The squad was actually more of an XI, which would become a problem when injuries struck, however it worked in devastating fashion. On-loan centre back Ben Gibson was a colossus, Zoumana Bakayogo’s pace dovetailed perfectly with Andy Robinson on the left flank, and in James Wallace they had one of the most accomplished central midfielders in the league.

Up top, Jake Cassidy, another loanee, scored for fun at the start of the season, as did Robinson and Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro. In all, only Wallace of that XI had required a transfer fee to be paid.

Rovers’ Rapid Start

Tranmere won nine and drew three of their opening 12 games, storming to the top of the table, where they would stay until February. As injuries began to bite, and the replacements were unable to replicate the form of the start of the season, results nosedived along with Rovers’ league position.

The final 17 games brought only three wins and two draws, and the previously goal hungry side even went six games without scoring to see out a season which had promised so much, but ultimately fizzled out.

Moore had arguably still overachieved in finishing 11th, Tranmere were certainly nobody’s tip ahead of the campaign, but having led for so long, to not even finish in the play-offs stung.

Sadler’s Saddlers

Prior to the 2024-25 season kicking off, Mat Sadler’s Walsall were listed in the Guardian’s League Two preview as being among the play-off hopefuls. It has to be pointed out that this group was 13 strong, perhaps showing the relative equality in the division following the promotions of Wrexham, Stockport and Mansfield.

It didn’t appear that Walsall were destined to be the frontrunners ahead of the new campaign starting then, but, after a 1-0 win away at Port Vale in December they climbed to the summit of the table, and remained there until a defeat, incidentally against Port Vale, in early April knocked them from their perch.

After embarking on a 16 game unbeaten run, that culminated in a nine game winning streak, the Saddlers were 12 points clear of second place with a game in hand. They had suffered only three defeats all season and were looking imperious, and a certainty for automatic promotion. 

Nathan Lowe, on loan from Stoke, had plundered 15 goals but was recalled after a 5-1 hammering of, poetically, Tranmere. They would win their first game after his departure, but then suffered a horrible collapse in form.

Walsall’s Loss of Form

While Lowe was a big miss, it is arguably the fact that, during this bleak run of two wins in 19, Walsall have kept only three clean sheets.

A five game winless run was ended with back-to-back wins against Chesterfield and Morecambe, but the second of those victories, on 22nd February, is at the time of writing their last. The previously dominant Saddlers are currently without a win in 12. 

Their 12 point lead has disappeared and they now sit 4th. They are guaranteed at least a play-off spot, and remain just a point outside the automatic places. It is certainly not over for Sadler’s team, but promotion probably should have been wrapped up by now.

Tranmere, during their run at the top of League One, never enjoyed such an advantage. Despite Tranmere falling further, Walsall have fallen harder. Their drop has been even more catastrophic than Tranmere’s 12 years ago, and yet, they could still end up with a promotion at the end of it all.