Walsall manager Jimmy Mullen has been sacked after a poor run of results.
The 56-year-old Saddlers boss had been in charge since April 22, after a decade out of full-time football.
He had been working in a BMW car showroom in Shrewsbury before getting back into football.
Under Mullen, Saddlers had won just 10 of his 31 games in charge, losing 14.
Assistant boss John Schofield, who was brought in by Mullen, has been appointed in caretaker charge, starting with Peterborough away next Saturday.
A club statement read: “After careful consideration, the board has taken the decision to terminate the employment of Jimmy Mullen as first team manager, with immediate effect.
“The decision has been taken as a result of a sequence of disappointing results, particularly at home games, which has been damaging to attendances.
“The board wish to express their appreciation for the efforts of Jimmy Mullen last season, when his arrival as assistant to Richard Money was an important factor in improving the playing fortunes of the team.
“This is not the outcome we desired but feel that, with the season reaching the halfway stage, it was necessary to take this decision in the best interests of the club.”
Walsall had harboured hopes of challenging for promotion this season. But Mullen left the club in 12th place in League One, 10 points off the play-offs and the same number of points off the relegation places.
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34 Comments
YEEEESSSSS!!!!!!
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I’m never happy to hear about people losing their jobs, but hopefully now we can get someone in to give us fresh impetus. Good luck for the future, Jimmy.
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I’ll give it a cautious YES!, simply because I don’t trust the board to do anything right. Mullen was clearly the wrong man for the job but now we have to pay him off and the incompetents are in charge of finding his successor.
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Thank goodness for small virtues, just heard the news on Skysports news. The poor attendance is not necessarily Jimmy’s fault, it is the fault of Bonser for employing him in the first place. I hope now that Bonser changes the way he choses the next manager and not just employ someone without a job like usual. Bring back Dicky Dosh
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Best of luck for the future Jimmy.
You never really had a chance, with the board highlighting the high quality of applicants and getting everyone excited, the disappointment was immediate following your appointment.
Hopefully a new appointment will be quick and a manager who will play the best players available rather than favourites out of position!!!
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God the board are slow, we have been telling them for weeks that he had to go.
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bout time, i might start to go and watch again, bring back sir Ray, mind you at this time of the month we will struggle not only to replace but to bring in some extra fire power,and watch the likes of Gerrard go !!!!! same old walsall eh??
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If he goes back to selling BMW’s,he might find it harder than being a football manager.
He’d probably be better off selling hot dogs.
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It is like beating the dingles!!!!!!! i heard first on sky sports news and me and my 8 year old son danced around the living room.Mr Bonser my son will be forwarding his c.v to you regarding the vacancy as he had more idea than Mullen did and will do the job for next to nothing.Seriously lets be ambitious why not try for Paul Ince he needs a stepping stone back into football,and he would give motivation i am sure at this level!
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John Schofield anyone? thats the bad thing about this decision in sacking Mullen, im sure john is on top of bonsers list. it wouldnt suprise me if he was appointed. but im glad Mullen has gone, walsall was dieing. lets hope the new manager can bring them back to life.
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thank God for that
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YESSSSS! get in! god 2day just gets better!
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fantastic news he shouldnt of had the job in the first place just hope bonsor gets it sorted this time and doesnt let it drag on like in the summer anyway it will probably be scholfield who gets it because its the cheap option
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Its all agreed - its Keith Downing !!!
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Jimmy Mullen should never have been allowed to apply for the job in the first place considering he had been out of league football for the last ten years.
The situation is still an unsettled one and the going forward position is going to be difficult under the current economical climate conditions.
lt s going to be tough for the club at every level,and Mr Bonser is in the last chance saloon in ternms of appeasing the supporters.
l think if he had the chance to sell the freehold at it s true commercil value , which wo nt happen during this financial downturn, it would get him off the hook at a stroke.He could leave to the council to find a home for the football side.
This however would not be an attractive proposition to a new invester,and would this be the demise of league football in the town.
Unless Jeff is willing to part with his main asset.i.e. the ground, no new buyer is going to come in and pay rent on a long term lease.
Sugar daddies are in short supply these days and the banks are skint.
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Jimmy was way out of his depth from day one. He shouldn’t take all the blame though, blame the people who appointed him in the first place. The frightening thing about his departure is that Schofield is no doubt top of Bonsers list now because he is the cheapest option. Lets hope he sees sense and brings in someone fresh who can instil fresh impetus into the team. Anyone know what is happening with Clayton??
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A few things:
Firstly it’s always sad to see someone lose their job.
Secondly one comment above has suggested Paul Ince I would say just check what the Middlesborough players have said in the press how the dressing had a cloud over it and the players felt demotavated.
That said Walsall does need a high profile media friendly manager. Put aside Paul Merson’s team management in the media he raised Walsall’s profile and this attracted some decent players on loan that may not have even entertained the thought of coming normally.
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Just read on a Walsall forum someone suggested Telford’s boss Rob Smith as a possibility for the next boss….couldn’t agree more;
We’d be sad to lose him but would be a great choice.
Ticks all of the boxes for you.
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i think we should all join together as faithful saddlers and start a petition going to get Richard Money back!! anyone who agrees message on here to try get E&S involved lol
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that’s what i call good news. thought i was hearing things when it came on the radio. but will my happiness last or will bonso spoil my happiness and appoint another low budget clown. hopefully he’ll dig abit deeper into his pockets and appoint a decent manager who knows what he,s doing. good luck to who ever gets the job and gets good backing from the board. my choice would be ANDY BOOTHROYD.
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Walsall Fc will never ever get a decent manager with until the club is to football people not in the hands of scrap men
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I am pleased Mullen has been sacked! 10 years out of football is not ideal and I was baffled a little by some his team selections! I think John Schofield will be given contract until the end of the season then Bonser will decide what he wants to do! I’m not sure who Keith Downing is. Paul Ince would be a good shout because although not doing well at Blackburn he did an excellent job at Macclesfield (who have even less money than us) and at MK Dons! Lets hope we can get one or two decent players in nnow so we can avoid relegation! Congrats to Ant Gerrard on his new kid!!
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its about time he went not knocking jimmy mullen but he was not cut out for it. maybe bonser can bring in david kelly a fans choice bring the fans back down to the bankss stadium
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Bye Bye Gerrard.
Bye Bye Clayton.
Hello long ball.
Hello Leeds fans- have our seats, (kerching!)
Bye Bye John Schofield in May.
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What a pity. It looked good for a while, but without the results in the present financial climate attendances drop. There’s just too much to spend money on without football, like food, mortgages etc. Good luck to whoever comes in.
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Sky sports news state Keith Andrews has applied for the job, Probably do better with Julie Andrews
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Whilst I’m pleased. Could somebody please tell me why, if this was down to disappointing results, that we waited virtually two weeks from the last game to sack him?
Why not sack him after the Tranmere game then? We’ve gone the best part of two weeks without a game.
Smells a bit fishy and I think there is far more to this than disappointing results. I’m glad he has gone none the less though.
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GOOD
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The best man around at the moment has to be John Ward. He has done well at every club he has been at and would happily take the Walsall job as he applied for the swindon job earlier this season.
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What would Walsall fans think of a certain Steve Bull taking the job?? Cutting the Wolves tie out of it, would you think he could do a good job for you lot?
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I think ince wud b a good shout.Dublin wolves dont patronise us, remember a football manager needs to b able to string a couple of sentences together.He maybe a ‘ legend’ down your neck of the woods , but not required at bescot.
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how about the ex leeds bloke gary mac…
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You can forget about Paul Ince and Gary Mcalistair right away. As for Steve Bull, do me a favour - he got Stafford Rangers relegated. Nobody in their right mind would want this job now.
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Attendances were down to the credit crunch a few weeks ago, now it’s down to Mullen. Face facts, it’s always been down to Bonser and the Board
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