And so farewell Jimmy Mullen, who came and went and, well, that’s about it really, writes Martin Swain.

It was somehow fitting that a man who was introduced to the Walsall job through the side door should be ushered out of it equally quietly on a Saturday lunchtime as a sort of apologetic footnote to the main bill of Villa Park’s Premier League derby.

Villa-Albion game was watched by 41,757, which is only 7,358 fewer than the 49,140 fans who have watched all 11 matches at the Banks’s stadium this season. But at times you get precious little thanks for dealing with such inequality around here.

Walsall fans have to live, breathe, eat and drink alongside their “friends” from the region’s other fan bases and understandably like to punch their weight in the conversations; a recent record of just four wins in 16 league and cup game suggested that Mullen’s uninspiring backdrop could soon be coloured by a relegation fight.

That may still happen. Much depends now on owner Jeff Bonser’s choice of successor, a man who must re-invigorate the team and the supporters, inject fresh excitement into the football and steer the club away from danger. All for a few pennies, a ball of string and some leftover Asda coupons.

The club’s favourite son David Kelly, thought to have rejected the job in the summer because it came attached with the strings of Mullen as his assistant, is back with Billy Davies at Forest and off the radar.

Such is the cynicism which surrounds Bonser, many will expect him to go for another low-key appointment and offer coach John Schofield a step up, providing interim results justify it. Without pre-judging Mullen’s No.2, that would miss an opportunity to inject the club with much-needed fresh enthusiasm.

The Saddlers have been idling and, recalling Bonser’s grave warnings about the collapsing economy, further constricted by the financial climate. This is not to decry Mullen, a perfectly sound football man whose work as Richard Money’s assistant was duly acknowledged by the club in the formalities of his exit, but he knew, we knew and most importantly the players knew he was a bridging appointment. Someone to fill the duties until something better came along.

Hopefully, the curious timing of his sacking – Mullen must be the first manager axed after back-to-back postponements – means that that “something better” is now within Bonser’s grasp. We can but hope.