The mystery hour of sacked Mullen

Between 10am and 12pm on Saturday, something happened which made Mullen's position untenable.

At 10am the ex-boss was present at the hastily arranged pitch inspection before the postponement against Brighton, at 11am he was still Walsall manager but by 12pm he had departed.

The justification for doing so is naturally clear, results and performances have undoubtedly played a massive part in his downfall but why take the decision now?

It was widely thought Mullen was one or two bad results away from his P45, so had they lost against Carlisle or Brighton he would have gone anyway.

His departure was imminent, it was a matter of when, but the nature of it still leaves questions unanswered.

Why not make the decision after the defeat at Tranmere two weeks ago and why prolong Mullen's time with the squad if the chairman had lost faith?

The news of his departure, brought to him by director Nigel Bond at the club's Essington training ground, may strengthen the argument chairman and manager never crossed paths on Saturday but previous disagreements cannot be ruled out.

A row over budget, contracts or transfers could have triggered the events on Saturday and, with the game off, it gave the perfect opportunity for the board to act. But, on the flipside, had the games been played and the Saddlers won, would Mullen still have been sacked?

They would have handed him much needed reprieves but Mullen was under more pressure than he was publicly revealing.

The final weeks of his reign were shrouded in uncertainty. For a manager to publicly claim he did not know his transfer budget days before the transfer window opened beggars belief.

Maybe there was no budget and Mullen's ambiguous answers were designed to keep the hoards at bay. The delay in contract talks with Clayton Ince also failed to add confidence to his reign. The 'gentleman's agreement' he had with the big 'keeper to talk before Christmas has long gone.

It is this uncertainty surrounding the players which shows they need direction. While publicly the mood has been one of togetherness there have been some private rumbles of discontent. When senior players utter serious misgivings about the manager you know you are in trouble.

Many players found out about Mullen's departure through the different facets of the media on Saturday - highlighting they need to be brought into the fold and told exactly what happened.

Players react best when they feel wanted and valued and the latest development is sure to test their resolve and faith in the club. The spirit between them has never been in question but time and again this season the relationship between the manager and some senior players has been under scrutiny.

They will work under John Schofield, which will at least keep the status quo but the squad needs change to reinvigorate them. A flagging season will continue on a downward spiral unless a new, fresh, captain is appointed to the rudderless ship.

It is believed Schofield is interested in succeeding Mullen but his potential appointment will do little to excite the fans. A new broom would see attendances rise, with apathy among fans having turned to anger in recent weeks.

Falling attendances have been an example of the growing resentment to Mullen's reign but the club were steadfastly blaming the credit crunch while he was in charge.

Now they seemingly have no qualms of hanging the former manager out to dry by slapping the blame of the attendances around his neck.

The statement released by the club at the weekend stated - "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 sudden change of stance is staggering and showed talk of the worldwide financial difficulties was a smokescreen. Fans and critics alike knew performances were poor but the club hid behind the economic climate.

It led to discontent among fans who had been calling for Mullen's head for the last month. They were understandably unhappy. The bond between the club and the fans was already fractured and now it is broken.

Jeff Bonser needs to earn the trust of the fans again and he can only do that by being open and honest. He needs to admit he got it wrong. Mullen's tenure was a failure and the next appointment needs to be an unprecedented success.

Bonser's recent manager history reads as a who's who of successes and failures.

Chris Nicholl, Richard Money, Ray Graydon and Colin Lee were all triumphs.

Jan Sorensen, Paul Merson, Kevan Broadhurst and now Mullen were all fiascos of differing degrees.

Jimmy Mullen was a gamble which didn't come off and Bonser needs to think carefully but quickly for his successor.

The transfer window is already 12 days old and if the Saddlers are going to make any moves in the market - which was not a foregone conclusion while Mullen was in charge - they cannot do it while without a manager.

Schofield may be given carte blanche when it comes to transfers and if he does expect him to become Mullen's successor. But the fact remains, Mullen was the wrong man at the wrong time. The Saddlers don't need a Mr Right Now, they need a Mr Right who is going to restore the faith.