It was Chris Hutchings' time to leave

The writing was on the wall - it was only a matter of time.

Today, after months of pressure and speculation, Chris Hutchings was sacked as manager of Walsall with the Saddlers bottom of League One.

Following him is assistant Martin O'Connor, after owner Jeff Bonser finally took the decision mosts fans had been waiting for.

The only surprise was that it took so long after four wins in 22 games - culminating in yesterday's 4-1 thumping at Peterborough.

The longer the management team stayed the worse it was going to get. Their presence was counter-productive and the supporters knew it.

It isn't necessarily fan-power which has sacked them but the outpouring of emotion from supporters last night will have been a key factor.

They flooded chief executive Stefan Gamble with emails to demonstrate their fury and they will feel, rightly so, they played a part in the manager's downfall.

The final straw came as the beleaguered boss tried to pick out the positives from yesterday's hammering.

The Saddlers were hard done by but his blinkered view made a mockery of Walsall's desperate league position.

They are eight points from safety, yet Hutchings was desperately trying to blind others to the facts.

He is a genuine, hard-working man but his clichés and generic platitudes cut little ice with those who tired of him months ago.

While he insisted "hard work" was the key to survival it failed to lift the tension and the pressure while results remained dismal.

Hutchings felt the heat - anyone would - but his refusal to admit the desperate situation in public was one of staggering naivety. It simply wasn't working.

The 53-year-old succeeded Jimmy Mullen in January 2009 and, while he had his critics, up until this season he had done a fine job under tough financial constraints.

Credit must be given where it's due and his off-field work helped turn the Saddlers into a more professional outfit after the Mullen debacle.

But 31 wins from 98 games tells only half the story. Ultimately he failed to prove himself as a manager in his own right because he leaves with the club bottom of League One.

His reputation as a coach is well known and he appeared to always have the backing of the players but being liked doesn't win you football matches.

Both he and O'Connor were billed as the perfect double act but the fact that O'Connor also leaves comes as no surprise.

The duo came as a team and leave as one. Chairman Bonser described them as the best pair in his 20 years at Walsall.

He knows those words will now return to haunt him as he bids to find a man who can salvage the Saddlers' season.

The fact is Bonser needs a manager who he feels is better than 'the best.'

But there are managers out there. The vultures have been circling for some time and out-of-work bosses have been glancing at the Saddlers.

It's a no-lose situation for whoever comes in. Many feel Walsall are already doomed and relegation to League Two is a certainty.

If that happens with a new man in charge he will not be blamed, as long as Walsall put up a fight.

But if he manages to save the Saddlers then he will only enhance his reputation and become a hero to the fans.

It could be too late for someone to save Walsall - today's decision should have been made months ago - but they need a chance and a lot of luck.

That is something which deserted Hutchings in the last few months of his reign.

Injuries and loss of form haven't helped but every manager has to deal with it.

By Nick Mashiter