Jon Whitney confident of adding a Walsall coach

The Saddlers chief is on the hunt for a new assistant after Dean Holden left the club to take up a similar role at Championship outfit Bristol City.

Holden, together with Neil Cutler, had assisted Whitney ever since he was appointed boss following the sacking of Sean O'Driscoll.

And his departure has left a key vacancy in the Walsall dugout with Whitney believing the post will be filled this week.

"There has been quite a bit of movement, especially on my phone which hasn't stopped ringing," Whitney said.

"People you would not believe are coming out the woodwork.

"I'm not going to rush it because it because I don't have to.

"I will make sure the right person comes in. A person I feel deserves to come into this group and wants to come in for the right reasons.

"I don't want somebody who just wants to fill their day.

"I want someone to come in and develop themselves as well as the group. But I expect they will be in place before Gillingham on Saturday."

Whitney watched on Saturday as his side conceded a 90th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at MK Dons.

But despite the disappointment of conceding late, Whitney was hugely proud of his team's display.

"If we continue to play like we did at MK Dons there is only one way to go and that is up," the boss added. "I had to pick the players up afterwards but it was a completely different type of disappointment from the Macclesfield game.

"To go to MK Dons, who pre-season were one of the favourites, and then dominate the game and be disappointed we haven't won it – we have to happy with that.

"If we play like that in most games we are going to pick up points and that is the key for me. We deserved the win. But you don't always get what you deserve and now we have to make sure we keep believing and keep getting better over the coming weeks."