Martin O'Connor: Sean's O'Driscoll's time had come to an end

The all-action midfielder, who made more than 150 appearances in Saddlers colours, believes a change was needed to spark to new life into the promotion chasing side.

O'Driscoll was surprisingly sacked on Sunday having been in charge at the Banks's Stadium for 11 weeks.

He managed just 16 games, winning six, drawing five and losing five.

But a run of six games without a victory together with his relationship with the club's players and staff prompted the board to pull the plug.

And O'Connor believes it was the important they made their move once they realised O'Driscoll wasn't the right man to have replaced Dean Smith.

"I think it was a brave decision but the right decision," O'Connor said. "To be fair, performances haven't been up to scratch.

"And there have been a lot of fans questioning his team selection.

"I do agree with him that we are at the stage of the season where a lot of teams have sussed Walsall out.

"They could see that if you pressed Walsall and played with a bit of physicality then you could beat them.

"It's one of those where, after 16 games, a lot of people will say the club acted too quickly. But I think the signs were there it wasn't working and the fans had turned against him on Saturday.

"There is no point persisting with something that isn't right. It is much better to rectify it and move on."

O'Connor knows exactly what it takes to win a promotion having been part of the Saddlers team that secured a place in the old Second Division back in 1995.

And he believes Walsall still have a great opportunity to make it into the Championship next season.

"They can definitely still go up and the good news is that, despite the recent form, they still have a nice cushion over seventh place," said O'Connor who now runs the academy at Chasetown.

"It's now all about working hard to get some momentum and making sure you have that mental toughness.

"Walsall aren't the only team are the top who have wobbled recently.

"That just shows how important it is to be mentally strong.

"The players need to remember what they have achieved so far this season and be confident.

"They need to believe in themselves, learn from what they have been through and give everything they can to go on a really strong run from now until the end of the season."

O'Connor was also pleased to see Jon Whitney, Neil Cutler and John Ward resume their roles as caretaker managers.

"Walsall need a manager who is similar to Dean Smith and those guys are Smith's men," he added.

"Jon Whitney is very experienced a, positive character who knows the club really well.

"John Ward has got vast experience in the game. He has seen it all before and will provide a really calming influence.

"And Neil Cutler is very well thought of. The club know they are safe with them."