Not because he didn't have a good managerial pedigree, but because he hadn't managed in the Football League for 12 years when he was appointed the full-time replacement to Richard Money at the end of last season.

Mullen steered Burnley from the basement division to the Championship in the early 1990s, but when he left Turf Moor in 1996 he also left club football until becoming Money's right-hand man at The Bescot Stadium 13 months ago.

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Mullen said: "I was shocked and disappointed when Richard left, but I'm delighted to have the chance to repeat at Walsall what I achieved at Burnley.

"We have a superb day-to-day working environment as well as a great stadium and hopefully we can make up for the disappointment of falling away at the end of last season and make the play-offs this time.

"We have a good squad and we have started the season well. It was slightly disappointing not to beat Hereford last week, especially after we'd won the three previous matches, but we're going well.

"Last season we had a fantastic ride between October and March. If we can play to that standard between August and May we will have a great chance of making the play-offs at least."

The classiest player in the Walsall line-up believes his team-mates must be more ruthless if they want to maintain their position in the League One promotion pack.

Winger Marco Reich won one German international cap during a four-year spell in the Bundesliga with Kaiserslauten in the 1990s.

He helped his club win the top flight title before trying his hand with Derby County and Crystal Palace in England.

Reich returned to Germany to play with Kickers Offenbach, but joined Walsall on a free transfer in the summer. He is keen to help Walsall up the Football League by recapturing the form which made him a fans' favourite at Derby.

Reich said: "We have to beat the teams that are below us. These are the games which make the difference to if you stay at the top or not.

"You can look at the Premier League and you never see Manchester United and Chelsea lose against the bottom sides. Liverpool do and Arsenal lost to Hull which is why they won't challenge for the title.

"If we want to stay where we are or climb higher then we have to beat the teams below us. We were a new team with good individuals but now are really starting to get a good team together."