Jimmy Mullen is hoping to get his hands on another trophy this season

By Tony Leighton

Walsall's new boss Jimmy Mullen is aiming to show he still has the promotion-winning knack as he steps back into Football League management for the first time in 12 years.

After gaining promotions with Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United and Cardiff City as a player, Mullen managed Burnley up from The League's basement division to Championship level during the early 1990's.

Following his 1996 departure from Turf Moor, however, he worked variously in Ireland, for the Wales national set-up and in English non-league football before joining Walsall as previous manager Richard Money's assistant last September.

When Money quit the club in April, Mullen was made caretaker manager and has subsequently been handed the position on a permanent basis. Now he is looking to lead the Saddlers back to the Championship after five years in the lower divisions.

Speaking at the club's splendid new training ground, a 15-acre state of the art facility which has taken two years and £800,000 to plan and develop, Mullen said: "To be back in professional football at this level is fantastic.

"I was shocked and disappointed when Richard left, but I'm delighted to have been given the opportunity to manage the club and I hope I can repeat at Walsall what I was able to achieve with Burnley.

"We've now got a superb day-to-day working environment as well as a good stadium to play in, and after disappointingly falling away from the Play-Off places towards the end of last season we can hopefully see it right through to the end this time."

Walsall were in the top six throughout the central third of last season but, after selling key players Scott Dann and Danny Fox to Coventry City in January, their form dipped and they finished 12th in the table.

Eleven players have since been released and Mullen is now beginning a recruitment drive that should see at least half a dozen new faces arrive at Bescot Stadium before the new campaign kicks off next month.

First to sign on the dotted line was 28 year-old former Wales international central defender Steve Roberts, signed from Doncaster Rovers as a replacement for Dann.

Mullen said: "Scotty is a hard act to follow, I believe he'll eventually play in the Premiership, but Steve is a very good player with the qualities I want in defence and after winning promotion with Doncaster - and with Wrexham before that - he can bring that experience to a new-look side that must look to improve on what we achieved last season.

"Between October and March we had a fantastic ride, and if we can get near that level again this season but hopefully start in August and take it through to May, then we'll give ourselves a good chance of finishing in the Play-Offs."