Martin: 'We must show our desire'
The Saddlers fell to a 2-0 defeat at Leyton Orient last time out, and the flatness of their performance left alarm bells ringing back at the Banks's Stadium.
But assistant boss O'Connor believes Walsall have the character to revive their season, starting with this week's double header against League One's Essex contingent, Colchester and Southend.
He said: "We are looking for character and desire, we need the right attitude with our players looking to perform and work hard for the team as these games will be tough.
"As the gaffer said to the lads we have 11 Cup finals remaining, and these games will prove which players are worth their salt and which ones aren't."
The Walsall assistant pulled no punches when reflecting on last Saturday's non-eventful display at Brisbane Road, and hit out at the team's Jekyll and Hyde-esque form.
He said: "It was a poor performance – in fact I wouldn't even call it that. We just didn't show up.
"In our last game against Millwall we were unlucky to draw and could have got all three points, but then against Orient we were just woeful.
"We have been so inconsistent this season – if you looked up that word in the dictionary there would be a picture of Walsall FC.
"Our support away from home has been great all season and they didn't deserve those last two away performances, the 5-1 at Southampton and now that showing at Orient."
The public fallout from last weekend stems from controversial comments made by striker Troy Deeney, who hit out at a 'pathetic' display and accused some of his teammates of a lack of hunger.
And while O'Connor is disappointed with the way his comments came out, that is not to say that he would disagree with some of Deeney's sentiments.
He said: "Personally, I think it is something that would have been better to keep in-house, but those things were what was said to the lads.
"It was a pathetic performance, yes, but we said what we said in the confines of the dressing room and it's not something we wanted to get out.
"We have had a few words, some heated discussions and rightly so.
"We are sorting things out and will be going about it our way."
There is no better way to put things right than with two games in four days, as the Saddlers host Colchester on Saturday before travelling to Roots Hall to face Southend on Tuesday night, and O'Connor is under no illusions as to what to expect.
He added: "We are expecting it to be a bit of a battle, as it's no secret that they play a physical game, but they play it with skill.
"We know that on our day we can compete with the best of them, but it is all about finding our best form.
"At this stage of the season, we want to ascertain where we need to be going if we are to make a play-off charge next term.
"I for one don't want to see this season fizzle out."
Comment on this story