Walsall on the edge for Manny Smith

Manny Smith has admitted Walsall are living on the edge after their stuttering start to the season.

The defender reckons the Saddlers must relax if they are to rectify their form which has seen them win just two of their opening seven league and cup games.

They travel to Rochdale on Saturday and Smith insisted the team's desperation to do well is hampering their attempts to win.

He said: "In the warm-up before the games everyone is hyped up. Everyone is too eager and too keen to do well.

"Sometimes we expect things to happen rather than going out there and making it happen, but we will come together and start picking up points.

"We had a good pre-season and everyone builds for the Saturday and wants to be involved. We work hard but we will pick ourselves back up.

"There are loads of games, everyone is disappointed but everyone has to improve their game all over."

The Saddlers slipped to an unlucky 1-0 defeat to Colchester last weekend, their third defeat on the trot, but Smith is confident the team will escape the rut sooner rather than later.

He said: "I'm sure the performances will come. All the players know we need to improve. Anyone can lose their place if the gaffer isn't happy.

"Anything can happen like a change of formation, a change of personnel and players coming in."

Disappointing cup exits to Tranmere and Chesterfield have compounded the Saddlers' woes after they sold striker Troy Deeney to Watford just 24 hours before the start of the campaign.

But Smith rejected suggestions his friend's exit is the root cause for the low-key opening and insisted the players must shoulder the responsibility.

He said: "Everyone can use Troy leaving as an excuse but you can't blame it on one player, one player doesn't make the team.

"He was one of our main players but there are others who are hungry and who can step in.

"He's done well and if everyone works hard then they could end up in the same position as him.

"He was a massive player for us, but we have to move on and there's nothing can we do about it."