Andy Butler is backing his manager

Walsall defender Andy Butler has insisted sacking Chris Hutchings would be pointless and labelled the under-fire manager as the best man for the job.

The centre-back added his name to the growing list of players who have publically backed the boss, with the club seven points from safety at the bottom of League One.

The Saddlers go to Torquay in the FA Cup second round on Saturday and Butler believes any change of manager would only unsettle the players.

He said: "I don't think a change would do any good because the lads are all 100 per cent behind the manager.

"I don't know what other manager could come in and do differently anyway. I've had managers who rant and rave and you don't need that when you're down there.

"You need someone with a calm head, who's been there and done it before and this gaffer is the man to do it."

The Saddlers' 3-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday saw them fail to build on back-to-back wins last week.

But Butler admitted the players still need to take more responsibility for a season which has seen them win just five times.

He said: "As players we should be under pressure, he's brought us in to do a job.

"He hasn't bought bad players in but we need to take responsibility now. He has backed us 100 per cent and is always telling us how much faith he has in us.

"The fans have to realise the players are working hard but are not getting the rub of the green."

A decent display at Wednesday yielded no reward but, ahead of Saturday's trip to Plainmoor, Butler believes the cup could be the Saddlers' saviour.

He said: "It's a winnable game, Torquay are doing well in League Two but we have to show what we can do.

"It'll be nice to get on a winning run. Winning breeds confidence and confidence gets results.

"Winning brings so much confidence to players, when you're down there things don't go for you but, when you get a result, it's like a snowball effect.

"Everyone starts jumping around in training and buzzing."