John Ward hails Dean Smith effect

Colchester manager John Ward has hailed Dean Smith and insisted the Walsall boss has sparked the Saddlers' survival charge.

The United chief believes Smith can lead the Saddlers to safety and their stunning revival is down to him.

Walsall can jump out of the relegation zone tomorrow to cap a remarkable turnaround since Smith replaced Chris Hutchings last month.

And Ward, who almost took charge at the Banks's Stadium in 2009, reckons his influence has been key.

He said: "There's obviously a connection there which has improved their position. Not long ago they were eight points adrift of everybody else and now they're within a point or two of getting out of the bottom four so this is a big game.

"A change of manager sometimes lifts a team, sometimes it doesn't. Preston and Sheffield Wednesday haven't picked up under a new manager, Walsall have.

"It is good to see Dean given the chance. He's been given the job from within, he was a face that was already familiar with the players and they have responded to what he wants to do and how he's gone about things.

"He's a good football man, he's been at Leyton Orient, so he's not just stepped up from a youth team position. He knows what he's doing.

"He's got experienced players like Jon Macken and Julian Gray and he knows how to look after those guys."

The U's have won their last three at the Weston Homes Community Stadium and are 11th in League One – five points from the play-offs.

But Ward warned they cannot expect an easy ride against the Saddlers, after they scraped a last gasp 2-1 win over relegation-threatened Swindon last week.

He said: "I've warned people that they would be sadly mistaken if they expected us to roll over teams in the bottom four.

"We couldn't do that against Swindon and I'm sure a resurgent Walsall will prove equally tough opponents."