Great Escape in past for Walsall boss

Walsall boss Dean Smith has told his squad to forget about past heroics and admitted the heat is on to prove himself again.

The manager dismissed last term's Great Escape as old news and insisted he will do it his own way this season.

The Saddlers host Leyton Orient in tomorrow's League One curtain-raiser, just three months after beating the drop by a point on a thrilling final day.

But Smith admitted he will be judged on his actions this term and insisted he won't live on past glories.

He said: "Last year has gone. We took the plaudits at the end of the season for staying up but it's a new year now and a new challenge.

"We'll be judged come Saturday at 5pm on how the season starts and where we go from there. We're judged all the time.

"If I'm wearing a suit I should be wearing a tracksuit, if I'm wearing a tracksuit I should be wearing a suit.

"Mick McCarthy told me a story and said 'do it your own way, because you're judged all the time.'

"He's right, we are. You prove yourself all the time."

Smith faces former club Orient, where he spent almost a decade as a player and coach.

And the Saddlers boss insisted the pressure is on Orient to come to the Banks's Stadium and win, after they finished seventh last term.

He said: "We escaped by the skin of our teeth and the expectations of everyone looking at our club are not as great as they will be at Leyton Orient.

"With success comes expectation and they have got to live up to it."