Walsall boss wants end to cup woe

Walsall boss Dean Smith today dismissed the Saddlers' Carling Cup hoodoo and insisted – 'it's a fresh start.'

Smith's men host Middlesbrough tonight having lost their last four League Cup first round games, last progressing by beating Plymouth 1-0 in 2006.

Defeats to Swansea, Darlington, Accrington and Tranmere have halted their progress but the Saddlers boss wants to end their cup woe.

He said: "I'm a new manager, it's my first cup game and there are a lot of new players in there. It's a new game and a new start for us.

"People at the club talk about a run often, but we always talk about the bread and butter being the league and we did the first part on Saturday.

"I've told the lads what my ambitions are, what I expect of them and for them to match my ambitions and more. It'll be the same in the cup tonight.

"It's a big game for us and I'm looking forward to it. I had them watched and we want a result in the cup now. I want to progress and I will play the best team I believe can beat Middlesbrough.

"We are under no illusions it'll be a difficult task. Middlesbrough are a Championship outfit with some good players.

"We don't know what sort of team they are going to put out, but it's about us."

Boro have lost Barry Robson, Scott McDonald, Rhys Williams and Tarmo Kink to international duty, while Kevin Thompson and Jason Steele are injured and Wolves don't want on-loan goalkeeper Carl Ikeme cup-tied.

Manager Tony Mowbray has Merouane Zemmama available but admitted the Moroccan winger is unlikely to play the whole game.

The former Albion boss said: "Zemmama's going through Ramadan at the moment, so there's no way he could play 90 minutes."