Walsall FC's struggles over, says Andy Butler

Andy Butler today vowed Walsall can avoid another season of struggle and insisted last term's troubles have already been forgotten.

The Saddlers skipper reckons lessons have been learnt by the squad and boss Dean Smith and they will escape a nail-biting finale next year.

They finally finished a comfortable seven points above the League One drop zone after battling relegation and Butler believes it will not happen again.

"I'm sure everyone has learned we don't want to be down there again. I know we said it last year but after two seasons it should be different," said the double Player of the Year.

"But you can't sit there and chew over it too long because it gets stuck in your head. There are bigger things in life for you to worry about than that.

"It's your family and stuff like that you've got to worry about, football is a job and if you don't enjoy your job there's no point in playing. But it would be nice to be up there, just once."

And the 28-year-old believes boss Dean Smith is now a better manager after guiding the Saddlers to safety for a second straight season.

Smith remained a calming influence during last season's struggles and Butler insisted the manager grew in adversity.

"He learnt a lot, it's been a tough learning time because we didn't get the results he wanted but you sometimes learn when things are against you," he said.

"He's not really changed to be fair, he's always stuck to how he wanted to play football. He wants us to move the ball and play football and people saw that at times last season. He's a down to earth man and loves football.

"That's what you want from a manager, someone who is as passionate as you. He's a calm man with a calming influence around people. A lot of managers in that position would have lost their head and gone 'you're unfit, you're running' and just made us run. I've been there before and it's nice not.

"But the gaffer stuck to what he believed in, didn't change and we proved we can repay him."