Walsall FC rivals 'must be up for a fight'

Andy Butler today turned the summer heat on Walsall's rivals and warned them they must be up for a fight.

The Saddlers skipper has fired a warning shot to the League One big guns and insisted they are the ones under pressure.

Butler believes the promotion favourites will cave under the pressure when the new season starts – with the Saddlers hosting relegated Doncaster on August 18.

"There's some big clubs coming down but there's a lot of pressure on them to do well," he said. "You saw Sheffield United, that when the pressure came on them towards the end of the season, they crumbled a little bit. So there will be pressure on Portsmouth, Coventry and Doncaster.

"I think it's achievable for the, no disrespect, smaller clubs in the league to get there – Stevenage did it last year and caused a few upsets.

"If you just work hard in every single game you play, you've got the same chance as everyone else. "You've got 11 players on the pitch versus their 11 players. At the end of the day, they are League One players and I would back myself against anybody in this league.

"I played in the Championship before – there isn't that much difference quality-wise but you get more time on the ball. Maybe when there's a little battle it might disrupt players."

But the defender insisted the players will not make any bold predictions about the new season after struggling last term.

The Saddlers finished 19th after predicting a promotion battle in pre-season and Butler said they will stay clear of talking themselves up.

"I'm not going to hype us up and say we are going for promotion this year but we'll do the best we can," he said. "It's going to be a tough year and there are teams spending quite a lot of money out there but I'm sure we'll hold our own. I'm not going to big things up and disappoint people like we did last year. We'll take each game as it comes and enjoy every single game.

"I've enjoyed working with the gaffer a lot, I rate him highly as one of the best managers I've worked under and I'm sure we'll kick on this year and hopefully do a little better."