Walsall boss looks to beat QPR again

Walsall manager Dean Smith will be hoping lighting strikes twice when he takes his League One outfit to Premier League big-spenders Queens Park Rangers.

Smith was assistant manager of the Leyton Orient team that dumped Rangers out of the Capital One Cup at Loftus Road in August 2007, when the Hoops were still in the Championship.

Saddlers midfielder Adam Chambers played in that giant-killing side but the hosts are an even stronger outfit now, thanks to promotion and a huge cash injection from owner Tony Fernandes.

Champions League winner Jose Bosingwa is the latest to make his Rangers debut this time and his presence in a strong side could make it a long night in the second round for Smith's men.

But the Saddlers boss insists his players won't just roll over and let the home side have their way tonight, having already been a part of a Rangers giant-killing in the past.

He said: "Hopefully, that's an omen. The one thing we tell the players is to enjoy every game and this will be no different. If you play with a smile on your face, for me, you get better performances.

"But we are not going there to make the numbers up and let them play silky football. It's not an impossibility for us to go there and pull off a shock.

"It will certainly be a test for us, we know that with the calibre of their players. But it's an opportunity, a chance for us to go and pit our wits against a good Premier League team.

"We certainly won't be in awe of them."

Saturday's 1-0 win at Notts County, their first victory of the League One season, went some way to lifting the mood in the Walsall camp ahead of tonight's test.

A Capital One Cup home win over Brentford in the last round was tempered with a 3-0 opening day collapse against Doncaster, before a draw at Oldham and the County success.

The Saddlers are still unbeaten away from home this season and Smith believes his side can go on to better things as the campaign wears on.

He said: "There's massive potential, but I keep telling the players that potential is only a word. What they have to do is fulfil it.

"As a team and unit, we will get more experience and know-how. It's massively important that we keep on building and seek an improvement in every game."

"We take every game as it comes, I know it's an old adage but that's what we are doing."