Former Walsall manager Dean Smith has spoken to the press ahead of this weekend's Emirates FA Cup Third Round clash between his former Saddlers side and Brentford, and has admitted that it will be a strange occasion.
Speaking via the Express & Star, Smith said; “It’s very strange – I know all the players, they are all players that I took to the club after all. It’s nice that Walsall have got through to the third round as it’s something that I couldn’t do with them so I’m looking forward to it.
“The players we will be coming up against are players I know emotionally. Walsall’s players are a good set of players and I sincerely hope they continue the success they are having at the moment and get promoted.
“We’ve had a decent week concentrating on Walsall. But the other side of it is that the Football League has decided to give us fixtures straight after it – we’ve got a game on Tuesday and then another on Friday as well. So we’ve got three home games in six days.
“But I know from my time at Walsall, indeed this season, when we played the likes of Nottingham Forest and Brighton, they changed their teams at their peril in terms of getting a result and getting through to the next round.
“We certainly want to win the game but if we lose I don’t think I’ll get too much stick. I can say ‘my team has beaten my team.’”
SOURCE | EXPRESS & STAR