Russell Slade is reaping the benefits of life in a less demanding environment and his improving Leyton Orient side look good value to beat Rochdale at Brisbane Road on Saturday.

After finishing last season with a flourish to climb out of danger, the O's were being touted as possible promotion dark horses following some shrewd investment in the summer but expectation appeared to weigh heavily as they suffered defeat in five of their opening seven matches.

It was a familiar story for Slade. Twelve months earlier, he pulled off a miraculous escape with Brighton and started last season with a revamped squad that was being talked about by everybody but himself.

However, things went pear-shaped on the Sussex coast and Slade paid the ultimate price almost a year ago to the day.

Luckily, now the pressure isn't quite so great and while the Seagulls are setting the pace at the top of League One with a man better suited to their higher profile, Slade is making the most of what comes from operating in more humble surroundings.

Indeed, given that Orient have spent the last four seasons battling relegation at this level, it's no wonder they were uncomfortable with the predictions of some, although recent evidence suggests the optimists might not be too far wide of the mark.

Having shipped a dozen goals in those opening seven matches, Orient have tightened things up with only four goals conceded in a six-match sequence that includes only one real setback - an unfortunate 1-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough three weeks ago.

It's strange to see Rochdale suddenly become one of the more fashionable clubs in the lower divisions after years of being written off but it's a situation which should work to our advantage in the type of fixture where they haven't been too convincing of late.

The Lancashire minnows have caught the eye with some prize scalps but their results and performances either side of victories in the glamour games against Southampton and Huddersfield have been rather indifferent.

Their last two away games (at Exeter and Bristol Rovers) have both ended in defeat and odds of 7/5 about the Londoners are big enough to trigger our involvement.

Meanwhile, Huddersfield are expected to put struggling Walsall to the sword at the Galpharm but we reckon a handful of layers have overstepped the mark by offering a 7.50 quote on the Saddlers.

The excessive price is purely a reaction to the Midlanders' dire display in last weekend's 4-1 defeat at home to Tranmere, a result that leaves Chris Hutchings' future dangling by a thread.

However, it's not uncommon for teams to dig deep and produce a big performance out of nowhere on the back of such humiliation and the ingredients are there for Walsall to respond positively in a game where most punters won't give them a prayer.

A lot will obviously depend on how much the players care for their gaffer but we've seen nothing in the media to suggest Hutchings has lost the dressing room and the Tranmere debacle could yet serve to be a watershed moment in the campaign.

The setback against the Merseysiders was peculiar insomuch as it came on the back of some improved efforts, particularly since Andrew Davies and Martin Devaney added some experience to the ranks on loan from Stoke and Barnsley respectively.

We won't deny that Huddersfield belong in the upper reaches of the division based on their big-match displays so far this term but results against the also-rans leave a lot to be desired.

Swindon, Rochdale, Bristol Rovers and Plymouth have all accounted for the Terriers in the past month or so and we'll happily throw some shrapnel on Lee Clark's men being caught on the hop and coming a cropper once again.

PICKS:
Walsall to beat Huddersfield at 7.50 at Bet365.
Leyton Orient to beat Rochdale at 2.40 at Bet365.