BBC SportsHavant & Waterlooville manager Shaun Gale is preparing for his club's biggest game in their history by insisting his team can beat Liverpool.
The Hawks are mid-table in the Blue Square South - six divisions below Liverpool - but Gale is planning more than just a fun day out on Saturday.
"Anything is possible in football and I would never send a side out just to enjoy it," Gale said.
"It's the FA Cup and we will be going out to win like we do every game."
Havant began their campaign against Bognor Regis in September and face their eighth game in this competition against the side looking for their eighth title.
The Hampshire club secured a fairytale fourth-round trip to the five-time European champions after knocking out League One leaders Swansea last week.
Sir Alex Ferguson has invited the squad to train at Manchester United's training ground before the game and the players will all be VIP guests at United's game against Tottenham at Old Trafford on Sunday.
And instead of following their usual routines of making their own way to the ground, the Havant players will arrive in style at Anfield using the official England team coach.
Gale added: "We're going to go with the attitude that we can get something."
"The boys have come up with a fantastic achievement in earning the right to play a club steeped in history, with millions of pounds worth of players.
"But it can't be a day trip, we have to treat it like we treat all our games.
"The day that any team turns up at a football ground thinking they can't win should be the day they pack up.
"It doesn't matter who you play, you've always got to have that belief that you've got a chance. The boys have got nothing to fear."
The assortment of plumbers, plasterers, dustmen and taxi drivers are trying to achieve the biggest upset in the 136-year history of the tournament against the seven-time winners.
Liverpool's Spanish international Xabi Alonso is fascinated by the fact that a Premier League club can face a non-league side in the Cup.
"In Spain you can only play teams up to two divisions below you," he said.
"But this is all part of the glamour and the prestige that the FA Cup has. This is why it is so interesting.
"It is the oldest football competition in history and it means so much to the supporters in this country.
Liverpool's superstars were held at home by Aston Villa on Monday and Alonso insists the Reds will approach the Cup tie against the minnows in the same mindset.
"By reaching this round they deserve as much respect as we gave Aston Villa. It's going to be a dream come true for some of them and it will be interesting," he said.
"(Manager) Rafa Benitez always tells us about the opposition players and he won't change that this time.
"He will briefly show us about the way they play and the players they have."
Hawks captain Jamie Collins, a 23-year-old schools football coach more accustomed to crowds of 600, will lead his team-mates out alongside Steven Gerrard in front of 40,000 passionate supporters in full voice.
"It's like a World Cup final for us," he said.
"To get to the fourth round and play Liverpool is a dream come true. To walk out in front of 40,000 singing 'you'll never walk alone' - any player in the world who hears that has the hairs on the back of their neck standing on end."
The Hawks are mid-table in the Blue Square South - six divisions below Liverpool - but Gale is planning more than just a fun day out on Saturday.
"Anything is possible in football and I would never send a side out just to enjoy it," Gale said.
"It's the FA Cup and we will be going out to win like we do every game."
Havant began their campaign against Bognor Regis in September and face their eighth game in this competition against the side looking for their eighth title.
The Hampshire club secured a fairytale fourth-round trip to the five-time European champions after knocking out League One leaders Swansea last week.
Sir Alex Ferguson has invited the squad to train at Manchester United's training ground before the game and the players will all be VIP guests at United's game against Tottenham at Old Trafford on Sunday.
And instead of following their usual routines of making their own way to the ground, the Havant players will arrive in style at Anfield using the official England team coach.
Gale added: "We're going to go with the attitude that we can get something."
"The boys have come up with a fantastic achievement in earning the right to play a club steeped in history, with millions of pounds worth of players.
"But it can't be a day trip, we have to treat it like we treat all our games.
"The day that any team turns up at a football ground thinking they can't win should be the day they pack up.
"It doesn't matter who you play, you've always got to have that belief that you've got a chance. The boys have got nothing to fear."
The assortment of plumbers, plasterers, dustmen and taxi drivers are trying to achieve the biggest upset in the 136-year history of the tournament against the seven-time winners.
Liverpool's Spanish international Xabi Alonso is fascinated by the fact that a Premier League club can face a non-league side in the Cup.
"In Spain you can only play teams up to two divisions below you," he said.
"But this is all part of the glamour and the prestige that the FA Cup has. This is why it is so interesting.
"It is the oldest football competition in history and it means so much to the supporters in this country.
Liverpool's superstars were held at home by Aston Villa on Monday and Alonso insists the Reds will approach the Cup tie against the minnows in the same mindset.
"By reaching this round they deserve as much respect as we gave Aston Villa. It's going to be a dream come true for some of them and it will be interesting," he said.
"(Manager) Rafa Benitez always tells us about the opposition players and he won't change that this time.
"He will briefly show us about the way they play and the players they have."
Hawks captain Jamie Collins, a 23-year-old schools football coach more accustomed to crowds of 600, will lead his team-mates out alongside Steven Gerrard in front of 40,000 passionate supporters in full voice.
"It's like a World Cup final for us," he said.
"To get to the fourth round and play Liverpool is a dream come true. To walk out in front of 40,000 singing 'you'll never walk alone' - any player in the world who hears that has the hairs on the back of their neck standing on end."
No comments:
Post a Comment