MANAGER: The FA Cup is an excellent competition

“The FA Cup is an excellent competition,” he said. “We’re in the third round and that brings with it the prospect of a big tie in the next round, if you can get through. 

“First and foremost though we will focus on our performance levels, and make sure they’re right, because if we take our eye off what we need to do we’ll come unstuck.”

“Nothing has changed in the way we plan and prepare,” he insisted. “It’s a game where we know we can cause problems but we’re mindful of what we feel Yeovil can bring to the mix. 

“If you look at the last time they played us, they were two up with less than 15 minutes gone. We recovered it in the end, but that shows the kind of situation we can find ourselves in, because they do have good players. 

“The beauty of the FA Cup is that all teams go into it wanting to do well. It’ll be more of a level playing field for both sides on Sunday because it’s a neutral venue. We take that on board, and we also need to take note of the condition of the playing surface. Blackpool play on it on Saturday, but that’s something we have to deal with.” 

“Everyone involved in this round will want the excitement of the draw for the next round, but we have to make sure we approach the Yeovil game in the right manner first,” told us. “Anything can happen in games like this, but we’re ready for anything. 

“They obviously have Francois Zoko and we don’t need to tell Carlisle fans about him. He’s the type of player who is unplayable on his day. I’ve got a lot of time for him and the things he can do. 

“He can be a game changer and if he’s given freedom, and he’s enjoying his football, he’s a real asset. He’s one we will need to look after but we’re confident we know how to deal with what Yeovil are going to throw at us.”