It’s a big one this weekend, on Saturday afternoon we travel to Wembley to face Gerardo Martino’s Everton side.
I want the FA Cup. More than that, I think we’re in with a hell of a shout of winning it! The teams left in are ourselves, Everton, Stoke City and Crystal Palace. None of the other three are pulling up trees in the league, Stoke are sixth just three points ahead but they do have Xherdan Shaqiri and Jack Butland in their side. Newcastle United under Brendan Rogers are down in 15th and Crystal Palace are 17th.
It’s time to be bullish with the press and hope that that translates positively to the players.
Reporter: Will you be looking for your more experienced players to help the younger ones through what is sure to be a high-pressure tie?
Me: I always expect the older players to lend advice and support to less experienced teammates and this is no different. We’ll have Àngel Rangel in the side and there’s nobody with more experience in the squad.
Reporter: Everton are all that stand between your Swansea City side and a place in the English FA Cup final. Just how excited are you by the possibility of winning this competition?
Me: It would be fantastic, occasions like that are what you come into football to experience. I’d be as excited as Tom Cruise in Alton Towers.
Reporter: How excited are the players at the possibility of reaching the English FA Cup final?
Me: I can tell they are very excited. There is a real zip in training right now and the players can’t wait to get out there. They’re chomping at the bit, I can tell you.
Reporter: Bearing in mind your congested fixture list, will you consider resting any players in order to bring in fresher faces?
Me: No comment. I did that against Chelsea, mate. You only just shown up?
Reporter: There has been a lot of speculation this week surrounding the future of Sean Dyche, with pundits critical and some fans apparently losing patience with the Burnley manager. What are your thoughts on the matter?
Me: I hope Burnley stick with him. You don’t get anywhere in this game through knee-jerk decisions. You people are vultures, leave him alone!
That spells the end of the press conference. It is one quirk of being a Football Manager, you get asked about just about everybody else but yourself sometimes.
Just an added extra update, the only jobs in England available are Sheffield United and Forest Green Rovers. Stuart Gray is almost out at Fulham, while Premier League bosses Sean Dyche and Gerardo Martino are ‘insecure’, probably in more ways than one. There’s some bloke over at Sheffield Wednesday struggling, Carlos something. Never heard of him.
