Grecians boss looks ahead to FA Cup Third Round
EXETER CITY manager Paul Tisdale talked of the excitement ahead of the Emirates FA Cup Third Round as the assembled press descended upon the club at a well-attended press conference.Liverpool visit St James Park for a match to be screened live on BBC One on Friday evening, and the press, excited at the prospect of the standout FA Cup fixture of the round, gathered at the Cliff Hill Training Ground.
"It was an immediate excitment to draw Liverpool out of the hat," Paul said. "We had looked at the numbers beforehand, and we knew that there were a few particularly plum ties. We've got a home tie, which is unusual for us over the past decade, and we got number 23, which was one of the ones that we were looking out for. We're really pleased, not just with anticipation for the game but also what it means for a club like Exeter City.
"Win, lose or draw, you'd look at it as a positive. We haven't thought of it as a hindrance for one minute, but you have to go into any game in a positive focus. We have ours, and know what we're trying to do on Friday night, but the reality is that we have nothing to lose. I just hope that the club puts themselves into the bright lights on Friday night.
"We were well-beaten by a very good Kenny Dalglish Liverpool side four years ago, but we didn't give ourselves much of a chance. There aren't many players still in either side now, and the conditions will be different - this is January as opposed to September.
"We all suffer from injuries - we have a number of players out too. Players are expected to play to such an intensity throughout the week, so injuries are even more likely. We are missing Ryan Harley, David Wheeler, two of our match-winners, so it's an issue that we all encounter. It's to be expected that we all get injuries.
"We haven't won our last few league games, but we have played quite well. I'm not seeing this as any particular obstacle in our league season. We've got some players gradually coming back from injury - Christian Ribeiro and Jamie McAllister are back in training now, so we've got enough players to pick from, and I trust them to do their jobs. It's a shame for us to lose David Wheeler, as he would have been a big asset for us in a game like this.
"The whole thing has been really exciting for me, the players and the club in general. We've done our preparation as we always do, and we have to make sure we bring our best game into Friday night. This will be a League 2, mid-winter pitch, and the weather has been poor. It isn't comparable to Sunderland away earlier in the season, but if we can get three goals in the first-half against Liverpool, I'll be more than happy."