When the draw for the fourth round was made last month, City were granted home advantage against Championship opposition with a host of Premier League teams potentially lying in wait.
Not that Mark Hughes has relaxed his focus at the prospect of facing Nigel Adkins’ Scunthorpe United tonight.
“There is absolutely no complacency here,” he asserts. “We have given the competition the respect it deserves in previous rounds and that is not going to change.
“Irrespective of the opposition, it’s a game that we want to win and that will determine our attitude. Scunthorpe are a good team and we will give them the respect that they deserve.
“It’s a big game for them; coming to our stadium won’t faze them because they have experience in recent times of playing at Wembley. They have dealt with that in the past so I am sure they will enjoy coming here to try to cause an upset. We’ll have to make sure that that does not happen.”
Tonight’s game gives City a swift opportunity to make amends for Sunday’s frustrating draw with Fulham, and the Manager thinks that our Carling Cup opponents will approach this game in the same way as last weekend’s Premier League counterparts.
He continues, “We have seen more teams come to our own ground to look to frustrate us by working exceptionally hard. I think we’re viewed in a different light by everybody; we’re a big club and viewed as a big scalp.
“That’s as a result of outstanding home form, we have lost very few games in recent times at home and when teams take points of us here in the league, they view it is a good day at the office. That has not happened on too many occasions.”
Hughes opposite number is promising to give it a go tonight, saying: “We try and win every game of football we play and we’ve done all right over the last couple of years. We go there with no fear; Manchester City should beat Scunthorpe United at home. We’ve earned the right to play against them and we’re going to go out, give them the utmost respect and give it everything we’ve got to give ourselves an opportunity.”
