Huddersfield Town manager Michael Duff has hinted he will field a strong lineup for tomorrow night’s FA Cup first round clash against non-league Tamworth.
The Terriers are competing in the first round of the FA for the first time since 2011 following their relegation from the Championship last season. Having initially struggled with life in League One, the Yorkshire based side have recovered from a run of five defeats in six games between August and early October to win three of their last four.
This has seen Huddersfield move to within one place of the play-off places. However, they will take a break from their league exploits tomorrow to take on a Tamworth side that have enjoyed back-to-back promotions to earn a spot in the National League.
Michael Duff Keen To Avoid Upset
The FA Cup is of course famous for its ability to provide an upset. This is one tie that many will have pinpointed as having that potential, although Duff is wary of such a feat.
Speaking to Yorkshire Live ahead of the clash, the 46-year-old hinted that he will field a strong lineup to avoid hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons:
“At this stage of the competition, we are a plum tie. You’re probably looking at ourselves, Birmingham, Bolton, Wrexham, we’ll be in the top four or five teams of what non-league clubs want.
“They’ll (Tamworth) have been buzzing to get us at home, because they’ll think there’s an upset. We have to go there, be professional, go about our job and just make sure we’re in the next round of the hat, that’s all we need to make sure we do.
“It definitely won’t be a case of players looking around going ‘oh well he’s rested him and him, so he’s taking it lightly’, that’s far from the case. We definitely don’t want to be in the headlines on Sunday or Monday morning, we’re quite happy to hopefully (put in a) professional performance, get through the game, get no credit and move on.”
Writer’s View
When it comes to the FA Cup, never say never. Tamworth have had many highs over the last couple of years and will be hoping they can provide another moment of magic here. Home advantage will play a part, especially with Huddersfield not used to playing in such a small ground. However, the Terriers are in a great run of form and should Duff name his big hitters, you have to feel they have enough to secure a passage into the second round.
Head of Writing
