McCracken recognises ‘opportunity’
THE Scottish Cup is famous for producing a shock and this year’s tournament has already provided one of the biggest in history.
Hearts were stunned as they exited the tournament in the second round following a 2-1 loss to Highland League side Brora Rangers.
The result sent shockwaves around the Scottish game and lower league outfits now have a belief that they can make their mark in the tournament following a year like no other.
Falkirk are one of those teams and with the daunting prospect of a trip to Celtic on Saturday, it would be easy for the Bairns to just turn up to make up the numbers.
For co-manager David McCracken that is certainly not the case though and he believes his side have a big “opportunity” following a dismal season for their Parkhead opponents.
“It’s been a tough season for them, 100 per cent. There’s a lot of issues behind the scenes, a change of management and where they’re at just now. You could say there’s an opportunity there because they’re not playing as well as they have done in recent years,” he said.
“But let’s be honest – they are still a quality team and a level above where we are and will probably be for another couple of years at least.
“The standard of player they have we are a fair distance from. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to go into the game and think like that. We will give them respect but there’s no reason being there unless you go and try to win the game.
“We tell the players to express themselves and see where it takes you. This is Celtic’s last opportunity to get some silverware this season. They won’t take us lightly but that adds to the experience for our players as well.”
Promotion out of League One is the Bairns’ main aim this term, but McCracken wants his team to put together an impressive cup run on the side.
He continued: “Since we came back from the break the boys have been in a good place. We are looking forward to the game.
“It’s an opportunity for a lot of the boys who haven’t played at Parkhead or been involved against a team of that stature to go and express themselves.
“I relish this challenge as a manager. As I’m saying about the players who haven’t been there and experienced that, myself and Lee haven’t experienced that as managers.
“It’s brilliant. It’s another challenge for us as younger managers. You could say we’re inexperienced but it’s a challenge we’re looking forward to.”
McCracken captained Falkirk in the Scottish Cup final in 2015 where they narrowly missed out on silverware against Inverness.
It was a disappointing day for the 39-year-old, but he hopes to pass on his experience of big cup games to help his players on Saturday night.
He added: “You can try to paint the picture for players. Very few times do you have that opportunity as a player throughout your career. Some players don’t get it at all.
“If you can take that opportunity, it’s something you’ll cherish for the rest of your career.
“To get to the final, you’ve got to beat teams like Celtic. There’s no pressure, it’s something where the boys can go and work hard and enjoy it and see where it takes us.”