Bruce keeps focus as Hull chase history

london — Hull City manager Steve Bruce insists he won’t let his players be distracted by the prospect of making history as they prepare to face League One minnows Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday.

Bruce’s Premier League team head to Wembley for their first semi-final in 84 years as the clear favourites against third tier opponents who are the last remaining obstacle between Hull and the first major final in the club’s 110-year history.

On paper, Hull should have few problems dispatching Nigel Clough’s team to set up a final showdown with Arsenal or Wigan, who meet in the other semi-final on Saturday.

United are 44 places below Hull in the league structure and no team from outside the top two divisions has reached the FA Cup final in more than a century.

But Bruce, whose first managerial job was with United in 1998, is determined to guard against complacency and, in a bid to keep his players in businesslike mood, he was quick to play down the historic subplot.

Former Manchester United defender Bruce, a three-time FA Cup winner as a player, said: “We won’t do anything different. We want it to be like a normal game.

“We don’t want to give them any excuses. We had Thursday off, we are in Friday and Saturday and let’s hope preparation is the same as usual.

“I know the team, but the players don’t. I’ll tell the players the team on Saturday.

“You know when there is a big game and we had to put the reins on them at the training ground, which is great to see. They were flying around.”

Hull owner Assem Allam suffered a frustrating defeat at Wembley in midweek when his controversial application to change the club’s name to Hull Tigers was rejected by the Football Association. But the Egyptian will be back at the English national stadium with Europe in his sights. —