Parkinson dreaming of Pompey cup upset
ALTRINCHAM boss Phil Parkinson said he would be the ‘happiest manager in the world’ if his National League North side were to pick up a positive result when they travel to face Sky Bet League One Portsmouth in the second round of the Emirates FA Cup today.
The Robins may have only made the FA Cup third round seven times before in their history, but they have had a tendency to record scalps in the past – none more recent than Barnsley in 2015.
And Parkinson is confident his side are capable of recording another FA Cup giant killing.
He said: “We’re looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead of us and I think we’re capable of pulling off the upset.
“This group of players is the strongest I’ve worked with as a player and as a manager. They don’t just have ability, they also have desire, determination and grit.
Altrincham travel to face the twotime FA Cup winners on the back of a 10-match unbeaten run, which has seen them progress up the league table, as well as qualify for the second round of the FA Cup and Trophy. “The lads have been con
sistent, and they’ve all worked incredibly hard, so they deserve this opportunity,” Parkinson added.
“We’ll go there full of a confidence knowing that we don’t have to win the tie on the day. There might be an element of having to survive, but if we can win or bring them back to Moss Lane then I’ll be one of the happiest managers in the world going into the hat for the third round on Monday.
“Everything about the tie just oozes excitement.”
They come up against Kenny Jackett’s resurgent Portsmouth side, who are unbeaten in their last seven games - but the Altrincham manager asserted that his side would keep to their own philosophies.
“From what we’ve seen, they have a real identifiable way of playing and I’ll be putting that across to the players in training,” he admitted. “However, we have a set approach and we certainly won’t deviate away from our own identity.”
Parkinson, who has been in charge of The Robins for over two-and-ahalf years, is aware of the colossal challenge, but he also refused to be overawed.
He said: “This is by far the biggest occasion in my football career and we’re going to have to be at our very best, because if we’re not, we’ll get beat.
“I know I’m going to have to think on my feet because the game is going to be a lot faster, but it’s an occasion you can only normally dream about and we’re all just really looking forward to it.”