DES Buckingham knows exactly what the Emirates FA Cup means to supporters, and will show the world’s oldest club competition the respect it warrants this afternoon.
Oxford United welcome a Grimsby Town side struggling in Sky Bet League Two, although the Mariners will be playing just their second game under new boss David Artell.
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U’s head coach Buckingham said: “We know they’ve had a managerial change, so they’ll be looking to change things and show their manager what they can do, despite where they might be in the league.
“We’ll pay them the same attention and respect that we do for any of the games we’ll play in the league, because regardless of the level that you’re at, we know the upsets that this cup competition can cause.
“You have to respect the FA Cup. It’s a magical competition for many reasons.
“I was in the crowd as a fan when we drew Arsenal away at the old Highbury. We sat behind the goal, behind David Seaman, and we lost 2-0 that day. We scored in the first half, and it was disallowed.
“We want to progress and be a team that’s successful. The league is our priority without a doubt, but the cup competitions give us a chance to be successful to an extent, whilst also making sure we can utilise our squad.”
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