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Grant looking to avoid a repeat of ’97; after that, another home tie please

14th August 2007 By Latest News Leave a Comment

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City boss Peter Grant will be hoping lightning cannot strike twice in tonight's Carling Cup tie against Barnet ? the venue for City's shock exit in the competition in only Grant's second outing as a player back in 1997.

Not signed in time for the first leg ? which Mike Walker's side won 2-1 ? his second appearance in the Canary colours came on that fateful night in North London where, despite City leading 1-0 on the night, the Bees fought back to score three second half-goals ? condemning City to an embarrassing defeat.

This time around, the two meet at Carrow Road and you would be a brave man to predict a Bees success tonight.

Although, Grant is determined not to take the League Two outfit lightly ? just look at Peterborough's 2-1 success over Youssef Safri's Southampton last night.

As City know all too well, shocks do happen.

“The Cup tie at Barnet was my second game,” said Grant

“I wasn't here in time for the home leg but I played at Underhill. I've never been so comfortable in a game. We were 1-0 up and then the roof caved in and Barnet certainly deserved to win.

“They only played for about 10-15 minutes but in that time, they deserved it. It shows you the capabilities of the so-called lesser teams.

“People talk about not preparing properly and if you don't do your job properly you will be punished and since the draw we've probably seen Barnet more than their supporters have seen them. That's what we respect.”

And had City done their homework on the men from Underhill?

“We played Chelsea last year in the FA Cup and we did the same sort of preparation for them as we have on Barnet because you want to win games of football. We know Barnet have done pretty well. They've got a good mixture of youth and experience.

“Their manager has coached at various levels and is experienced, they'll have done their homework on us and will be coming here thinking 'what a great opportunity'.

“They are certainly a team that can play, there's no doubt about that. If you give them time and space they'll punish you because they have players capable of doing that.”

Whilst many of the big guns will, yet again, be using the competition to blood some of their promising youngsters and multi-million pound fringe players, according to Grant, he just can't afford to do that.

Take Chelsea as an example. Swap a Didier Drogba for an Andriy Shevchenko or a Frank Lampard for a Joe Cole and things are pretty much as they were.

Leave out any of the star names in the Canary line-up and you might find yourself on the receiving end of a Cup upset.

“We're here to win games, nothing else,” added Grant.

“We want to go as far in the Cup as we possibly can. I think I proved that last year ? I want to win every game I play. Whether changes get forced upon you, we'll see but we'll try and put out a strong side.

“I get frustrated with some of the performances, like on Saturday. I know some of them are capable of much better, so we'll have to see how we line up.”

And just how far could this City side go in the Carling Cup this year?

We pretty much know that one of the 'big four' will win the FA Cup. But the Carling Cup is a different proposition.

Despite last year's Final being contested by Arsenal and Chelsea, League Two Wycombe Wanderers made it all the way to the last four, before giving the Blues an almighty scare.

It can be done, with a huge dollop of luck mind you.

“Sometimes the balls fall right for you, in the Cup you never know,” revealed the City chief.

“At West Ham, we weren't expecting to get to the FA Cup Final but it just fell for us. All you ask for in the Cup is a run of home games and you hope that it is enough to make you perform and get the results.

“Last year we were disappointed in the Carling Cup, going out on penalty-kicks at Port Vale and we want to go further this time.

“We will approach every Cup game this season the same, to get to the next round, no matter who we play. But if someone said to me, 'you'll go all the way to the Final without playing anybody' I would be delighted.

“I'm not one of these ones who looks for a big draw and hopes to make money out of it. I want to get to the next round and that's what we'll try to do.”

Tom Haylett


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