Skip to main content
BBC SPORT / FA CUP
Graphics Version | BBC News Home
Sport Homepage | Football | World Cup 2010 | Formula 1 | Olympics | Vancouver 2010 | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Athletics | Cycling | Motorbikes | Boxing | Snooker | Horse Racing | Disability Sport | Other sport... | Sports Personality | TV/Radio Schedule | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Inside Sport | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Football Contents:  World Cup 2010 | My Club | Gossip | Premier League | Championship | League One | League Two | Non League | FA Cup | League Cup | Scottish Premier | Scottish League | Scottish Cups | Welsh | Irish | Europe | African Women | Football Focus | Match of the Day | Final Score | World Football | Skills | Laws & Equipment | Get Involved | Your Game

09:23 GMT, Wednesday, 14 January 2009

Martinez hopes to shock holders

Roberto Martinez

Swansea City boss Roberto Martinez hopes they can achieve what Cardiff City could not in last season's final and beat Portsmouth in the FA Cup.

Pompey beat Cardiff 1-0 at last year's Wembley showpiece and will meet the Swans in this season's fourth round.

Swansea knocked out non-league Histon 2-1 in round three while holders Portsmouth beat Bristol City 2-0.

"We are looking forward to our glamour tie with the cup holders," said Swans manager Martinez.

Swansea have been drawn with a top-flight club just once in the last 10 years, shocking then Premier League side Sheffield United 3-0 at Bramall Lane in 2007.

The Championship club travel to Fratton Park for the first time in more than 25 years to take on Tony Adams' Pompey on Saturday, 24 January.

"We are delighted with the tie against Portsmouth," Martinez told BBC Sport.

"But more so for the fans who have not had a glamour tie in the cup for a long time, they deserve this.

"I hope the fans can be very proud of Swansea City as we came through a tricky tie against a non-league club with flying colours.

"Now we'll try to do what Cardiff couldn't against Portsmouth.

"It is always great to play the FA Cup holders and being away from home in a Premier League environment against a team full of fantastic players that play in the UEFA, it will be a special occasion.

"It will be a great challenge but it is a glamorous tie that we'll all look forward to."

Martinez, who replaced Kenny Jackett in the Liberty Stadium hot seat in February 2007, has only faced non-league opponents in the FA Cup in his fledgling managerial career.

Martinez has won three times and lost once against non-league sides in the world's most famous cup competition but the Spaniard is glad to finally have the chance to be a giant-killer rather than a giant.

"We have forgotten how it feels to be the underdogs in the FA Cup," joked Martinez.

606: DEBATE
"Pompey will treat Swansea with the same respect that they showed all of the Championship teams they played en route to last year's FA Cup win."
bluebootybandy

"Histon is a non-league banana skin, it's a no-win situation but we are a looking forward to a cup tie where the pressure is on the opposition team.

"It'll be a chance for our players to play on the Premier League stage.

"Portsmouth will be more similar to what we are used to week in, week out in the Championship - and we have shown we can perform in that environment."

This is the 13th time in 14 FA Cup ties that Swansea have been drawn away from home.

Guillem Bauza scored his fifth goal in four FA Cup games at Histon on Tuesday and the Spanish striker believes Premier League Portsmouth will suit Swansea's passing style.

"It'll be really nice to play Portsmouth as they are a really good team," said Bauza.

"It will be nice to play a Premier League team as it will make things a little bit easier as we are the kind of team to play the ball on the floor and offensively.

"These negative games (against Histon) are not the kind of games we enjoy."

Tickets for the Portsmouth game will go on sale to Swansea fans from the Liberty Stadium on Friday (1000 GMT).

The club have been allocated 3,100 tickets.



E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:

Bristol City 0-2 Portsmouth (13 Jan 09 |  FA Cup )
Histon 1-2 Swansea (13 Jan 09 |  FA Cup )
FA Cup third round as it happened (13 Jan 09 |  FA Cup )
Portsmouth 1-0 Cardiff (17 May 08 |  FA Cup )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
FA
Football on the BBC
Your say - 606
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC SPORT: 

Sport Homepage | Football | World Cup 2010 | Formula 1 | Olympics | Vancouver 2010 | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Athletics | Cycling | Motorbikes | Boxing | Snooker | Horse Racing | Disability Sport | Other sport... | Sports Personality | TV/Radio Schedule | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Inside Sport | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Football Contents:  World Cup 2010 | My Club | Gossip | Premier League | Championship | League One | League Two | Non League | FA Cup | League Cup | Scottish Premier | Scottish League | Scottish Cups | Welsh | Irish | Europe | African Women | Football Focus | Match of the Day | Final Score | World Football | Skills | Laws & Equipment | Get Involved | Your Game

^ Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage | Feedback | Help | ©