As Rovers prepared to switch their attention from the Championship, to the 2nd round of the Carabao Cup, Tony Mowbray spoke to the clubs’ media team about tonight’s clash and how he was expecting opponents, Lincoln City, to come at his side, in an attempt to continue their run of recent cup exploits.
“I think, in the middle of the intense run of games that we’ve got, a home tie is good for us, as we know that we’re settled and don’t have to travel up and down the country, meaning we can prepare for the game on our own terms, rather than staying on a coach for so many hours and coming back the next morning. I think a lower league side was good for us, as I personally didn’t want to face a side from the Championship or a side that we came up against last season in League 1. Despite that, we pulled Lincoln, who we played only a month or so ago, in pre-season, however I’m sure that the intensity will be different, to the previous game.
“Lincoln have added to their squad since we last played them, but I’m sure that they’ll be up for it, in a different manner to the pre-season friendly. We have to remain positive and try and stay on the front-foot for as long as possible. In the last round against Carlisle United, we scored a few goals, so we have to try and replicate that in this game.
“Playing them in pre-season has helped us a bit in learning how they are probably going to play in this tie. They were very organised, motivated, physical and good at set-pieces, and I expect them to be no different on Tuesday. They’ve had a lot of success in recent years, in various cup competitions, such as the FA Cup and the Checkatrade Trophy, in addition to their promotion from the National League and their playoff defeat last season, so overall, they’ve had a successful couple of years and we need to be wary of their momentum coming into the game.
“Lincoln as a club, seem to be on the up. They have a great management team who seem to be backed by the powers above them. I think the club itself is a good one, with passionate fans who care about the club. One example of that was the pre-season game we played, where their stand was near-full, which is a great indicator as to the strength of their fanbase. Although it’s disappointing for Scott Wharton that he can’t play for them, I don’t think that will hinder them much as they’ve brought in Jason Shackell as a replacement, who has bags of experience. I think they’ll take their momentum into the game, alongside the backing of their fans, in an attempt to try and continue what they’ve been doing in cup competitions and it’s up to us, not to be added to their list of scalps. It’s not up to the players to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Mowbray concluded the interview by re-focusing on his side, as he talked about who he’d prefer to draw in the 3rd round, if Rovers were to make it there.
“It’s important that we try and continue in the cup competitions ourselves, alongside the positivity of the league campaign. I believe it will be good for the club and the fans to see us continue in the cups in an attempt to see how far we can take the run. I hope to draw a big Premier League side, which will allow us to test ourselves against 1 of the best 20 teams in the country. We won’t be taking Lincoln City lightly, as I will be picking a team that I believe, can get a positive result.”
