Ipswich Town boss Paul Cook has stated his intent for a cup run this season as he looks to bid for a win in the first round of the FA Cup against Oldham Athletic.
It's been a while since the East Anglian side have tasted success in the FA Cup with the last time they reached round five of the tournament in the 2006/07 season. The last time they reached the quarter-final was in the 1992/93 season and although manager Cook might not be expecting a last eight finish, he will be looking for a strong cup run for the season.
Speaking at a fan forum, Cook said: "The FA Cup then is very much second in the list. Historically it’s a great competition to be in. The reality is [that the] league [is] unbelievably number one, FA Cup number two, Carabao Cup and then Papa John’s Trophy.”
So far this season in the league the Blues have won six and lost five with five draws, rescuing a poor start to the league season. When it comes to selection for the game, Cook kept his cards close to his chest about the personal he will be choosing.
He continued: “I think for us, as I’ve said, and I don’t want to be giving teams away, I think it’s quite common knowledge how strong a squad we’ve got, 100 per cent, if we were to make some changes tomorrow, does it weaken the team? I don’t think it does, but we are going into the game fully behind the competition and fully behind wanting to win, so we only take each game as it comes.
“I won’t look ahead until Tuesday to Colchester until after the Oldham game and, as I can only reiterate to our supporters, we want to win the game.”
Key players like top scorer Macauley Bonne, Sam Morsy and Lee Evans could all be in contention to start and, after putting a key focus on the competition, it would be surprising if those players didn't turn out for the cup tie.
The Verdict
After rescuing their league season and building a good run of form the Cup is now the second focus behind achieving success in the league. The side face League Two strugglers Oldham Athletic and so although a strong squad could be used, it may not be the expected starting eleven that would turn out in a league fixture.
A cup run would be good for Ipswich but with the club looking to focus on league success. The further they go, the more harm it could do then good.