Mark Hughes has confessed his excitement for the return of the Emirates FA Cup, as City prepare to face Harrogate Town in the first round at the University of Bradford Stadium on Saturday.
The City boss insists his side is full of confidence ahead of the weekend and stressed the importance of a cup run for the Bantams this season, in a competition which means a lot to him.
He said: “I am looking forward to it. A local derby is always a good watch, and we are hoping for a big turnout.
“We want to progress in the cups this season. There clearly is a financial edge to going far, but the reality is, if you get to the third round, there are some good ties we want to be involved in.
“We will try and get there. Our intention is to stay in the competition for as long as we can.
“There is a real understanding within the squad about the history of the competition. The FA Cup is not on the same level, in terms of the prestige and standing, compared to other competitions.
“We have to navigate the game at the weekend. We have beaten them away from home, so there is no reason why we should not be confident.”
Hughes was asked about his side's recent home form, as the Bantams look to bounce back from draws with Swindon Town and Crawley Town, but insists he is happy with City's current performances.
The Welshman assures that his side will look to avoid complacency against Harrogate, and hopes to be able to build on recent showings.
“We have been frustrated with the results at home, but we are trending on the metrics,” he added.
“If your performances are good, results will follow. We always try to improve and continue to make sure we are hitting our targets.
“We will not be getting ahead of ourselves. It is still a game against League Two opposition.
“We still need to perform to get the job done. We cannot allow ourselves the idea of the latter stages if we do not show up. The key is just to be in the hat for the next round.
“That is the message we will be talking about and, hopefully, we will be able to do that.
“We have got to recognise when momentum is really with us. We have to make sure we are dominant and capitalising on opportunities.”
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