Patrick Vieria says he hasn’t prepared his Crystal Palace side any differently for Tuesday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against Stoke from how he does for Premier League matches.
The Eagles face opponents from a lower division for the third time in succession when they host the Potters at Selhurst Park on Tuesday night, having beaten Championship side Millwall and League Two outfit Hartlepool United in previous rounds.
Despite this, Vieira - a five-time FA Cup winner as a player - says he hasn’t been altering his side’s preparations for their matches in the competition and the players have prepared in the same way they would for a big Premier League game.
Palace will no doubt go into the fixture as the favourites playing in front of their home crowd and with a chance to progress through to the quarter-finals for the second time in the last four seasons.
“There is still a long way to go but the tie is at home and that is massively important,” Vieira told the press on Monday afternoon.
“Regarding the team that we are going to face being in the Premier League or Championship, the difficulty and challenge is still going to be there. There is no easy game in the cup.
“We have to be ready mentally. We have to approach the game with the same mentality and the same competitiveness that we had in the last game in the Premier League. There will be no difference in the way we prepare the game tomorrow.
“It’s a competition we want to do well in and go as far as we can. We have a home tie and it’s an advantage we have to use. We want to go to the next round and I will try to put on the field the best 11 that will allow us to go to the next round.
“Looking at their squad and their 11, they have players with experience who did well in the Premier League, they know how to play these games. We have to be our best, focus and concentrate to win.”
Palace have enjoyed a good recent history in the FA Cup having last reached the final in 2016 where they lost in extra-time to Manchester United.
They last reached the quarter-finals in the 2018/2019 season where they were knocked out by Watford at Vicarage Road but Vieira said he would love for them to go all the way this year.
“This is a competition where the fans dream of making a trip to Wembley,” Vieira added. “This is part of English culture, this competition. It’s massively important.
“It creates a positive atmosphere around the team and around the football club. Players get really excited, the fans get really excited as well. We want to build that kind of momentum and experience.
“It’s important for the players to be really excited for it because that brings positivity around the training ground and the games. As a manager, you want to do well, and to win an FA Cup as a manager will be a dream come true.”
Crystal Palace's FA Cup tie against Stoke City will kick-off at 7.30pm on Tuesday March 1 and will be broadcast live via BBC iPlayer and on the BBC’s Red Button
