Yes Sheff

LEWIS Alessandra has insisted that he and the rest of the Argyle squad believe they can prevail against League 1 side Sheffield United in the FA Cup Second Round.

The Pilgrims will make the trip to the Steel City to take on a Blades side that, whilst competing in a higher division, have achieved the exact same set of results as Argyle, taking 31 points from 19 games with nine victories, four draws and six defeats.

Nigel Clough’s side are well poised – both in their league position and squad depth – to make a push for promotion to the Championship, but Alessandra revealed that the squad are fully focused on pulling off an unlikely win at Bramall Lane, aware of the importance of being in the draw for the FA Cup Third Round and the lucrative ties that could await the club.

He said: “We know they are a good side. We have worked on them this week.

“Tuesday and Thursday, we did a few things to counteract the way they play, and hope that six, seven or eight of us get the better of their opposite number on the day, and hopefully come out with a good result.

“It is one of them: a cup game against a big side, where we are not really expected to win. So we can go there and play with no pressure.

“In the changing room, we all believe that we can actually go there and win, not going ‘you never know, we might nick a win here.’ We will go in, set up and play to try and win the game.

“This game is a big game, because it is obviously the second round of the FA Cup, and if you get through to the third, you can get anyone.

“If you manage to get through, the potential prize is massive – like any of the Premier League boys, home or away, is obviously a big reward, and a big financial reward for the players and most definitely the club.

“But we know they are going to be decent, and we are looking forward to the challenge.”