Why our Cup opponents Crawley have banned me from their ground

By Robbie Savage

Published 22:58 06/01/11

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I've already had an FA Cup upset at Crawley Town.

Went to visit our third round opponents with the Football Focus cameras on Tuesday - and they wouldn't let me into their ground!

Apparently manager Steve Evans thought I might wind up their players.

I can't imagine where he got that idea from. But then Steve has been telling everybody I'm currently earning £35,000-a-week, so he's no stranger to mind games either.

For the record, I've never made that kind of money in my life. And in fact, given their generous backers, I'm told that a few of the Crawley lads are actually pocketing more than some of the Derby squad.

But here's how we can avoid a REAL upset at the Broadfield on Monday.

We have to give Crawley maximum respect. They're a good side with a good manager. Everyone in the town believes they have a real chance.

We cannot simply turn up expecting to win. My Leicester side did that against Wycombe in the quarter-finals a decade ago and were beaten by an injury time goal from Roy Essandoah, who'd been signed off the internet a week earlier.

It was a shattering feeling but we deserved all we got.

The lesson I learned is that against Cup underdogs, you have to be 100% up for the physical and mental battle.

If we can win that, our superior skill levels will see us through. If we don't, we're giant-killing history.

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Lining up David Beckham as Harry Redknapp's England No.2 is a rare masterstroke by the FA.

The current crop of players will relate to him and look up to him far more than any other assistant coach because he has been there, done that, got the T-shirt and modelled the Armani pants.

He is an icon even to the likes of Rooney and Rio and he will command their respect.

**

ROBBIE LOVES... This week's internet poll of the top 10 most hated football people. I'm gutted to see myself at number nine... surely I'm far more hated than that? Must try harder in 2011, Sav.

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