'No doubt about it': Coventry boss discusses 'significant challenge' ahead of Man United FA Cup clash

After the satisfaction of knocking rivals Liverpool out of the FA Cup in their seven-goal thriller, Manchester United will face the only Championship side remaining in the tournament as they eye their ticket to the final.

The Red Devils are up against Coventry City, who are currently sitting eighth in England’s second tier. They have already overcome Wolves in their journey to Wembley but have a big clash ahead of them as Mark Robins prepares to take on his former side.

Robins won the FA Cup with United back in 1990, helping to secure Sir Alex Ferguson’s first trophy of his iconic reign at Old Trafford. The Coventry boss won three more trophies with United during his time there as a player, and now he will face them as a manager.

Speaking to the club’s website, Robins stressed that the upcoming semi-final is ‘not a normal occasion’ for Coventry, unlike the Reds and their stacked trophy cabinet. The last time the Sky Blues reached the FA Cup semi-final was in 1987, and they went on to lift the trophy after beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at Wembley.

“We know the challenge and there’s no doubt that’s huge, majorly significant, but we’re looking forward to it,” Robins said. “It’s about them [United] and how they can settle and what we can do. We want to take part in the game when we can do.

“It’s a difficult challenge, there’s no doubt about it. I hear people saying Manchester United are this or that, but the truth of it is they have top, top players. We have to be able to deal with the situation and deal with Manchester United and the threat they pose and that’s a significant one.”

Robins continued to discuss how Coventry will go about handling United, who will be looking to steamroll all the way to the final, where they will face either Manchester City or Chelsea. Erik ten Hag’s side are currently without a win since they knocked Liverpool out of the tournament and they will be eager to break their duck with a statement victory.

United have drawn three and lost one of their last four Premier League fixtures. Their particularly frustrating 4-3 defeat to Chelsea will likely still be fresh in their minds, and Robins knows how to approach the opposition.

“We have to go into this game understanding what the threats are and there are significant ones because they have top players. For people who say Manchester United are this and that and concede a lot of shots, you’re talking about a team that are full of talented top international players, that play at that level every week.

“For us, we know they are clearly favourites to win this game, by a million miles and they are expected to win, and we know that and what we are likely to encounter, but we have to play a part in the game. We have to understand what the game will be and what the occasion is. There shouldn’t be any fear and it will be one of the biggest games most of our players will have played in.

“It’s only the second time in our history we have reached an FA Cup semi-final, so can we go and take that to another level. It will be an interesting game, but one we have to enjoy and give everything we possibly can.”