The West Brom manager knows what the magic of the FA Cup can do but he has bigger things to focus on.
West Bromwich Albion manager Alan Pardew has admitted to The Express & Star that Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Liverpool is not his priority as the Baggies battle relegation.
Albion travel to Premier League leaders Manchester City next Wednesday evening and Pardew has conceded that match is “more important” in the context of West Brom’s season.
The Baggies are finally starting to show some improvements under Pardew in the league, collecting four points from their last two matches, although they remain in the bottom three.
An FA Cup run can do wonders for momentum, as Pardew knows from taking both West Ham United and Crystal Palace to the final, but his main focus remains on the league.
“We play Liverpool away and Man City away in four days,” Pardew is quoted by The Express & Star as saying. “It doesn’t get much harder in Europe. Barcelona and Real Madrid you could probably argue.
“We have to be as competitive as we can in those games. If you’re asking me which one is more important to us, it’s the Man City game.
“But I have vast experience in the FA Cup and know it can give you great momentum so we’ll be going to Liverpool looking to do ourselves justice that’s for sure.”
With Liverpool slipping up at Swansea City last time out and also likely to rotate, the trip to Anfield appears more winnable for West Brom than the one to Pep Guardiola’s City.
Having a real go against the Reds and coming away with a shock upset would do a lot more for West Brom in the long run than a valiant display in defeat at the Etihad Stadium.
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