Crawley boss looking forward to Royals clash

Crawley manager Richie Barker is relishing the opportunity of playing Premier League side Reading, ahead of their FA Cup tie next month.

Both sides were drawn together in the third round of the prestigious competition and Barker is confident of providing an upset, after coming so close to beating fellow Premier League side Swansea in the Capital One Cup a few months ago. It will also see the return of Royals legend Steve Coppell, who is director of football at the Broadfield Stadium.

Speaking to the Crawley and Horley Observer, Barker said: "Maybe it`s not the away draw which would have created the finances. I`m hopeful that it will be a sell-out, hopefully we can put on a similar performance as we did against Swansea. Obviously we played Swansea this season, last year it was Stoke and Manchester United the season before.'

'I think just about everyone at the club has played against Premier League opposition. There are no poor Premier League teams, they will see the game as an opportunity to get themselves some confidence and go on a winning run. Steve Coppell is still close with Brian McDermott. I`m sure he will have a fair amount of information."

The metaphor is often overused, but this game really is a 'banana skin'. The Red Devils are currently doing well in League One, as they occupy ninth place and are firmly in the promotion picture. Obviously last year wasn't exactly good from the FA Cup perspective, but a good cup run gives the whole club a massive boost, which is needed at the moment!

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