Assistant boss says Vale taking it seriously
Mark Grew says the opportunity to progress in a competition in which they could realistically end up playing at Wembley Stadium should be enough to make sure they get the win they are looking for against Rochdale tonight (kick off 7.30pm)
“Not many of these players will get the opportunity to play at Wembley, so if that’s not enough incentive to go and win the game, I don’t know what is.
“It is a big game for us. Every game is a big game and it is a game I we want to win – I have had a taste of this and I want a bit more.
“They are going to come here as underdogs, but we don’t know what side they are going to bring. We have had them watched the last couple of games but people do tend to make changes in this cup competition.
“But we know we are in for a tough game and we are preparing exactly as we would had it been a league game, no different – we want to qualify and go through.
“We want to get to Wembley. I had a lovely day out when we got to the Millennium Stadium against Brentford and it will be in my memory forever.
“I remind the lads that if they think the JPT is not a big competition, just how big it is when you get to the later stages.
“We know everybody in our squad and what they are capable of doing and it might be that we give one or two who haven’t been starting an opportunity.
“If that happens and they put in a performance then they might push themselves forward for a place in the side for Saturday.
Despite being favourites to go through, Grew knows that Rochdale will come to Val Park believing they can do the business and get the result to take them through to the next round of the competition.
He said: “Keith Hill’s sides have always been competitive and he will make sure that they are up for this game and he will want to win this game.
“They were disappointed after the result against Portsmouth on Saturday, but he will want them to qualify and go on, just like we do.”