Shakespeare Anticipates 'Full-Blooded' Cup Tie
- Craig Shakespeare is braced for a 'full-blooded' clash at Sheffield United on Tuesday
- The Foxes take on Chris Wilder's Blades in Round 2 of the Carabao Cup
- City's boss wants to see a professional performance from his side in Sheffield
- Wilder's men will be backed by a large following at Bramall Lane
The Sky Bet Championship side have made an assured start to life back in the second tier after winning promotion from League 1 last term under manager Chris Wilder.
As three-time winners, City have a rich history in the competition but Shakespeare wants his men to focus on the here and now when they run out in Sheffield on Tuesday night.
“I think with any competition, you have to be competitive and try and win it,” he said on Monday afternoon.
Tough Cup Challenge For Shakespeare
Craig Shakespeare says his previous experiences of Bramall Lane means his side's clash with Sheffield United will no doubt be a big test.
“That’s the idea of [Tuesday] night. I will make changes, but I expect us not only to be competitive, but to progress to the next round.
“I think it’ll be a full-blooded cup tie – that’s what my experience of Bramall Lane is. They’ve done really well and Chris has done a tremendous job there in promotion last season.
“It will be near enough a full house, I’m sure. It can be a partisan crowd and our players will be aware of that.”
United have not lost a competitive fixture at Bramall Lane since early 2017 and have a vast supply of attacking threats at their disposal ahead of the encounter.
“I think with their home record, they’re in a good vein of form and they had a good result on Saturday,” Shakespeare added.
“We’re expecting a good game. [Billy Sharp’s] goalscoring record is excellent and we know that we have to be diligent in and around the 18-yard box.
“Their team ethic is vitally important for them and we have to match that as well.”
The Foxes boss also revealed that his approach to the Carabao Cup is no different to the Premier League; he wants to defeat any side put in front of him.
He continued: “With any competition, whatever it is, it’s important that you go out and try and progress to the next round because you’re never quite sure where it’s going to lead to.
“The message to the players is to make sure that you’re professional. I’ll pick a side that I think can cause the opposition problems, so it’s important that we try and progress.”