Barmby wary of Crawley causing FA Cup upset

The visitors have sold around 1,500 tickets for today’s fourth round clash and chief executive Alan Williams has billed it second only to Manchester United (last season) in terms of their biggest ever games.

Barmby, an FA Cup winner with Liverpool 11 years ago, says the Tigers will give Crawley every respect.

“We know what Crawley are capable of and it’s a good challenge for us,” said Barmby. “They are going well in their league and we certainly won’t be treating them any differently to any other side that comes to the KC.”

Having already dispatched Championship side Bristol City, Steve Evans’s side will arrive full of confidence.

Winger Sanchez Watt could make his debut against the Tigers after signing on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season. Watt recently completed a disappointing loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday but had two spells previously on loan at Leeds United.

“Sanchez is a player we have admired for some time now and we are absolutely thrilled that a player of his ability is coming to Crawley,” said Evans. “He had several offers to go to the Championship and League One clubs but he likes the idea of playing for a club who are challenging for promotion and the fact that I tried on a previous occasion to sign the kid. I think he can make a big difference to what is already a talented squad.”

On today’s game, Evans added: “If they play well and we play well, we will get beat. We believe we can go there and play really well.”

Long-serving Hull left-back Andy Dawson, meanwhile, has opened talks about extending his stay at the KC Stadium for another 12 months.

Dawson, now 33, lost his place to Joe Dudgeon at the start of the season but is now back in the side under Barmby who feels he has plenty still to offer.

“Andy’s had a great season and he can go on for the next two or three years,” said Barmby. “He is talking to Adam Pearson (head of football operations) regarding a new deal and I can’t see any problems in that area.”

The Tigers have told Leicester City to forget about any move for defender James Chester but have allowed both James Harper and Will Atkinson to move out on loan. Midfielder Harper has joined Wycombe Wanderers and winger Atkinson has joined Bradford City – both in one-month deals.