Darrell Clarke is looking forward to taking on his boyhood club Manchester United tomorrow but wants to make sure his Barnsley team do the town proud.
The Reds visit Old Trafford from 8pm in the third round of the EFL Cup, to play the Premier League giants.
Clarke said: “A lad from a council estate in Mansfield leading a team out at Old Trafford is a proud moment.
“I am realistic. We have to be ten out of ten and they have to have an off day. The gulf is massive. We will prepare and plan professionally.
“Tickets were very very expensive so we want to thank fans for getting behind the boys. Hopefully we do the town and club proud.
“We want to be competitive and try to win. It’s right we enjoy it as a football club. But we will be down to business when the whistle blows.
“I went to Chelsea with Bristol Rovers, lost 3-2 and did ourselves justice. We want to do ourselves justice with Barnsley this time.
“It’s why we love football for magic moments. Barnsley has a tremendous history. It could be a special night. Let’s hope it is.”
Midfielder Adam Phillips added: “I am a Liverpool fan so I am looking to get one over on them.
“We are looking forward to playing against a top team. Hopefully we can cause an upset.
“My partner's mum and dad are Man United fans. I think I have got the most tickets for the game. We worked hard to get through the last few rounds and we’ve been rewarded with this tie.”
Clarke, although he grew up in Mansfield, was a Manchester United fan as boy because his uncle supported them.
“I remember them losing the ’85 cup final against Everton. That's my earliest memory of it. I had fallen in love with United by then. I remember it being 20, 21, 22 years until we won the league.
"I supported Mansfield as well because they were my local team and I went to the games. But in school it was all Liverpool fans, I wanted to be a little bit different so I supported Man United.
“You couldn’t call me a glory-hunter because it’s before they started winning everything.”
It is unclear what standard of team Manchester United will play, with changes expected from their 3-0 win at Southampton over the weekend in the top flight.
Clarke said: “I don’t know how Man U will go. I am sure some of Johnny Evans, Harry Maguire, Garnacho, Casemiro and Anthony will play. We know they will play world class players whoever plays.”
Barnsley beat Wigan and Sheffield United in the previous rounds. Clarke, who joined the club in the summer, says the cup run has helped him make a positive start.
“It’s definitely helped. I want to win every game. But I also think when you come into a new club with a lot of transition, you want to start as well as you can. A cup run has helped us with that. The Wigan and Sheffield United performances were very good. It gives us a platform to make a few quid for the club and fans an opportunity to enjoy a night out at a fantastic stadium.”
Barnsley visit Burton Albion in the league on Saturday, with Clarke potentially resting some players at Old Trafford.
He said: “I have to take the emotion out of it. All the lads want to play at Old Trafford. But it leads into an important game at Burton.
“One or two lads will have an opportunity. We have some injuries and stiffness in the camp. We have to be mindful. I have to make sure the decisions I make are not just for this game but also Saturday. Let’s be blatantly honest, I could go with my strongest 11 to Manchester United and still get punished. We’re trying not to pick up too many muscle injuries.”
The two clubs have met 38 times, with Barnsley winning five and losing 22. The last meeting was a 2-0 home loss in the EFL Cup in 2009 at Oakwell, with goals by Danny Welbeck and Michael Owen.
Their other meetings in the last half-century were in the 1997/98 season when they lost both games in the Premier League, including a 7-0 defeat at Old Trafford, but drew there in the FA Cup before famously winning the replay. That is their only win over the Red Devils in more than a century.
Davis Keillor-Dunn is cup-tied after playing for Mansfield in the first round.
