JONATHAN REDHEAD Peter Grant insists his Norwich City side will go to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea with the intention of winning the game. The Scot says his side cannot afford to sit back against the Premiership champions - or else they will face a “tanking”.

JONATHAN REDHEAD

Peter Grant insists his Norwich City side will go to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea with the intention of winning the game.

The Scot says his side cannot afford to sit back against the Premiership champions - or else they will face a “tanking”.

Grant said he cannot wait to pit his wits against Jose Mourinho and his multi-millionaires and hopes City can pull off the biggest shock in a cup competition yet to see a big upset this season.

“As a player I wanted to play against the best and as a manger or coach I want to coach against the best and they don't come much better than Chelsea,” Grant said.

“They're world class players and have world class people there. There's a lot of people there I know and obviously we played against them last year when I was with West Ham.

“It's going to be a big ask of us but we're going there to try to win the game there's no doubt in my mind about that. If we sit back, we will get a tanking. We're going to go there and try to put Chelsea on the back foot if we can.

“We know we'll maybe get a chance in the game and that's what we'll try to do.

“There's not been many upsets so far in the competition so hopefully there's a big one waiting around the corner.”

Grant was delighted that his side prevailed in the roller coaster clash with Blackpool and had particular praise for City talisman Darren Huckerby who fired in a magnificent equaliser and then scored again in extra time.

“I'm absolutely delighted with him over the last two games,” Grant said. “He's responded to the criticism that I gave him after the Wolves game because I felt he wasn't having an end product.

“But in the last two games he's been a match winner and deservedly so, but that's why I get on to him so much and I'm never off his case because I know he's capable of moments of magic.

However, Grant refused to take credit for Huckerby's recent top form and said it was down to the man himself.

“He's getting the best out of himself. He's putting an end product to it. Managers and coaches are there to try and help, we're not trying to hinder them.

“We try to put things in their mind to make them better. As I said to Darren the top players in the world are judged on the final thing they do, the final pass, the final selection of pass or the shot at goal that's how you judge the ordinary players and the very best.

“He's got great quality and it was probably only him on the pitch tonight that could have produced that moment of magic.”

Grant also had words of praise for teenager striker Chris Martin who bagged the winning goal, his first for the club.

“Probably a lot of people will raise an eyebrow at why I was putting Chris Martin on and not more experienced players but I know he's more than capable of scoring goals, but I thought he showed great quality,” Grant said. “I thought he was very unfortunate not to get two goals and not the one because I didn't see anything wrong with his first one.

“He's got that little bit of arrogance I love in footballers and I was delighted for him and delighted for everybody at the club because it's a product of their own academy that's come through and that's what this club was built on and hopefully we can get some more of those boys coming through.

“It is great credit to those staff at the academy for getting this boy to come through and obviously getting us a big ties against Chelsea and draw we're all looking forward to now.”