Matty hopes to put Cup nightmares to rest

Chris Lakey

Matty Pattison is hoping to exorcise a few FA Cup ghosts this weekend - and help rebuild City's fragile confidence.

The Canaries midfielder has yet to finish on a winning side in the world's oldest knockout competition, but has the opportunity to make amends when City travel to Charlton in the third round on Saturday.

His personal Cup record includes a 5-1 home mauling by Birmingham two years ago when he was a Newcastle player - the memory of which still lingers.

"It's not the best is it?" he laughed. "Hopefully I'm not a bad omen there. I haven't had too much luck - that Birmingham game springs to mind. It was a really bad day for everyone involved that day and the fans let us know what they thought of that game. Now, hopefully I can turn over a new leaf and get a win."

The magic of the FA Cup isn't lost on the South African-born Geordie - and nor is its importance.

"Obviously for the teams in the lower leagues it's their chance to show they can compete with the big teams as well - it's a big competition and one we definitely want to do well in," he said.

There is a school of thought that the FA Cup could be a distraction from the more serious duty of Championship survival, but Pattison sees some benefits in progressing beyond the third round.

"Sometimes it can be a good distraction from the league," he said. "It just gives you something else to look forward to as well and if we can get a cup run going it would be very good for the club.

"We know what Charlton are all about - we played them a week ago or so and we know we have enough to beat them. We thought they were quite poor and hopefully we can turn up and put up a good show - beat Charlton, get their confidence low and keep it low for the league.

"We know we have the players to turn Charlton over and maybe that distraction from the league might be something we need. It gets us through to the next round where we could get a good tie against one of the big teams so it's good for the club. We have to go there with all guns blazing and get a good result - a win and a good win."

While this weekend's trip to south-east London may be too soon for January transfer newcomers, Pattison is expecting manager Glenn Roeder to have made additions by the time City go to Sheffield United a week on Saturday - and welcomed the possibility that former Newcastle colleagues Andy Carroll and David Edgar are rumoured to be on his shopping list.

"You see the paper talk and they have been linked quite a few times," said Pattison. "They are both really good mates of mine, I spent a lot of time with them at Newcastle coming through the ranks with them and they are both top players.

"You saw Edgar at the weekend scoring the goal (against Liverpool) and Andy has come on a few times and he's done well for the first team. They're definitely two players who I think would be good for this club - whether the gaffer goes for them is his decision, but it would be great to see players like that.

"You can see the injuries we have had - you can never guarantee you're going to have a full squad, they have hit us bad in the past couple of months - to get new faces in would be great, even to boost everything up with the lads who are already here. If we get new faces in it makes them look over their shoulders as well and brings us on as well. It would be great to see some new faces in."

City have already picked up one new signing of sorts in free agent Carl Cort, and Pattison believes the big front-man could make a big difference when he is fully fit.

He said: "We need Cort - we need him back to full fitness because he's going to be a big handful, especially in this league because obviously with a man like Carl, a big six-footer, he helps the team out loads, at set-pieces and everything. He's a big asset for us, not just attacking wise but defensively as well."