Manager Keith Hill says his side will not underestimate Gateshead.
The Heed, who are going well in the National League, visit the Crown Oil Arena in the first round of the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday.
The North East side currently sit eighth in their respective table, just a point outside the play-off places,
The Gaffer commented: “We’re looking forward to the game.
“We’ve got to treat the FA Cup and the opponents in the FA Cup with respect, and we’ll always do that.
“We’re prepared for whatever the opposition bring to the table and we’ve prepared ourselves in what we do best. I’m looking for an honest performance from the players.
“It’s important that we’re honest and show respect, because we do not underestimate any opponent. You can’t go into the game expecting to win – you’ve got to prove that you’re a winner and you’ve got to wear your heart on your sleeve but use your brain with that heart.
“With a combination of the two and our experience in League One and previous cup runs, hopefully that will be enough.”
And Hill says the fact that Dale are two divisions higher than Gateshead will have no bearing on Saturday’s game.
“It doesn’t matter what league you’re in when it comes to the FA Cup, and we saw that when we took on Tottenham.
“It’s a good opportunity for us to progress, but they’ll also see it as an opportunity. We’ve got to fight for every ball and every opportunity that presents itself as a challenge on that pitch and we’ve got to be winners, and that’s the small detail the players have to take care of. We’ll also have to show our little bit of quality.
“I know a lot of their players and I have respect for them. They’ve come from the football league pyramid and they’ll be up for it. We have to be better than up for it against this team.”
Rochdale have enjoyed many successes in the Emirates FA Cup in recent years but Hill is well aware that there can be upsets in the competition.
“It [the FA Cup] can be magic and it can also really hurt you and punch you in the stomach – that’s the beauty of it.
“For every rollercoaster and fairy tale dream that we had last season, there were some teams who fell by the way side, so we’ve got to be very careful at the weekend.”
Watch the full interview on iFollow.