Brian Barry-Murphy expects a tough game against Wrexham in the first round of the Emirates FA Cup on Sunday.
It will be his first taste of the competition as a manager, and as with the Carabao Cup earlier in the season, he says the rewards of getting deep into the competition can be enormous.
However, the Dale boss expects nothing less than a hard game against their Vanarama National League opponents.
“Our lads see the Wrexham game as a game against an opposition that are a huge club,” said Barry-Murphy.
“We’re very conscious of the fact that this is going to be an extremely hard game against an opposition that are a bigger club, in a lot of ways, than ourselves.
“We’re very aware of what they can bring to the table but we’re very much focused on our own form, our own processes and the way we play.
“As such, the better we get those for Sunday, then the more chance we have of getting through to the second round and, down the line, getting one of the huge ties, like we’ve just had recently against Manchester United.
“We view all of the cup competitions as a chance to go to the places that we never do normally. So, the incentives are huge and clear for us all going into Sunday’s game, which should be a cracker.
“Sometimes when you think back over the league games in the last few years, with all due respect, they become a bit of a blur, because there’s so many of them. You remember specific moments from an individual point of view, but the cup experiences are ones that teams reminisce about and they are great moments.
“Relatively speaking, our great moments recently have been in cup competitions. The most recent one is probably one our greatest moments ever, from my point of view. The Old Trafford experience is one that will live long in everyone’s minds and hearts.
“The path that led to that game isn’t to be forgotten by our players. They know how much hard work went into it, and that hard work starts all over again on Sunday with the game against Wrexham, which is going to be an extremely tough game and we expect nothing less. The rewards after that can be enormous and the moments can be unbelievable.”
Click HERE to watch the full pre-match interview with Barry-Murphy.