Roberto Martinez should have every right to feel confident ahead of the weekend cup tie.
Eight games unbeaten, riding high in the league and travelling for his first FA Cup tie as manager to a side ranked 100 plus places below his team would be cause for most to be predicting a relatively easy passage.
But not Roberto who is giving the utmost respect to his opponents the same as he would if it were a league one side or a side 100 places above his side. Speaking to the Evening Post ahead of the game, Roberto said “It’s impossible to explain to the foreign lads what they are going to face
“On the Continent if you play a team 107 places below you, you expect just to turn up and win 10-0 or 15-0.
“So the foreign lads are going to get a shock tomorrow.
“I’ve tried to get them ready and get them prepared, but I don’t think you can understand what these games are like unless you’ve been on the pitch.
“The lads will not be expecting the competitive environment they will face.
“They will not expect to play against a team with a fantastic tempo, great desire and great belief that they can win.
“They won’t expect Billericay to give us a game, but this is the FA Cup and we have seen many times that teams can put bigger sides under pressure.
“It’s more of a banana skin when you have to go away,” he added.
“But having said that it’s fantastic to be involved in a glamorous game.
“All the ingredients are there for a giantkilling, but we have to adapt and get through because a cup run is important to us.
“Every neutral will be wanting us to lose,” added Martinez, who has had Billericay watched three times.
“It will be difficult because everyone will be hoping the magic of the cup shines on the day.”