Ange Postecoglou knows Tottenham will face highly motivated opponents in Sunday's FA Cup match against Tamworth, who will be out to pull off one of the biggest upsets in the competition's 144-year history.
Spurs take on Tamworth, who are currently 16th in the National League, in one of the standout games of the third round weekend.
In the Premier League era (since 1992), there have been fifty FA Cup matches between top teams and non-league clubs, of which only two have involved upsets.
Luton Town won 1-0 against Norwich City in the fourth round of 2012-13, having also beaten Championship opposition Wolves in the previous stage, while Lincoln City triumphed 1-0 at Burnley in 2016-17.
Eight-time FA Cup winners Tottenham won the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final against Liverpool on Wednesday and are looking to end a 17-year wait to lift a major trophy.
Postecoglou, who is not planning a heavy rotation for the trip to the West Midlands, does not expect his players to take the game lightly.
“I have no doubts about the attitude of the players. All the boys understand very well that every match is important,” he said on Friday.
“We go into Sunday's match with the same mentality: making sure we do things we can control, and with a big emphasis on the things we can do very well.
“There are always challenges. I'm sure Tamworth will think this is a great opportunity for them and we have to be ready for that.”
Asked whether the visit to The Lamb Ground – which seats 4,963 people with just over 500 seats – would be a shock to his players, Postecoglou said: “They are not multi-million dollar players.
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“These are people who are very understanding. They are good people. Most of them come from such places, some even worse.
“They will go there and respect the fact that Tamworth are probably going to build it up for the biggest game of their lives. I'm sure they will do their best to create an atmosphere where they will be proud of their grounds and their facility. .
“I don't really think that is a problem for us. What is important for us is that we prepare for an important cup match.”
Tottenham have progressed in each of their last nine FA Cup matches against non-league teams, with their last defeat coming when there were only two Football League divisions, against Norwich in 1914–15.
Despite having opponents in the FA Cup, Postecoglou still believes in the legendary 'magic' of the world's oldest cup competition.
“I still think it's a very important match,” he said. “It covers virtually every level of football and always has great storylines.
“There have been stories like that in the first rounds of the cup and we are meeting a team that has made it through the first rounds.
“I still think the cup final is an important day in the global football calendar. I feel it is a very important tournament that maintains the right traditions.”
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