Brighton & Hove Albion manager, Chris Hughton is delighted to still be in the FA Cup and wants to remain in, but to do that they will have to beat West Bromwich Albion.
Hughton had the following to say on the FA Cup: “I think the same way at any stage of the season or whatever position we are in, we are delighted to still be in the cup, particularly after having such a tough draw away at a Premier League team who are doing very well.
I’m delighted firstly to still be in the competition and it’s one we want to remain in and we will use the squad away as we did to Bournemouth.
"I think we are in a healthier position at the moment with the depth we have in the squad and some of the rotation we’ve had in the squad there aren’t too many players in the squad that haven’t played a game season.”
Hughton on West Bromwich Albion
To get through to the next round Brighton will need to beat West Bromwich Albion at home, which they did last year.
But Hughton knows how tough a job that will be especially when he not sure what side West Brom will field: "Yeah it’s a difficult one to figure out and to analyse what their priorities are and what their thoughts are.
"The only thing we can do is to prepare ourselves to face the best West Brom side possible and whatever that team is it will be a team that will be motivated because it’s an FA Cup tie. It will be motivated because it’s against a Premier League team and the feel of West Brom at the moment is still almost a Premier League club.
"I know they lost some players in the summer, but the large majority of their players they have were involved last season, so it certainly still has that Premier League feel about the team and they are pushing very hard in their division.
"So as regards to what team they play we don’t know but we have to prepare ourselves to play the best possible team.”
Two players who could go face to face on Saturday are Gaetan Bong and Jay Rodriguez, after the incident between the pair in which Bong accused Rodriguez of racially abusing him:
“I think we all very conscious of that and it is the past. It is something that was dealt with by the FA I would say very well and so we couldn’t have had any complaints with the way it was dealt with, but that is something that is in the past and that is one of many incidents football incidents in the past, which you have to move on from and I would expect everybody to feel the same.”
Hughton on his honouree degree
Today is a very special day for Hughton, who is receiving an honouree degree by the University of Sussex at their Graduation ceremony.
Hughton's degree is one which recognises his exceptional leadership and position as an inspirational role model and he is humbled by the award: “It’s very humbling, I didn’t see it happening, but It’s very humbling to receive. I think it’s a mark of the efforts of a lot of people.
“I have been around University ceremonies with my children and family so I know what the ceremony is and it’s humbling to be part of it.”