Ian Poveda makes FA Cup vow as Leeds United head for Crawley Town

IAN POVEDA says the past is in the past as Leeds United head to Crawley Town with the winger confident of progression and not another FA Cup shock.
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Newly-promoted Premier League outfit Leeds will head to League Two side Crawley on Sunday having fallen at the first hurdle in 12 of their last 17 FA Cup bids.

The Whites have been subjected to several cup upsets during the last decade and a half with Newport County, Sutton United, Rochdale, Histon and Hereford United all dumping United out of the competition.

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League Two side Crawley will now be looking to add their name to that list but Poveda says United's poor record with FA Cup upsets has no relevance ahead of the weekend's clash in West Sussex.

UPBEAT: Leeds United winger Ian Poveda. Photo by JASON CAIRNDUFF/POOL/AFP via Getty Images.UPBEAT: Leeds United winger Ian Poveda. Photo by JASON CAIRNDUFF/POOL/AFP via Getty Images.
UPBEAT: Leeds United winger Ian Poveda. Photo by JASON CAIRNDUFF/POOL/AFP via Getty Images.

"I don't know about the past and who we have lost against," Poveda told BBC Radio Leeds.

"I don't think it really matters.

"The FA Cup is important to us and we are going to go out and try and win the game and give it our all.

"That's what we are going to do.

"Every game is important and I am actually excited for the game as well.

"I just need to prepare well and we will see for the 10th."

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Crawley sit 62 places lower down the football pyramid but John Yems' side have risen to sixth in the League Two table after going on an unbeaten run of eight games, four of which have ended in victory.

Poveda, though, says Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa and his staff will be doing the usual research with the winger confident of recording a victory.

Leeds are heading for FA Cup duty sitting 12th in the Premier League table having won three of their last five games.

The Whites came through a busy Festive period with six points from a possible nine with a 1-0 win at home to Burnley and 5-0 romp at West Brom preceding last Saturday's 2-0 reverse at Tottenham Hotspur.

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"We've had a couple of days off and we have just had some downtime because we had three games and I thought we did really well," said Poveda.

"We got six points in three games and we have just had a lot of training sessions and a lot of games and the staff decided to give us a bit of downtime.

"Now we are just coming in so we are going to get into it and look into Crawley properly.

"Everyone is going to prepare well and then we are going to win the game."

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Reflecting on his FA Cup memories and what the competition meant to him personally, Poveda said: "It was just watching it on TV and for me it was a big cup.

"Now playing in it for me is an honour. I am really happy.

"Even the Premier League, even the Championship, all of these things is what you dream of as a kid.

"To be actually living it, sometimes whenever I have a bad game or we lose, I get stressed out and it's not a good feeling.

"But then I just think I need to enjoy myself, I am young, I need to actually soak everything in.

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"If someone was to tell me like when I was like eight that I was going to be doing all of this I would have been like 'woah.'

"I feel like I have just got to tone it down and actually enjoy the moment but at the same time not slack but no one does that anyway.

"We always give it our all and it's good."

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