Eric Dier insists Tottenham will take the 'beautiful' FA Cup seriously ahead of Newport County replay
Dier relished the experience of playing on an unusual pitch at Newport County despite the 1-1 draw forcing a replay
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Your support makes all the difference.Eric Dier hailed the FA Cup as “beautiful” even as Tottenham Hotspur prepare for their replay against Newport County next week.
Spurs will host League Two Newport at Wembley in between crucial Premier League games against Liverpool and Arsenal, an extra game they did not need in during a busy month. But amid their Premier League and Champions League commitments, Dier said that the different challenge presented by the FA Cup made it a rich experience.
“Everything about it is different, but that’s the beauty of the FA Cup,” Dier said after Spurs 1-1 draw at Rodney Parade on Saturday evening. “The FA Cup is a beautiful thing in that sense. It’s a completely different challenge, for us and for them. It’s an enjoyable experience and we definitely didn’t want our journey to finish here.”
Dier admitted that Spurs’ playing on high-quality pitches meant that they were less prepared for the challenge of a pitch that is shared with two rugby teams. “I've played on a lot worse, I think everyone has,” Dier said. “Obviously at the beginning you need to get used to it because nowadays we're spoiled in the sense that we never play on a pitch like this one. Once you get into the game, it goes to the back of your mind.”
The novelty of playing against a League Two side gave Tottenham a tactical problem to solve. “You never know what to expect from these teams,” Dier said. “Obviously you don't play against them very often so it's a completely new experience. You don't know if they're going to sit off or try to press.”
Dier put Spurs’ second half fight-back, forcing the replay, down to their mental strength and resilience. “The way we started the second half, I was always comfortable we would get back into the game,” Dier said. “We've done that a lot in the past and we believe in that. We back ourselves to get back into every games and today was no different.”
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