Football: Clark warns City crowd to be patient

Frank Clark has called on his Manchester City players to reward the faith of their die-hard Maine Road fans by harnessing the magic of the FA Cup.

City take on Watford in a delayed fourth round tie tomorrow night, with a home clash with Middlesbrough the lucrative prize if they overcome the Second Division club.

Clark, who has steered his side to a five-game unbeaten run since becoming the club's fifth manager this season, wants a repeat of the sort of stylish performance they put on at Oxford on Sunday, where they won 4-1, Clark's first victory as manager.

"It's important to win your home games to get the fans on your side and keep them there," said Clark, who began his reign with three draws before an FA Cup win at Brentford and the victory at Oxford. "A good FA Cup run would give everyone connected to the club a big lift and especially the fans who have been absolutely magnificent."

Despite all their problems, City have attracted crowds averaging almost 27,000 and they expect that many to watch the Watford game. Clark has warned them of the need for patience as Watford have demonstrated their resilience by compiling a 22-match unbeaten run that has included just nine victories.

Watford's manager, Kenny Jackett, who saw his team avoid the Football League record of eight successive draws by beating Rotherham 2-0 on Saturday, believes his men can upset the odds if they can keep the City fans quiet. "It will be a very big crowd and a very vocal crowd, but if we can get to half-time level then they may turn against City," he said.

"This is the kind of game our players will have dreamed about, playing against a big club like Manchester City in a terrific stadium and in front of a big crowd. It will be a great experience from them and I believe that we are well capable of going there and getting a win if we perform well on the night."

Watford could welcome back their striker Kevin Phillips after an ankle injury that has sidelined him for 10 months, although Devon White and Keith Millen are suspended and Gary Porter and David Connolly are injured.

With on-loan Nottingham Forest full-back Craig Armstrong ineligible, Jackett will once again be forced to turn to the youngsters, with tender trio Richard Flash, Dominic Ludden and Wayne Andrews all included in the squad.

City also have their problems, with their on-loan Forest goalkeeper, Tommy Wright, unavailable, their new signing Kevin Horlock cup-tied, Ian Brightwell ruled out by a calf injury and central defensive pair Kit Symons and Alan Kernaghan both having flu and hamstring doubts.