Cardiff manager can't wait for Chelsea test
Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy says his side's Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Chelsea is "everything you want"聽from the competition.
The Bluebirds have already knocked out Premier League opposition to reach the last eight, beating Burnley in the third round, while also overcoming Swindon Town, Cheltenham Town and Wrexham.
Cardiff has beaten Chelsea twice before in the Carabao Cup, back in 1980 and 1986, but it is huge underdog for its tie on Wednesday.
The League One leader has the belief that it can cause problems for its illustrious opponents.
"The anticipation for the game since the draw was made has been everywhere," Barry-Murphy said. "Luckily, we have tried to detach ourselves from that as much as possible whilst focusing on the league campaign, but now that it's here, I think that the game is going to be incredibly exciting for everyone."
Barry-Murphy worked alongside Enzo Maresca at Manchester City, where he led the club's elite development squad, while the Italian worked alongside Pep Guardiola with the first team.
As such, he is very aware of the threat that the Blues will pose.
"For myself and the players, we still want to show ourselves in the best light and give a good account of ourselves when competing against a side who are the Club World Cup champions," he said.
"We want to do our best and prepare properly for this game.
"It's everything you want. We all have aspirations of testing ourselves against those at the highest level of the game.
"Every game that we have played in the competition, we have tried to be on the front foot as much as possible, and to show ourselves in the most positive light.
"It's what the supporters want to see both away and at home. We will have to try to give those fans something to feel exhilarated by."
