Friday 13 February 2015 23:16, UK
Steve Clarke hopes Reading can cause an upset against Derby in the FA Cup and add to the series of surprise results in this season's competition.
In the previous round, Clarke's former club Chelsea lost to League One side Bradford and Premier League champions Manchester City were dumped out by Middlesbrough.
Elsewhere, Blackburn beat Swansea while Cambridge earned a replay against Manchester United and Bolton did likewise against Liverpool.
While winning at a team in the same division would not rank as highly as those achievements, Clarke feels Derby are some way ahead of his Reading side heading into Saturday's fifth round tie at the iPro Stadium.
"We are one of the underdogs, but I think you've got to put Bradford as an underdog as well, and they had an amazing result in the last round," said Clarke.
"But it's been a cup of shocks this season and if we went to Derby and won it would also be classed as a shock.
"It would only be a small shock, but it would still be a surprise.
"Derby are in great form this year. They're probably one of the favourites, if not the favourite, to go up to the Premier League automatically this season.
"They've got a lot of good players. If you lose one striker and you're putting Darren Bent in his place it shows that you have a strong squad.
"Will Hughes is, in my opinion, one of the best midfield players in the Championship. He will play in the Premier League for sure, so they have a good strong squad.
"We know how good they are because they have already beaten us twice this season - in the league and Capital One Cup - so we are expecting a tough game.
"But we have a good squad also and we have worked hard to get to this stage and we're going to work even harder to get to the quarter-finals."
Promotion remains the ultimate goal for Derby this season but, like Clarke, Rams head coach Steve McClaren is looking for his side to progress to the last-eight of the competition.
He said: "We want to win the game. It's the FA Cup and there's a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.
"The Capital One Cup and FA Cup have served some great football this season and there's an appetite for cup football here, just look at the crowds we've been getting.
"We like the cups and they've been good to us and we want to get into the quarter-finals.
"But so will Reading. We know about Reading as we've faced the a few times this season, but they're a different animal now under Steve Clarke.
"They have good players but it is about what we do, we're at home and it will be a tough game."
McClaren added: "All will be revealed on Saturday in terms of what I am thinking but we will make some changes.
"We want to utilise the squad and give a few players minutes, we have three games a week until the early stages of March.
"Whoever plays though, they will be going out there to win."
Danny Guthrie is fit again after a groin injury and he is added to the Reading squad.
George Thorne will be involved for Derby for the first time this season after recovering from a knee injury he sustained during pre-season. However, the midfielder's return is tempered by the loss of 19-goal top scorer Chris Martin who faces around three weeks out with a knee problem.
