Boss Kieran McKenna believes the FA Cup is still a special competition ahead of the Blues’ third round tie against League One Blackpool at Portman Road on Saturday.

The increased significance of the Premier League and the wealth which comes with it has seen the world’s oldest cup competition diminish in stature over the last three decades, however, McKenna feels it retains some of its lustre, something with which supporters of holders Crystal Palace, who beat Manchester City 1-0 in last season’s final, will concur.

“I think it is different for every club at this stage of the competition,” he said. ”I think if you ask Crystal Palace fans, they will say that it is still the best competition in the world. If you ask some of the lower league clubs who progress through the rounds, then, of course, they will think it is the best competition in the world.

“For different teams who have maybe got big goals in the league or competing at the top or bottom of a division, it’s probably always been something that has had to share space in the calendar and in the mindset of those clubs because of other priorities.

“But, for me, it’s still a really special competition. We always want to do well in it. I think last season we were a bit unlucky to go out against Nottingham Forest on penalties as that would have been quarter-final had we got through.

“We always go into it trying to go through and win the first game that you play and then the next one. And if you win a couple, then you never know.

“There’s no getting away from the fact that the league is the outstanding priority this season, but I think some good performances and some good results in the cup usually helps that.

“And if you get those first couple, you start to dream about who you might play and where you might go. That doesn't change and it's the same for this season.”

McKenna has fond memories of seeing Manchester United, the club he supported growing up, winning finals.

“I had a cup final on my birthday in ’94 I think with Eric Cantona scoring two penalties in the same corner. I had a birthday party that day - I remember that one well. I’ve spoken before about what the loyalties were in my house.

“The United v Liverpool FA Cup final in ’96 was a good one. My birthday is 14th May so it tended to be around FA Cup final time. It was always enjoyable on the calendar and it usually landed around my birthday party time as well.

“It is a great competition and I have great memories of it. We know the money around in the Premier League and the top divisions, but I think if you asked Crystal Palace fans, they wouldn't change the memory they had from last year for the world.

“I don’t think it changes for any club, whatever the priorities are for the season, they still dream and want to progress and have a special season in the FA Cup.”

The Blues have been giant-killed on a number of occasions in the two cup competitions in recent years, most notably the FA Cup exit to non-league Maidstone two seasons ago as well as losses to AFC Wimbledon and Bromley on penalties in the Carabao Cup over the last couple of seasons.

“We’ve had a mixed bag, I think that’s fair to say,” McKenna admitted. “We’ve always had a lot of changes in the cup competitions and honestly I can’t apologise for that because we have been trying to get promoted or trying to stay in a division.

“For teams of that nature, it is a little more testing. You can only prepare, do all the right things, go into the game with the right mindset. I can’t think of many times we haven’t done that in my time here.

“We’ve had some good cup results as well. But it’s one-off cup football and with no replays, it’s 90 minutes of football where teams tend to throw the shackles off a little bit and anything can happen.

“There are absolutely no guarantees. You can only do what we have done in the last couple of days, which is respect the game, respect the opponent, analyse their strengths and be ready for their strengths, work with the team that is going to play and go into the game with a really good attitude.

“Do that and you give yourself a chance to go through in the cup. But at the same time, it's 90 minutes of football and we are playing against a good club and a good side as well. We have to be prepared as anything can happen but we really want to come away on the right side of it.”

The game sees a reunion with former midfielder Lee Evans who McKenna is looking forward to seeing again.

“I haven’t spoken to Lee in quite some while. I have great fondness for Lee and everyone at the club does, as a player and a great guy as well,” he said.

“It’s been good to see him have a good run of fitness over the last few years and play lots of games and captained the team many times as well. It will be good to see him tomorrow.”

Also at Blackpool but set to miss out at the weekend having suffered a hamstring tendon injury is Hayden Coulson, who was on loan right at the start of McKenna’s time at Town.

“I had only had a week or two with Hayden as he had some injuries and then he was recalled from his loan,” McKenna said regarding the former Middlesbrough full-back.

“You always keep an eye on the players you have come across, even if not for very long. He’s had some good football in the seasons since. I don’t think he is available this week, which is a shame, but he’s a talented lad for sure.”

McKenna probably doesn’t need to be reminded that his first defeat in management was inflicted by Blackpool boss Ian Evatt during his time as Bolton boss, the Trotters defeating Town 2-0 in League One in Lancashire in the Northern Irishman’s third match in charge of the Blues.

“I don’t know him personally, but he’s certainly a good coach,” McKenna said. “His Bolton team were a really strong side in the time we had in League One. They were well set up and gave teams problems and were hard-working.

“He’s a good coach and he’s at a club he has a big affinity for. I’m sure they will come here with big motivation to try and get through in the cup. It will be good to catch up with him tomorrow and I know his team will give us some challenges for sure.”

McKenna says his thoughts on his team selection have altered to some extent due to the postponement at Portsmouth on Sunday.

“Maybe a little bit, probably in a couple of instances,” he said. “We always try and take a balanced view of it.

“There’s not going to be one mindset where we change the whole team or keep the team that played against Oxford. We have a squad with people coming in and out of the team over Christmas with the schedule we had. It’s not like we have been a consistent XI.

“We will look at it again. There might be some players we feel might benefit from the rest or benefit from the rhythm of going again and keeping the flow of minutes in their legs. Or there might be some players who haven't played as many minutes and it’s really important for us to get minutes on Saturday. We will take a balanced view of it.

“We have picked a team that reflects our desire to go through in the cup but also reflects the primary goals of the season and also the importance of getting the balance of minutes right across the squad.”

Town, who won the competition for the only time in 1978, reached the fifth round last season before losing 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.

In round three, Bristol Rovers were beaten 3-0 at Portman Road and in round four Coventry were defeated 4-1 at the CBS Arena.

Prior to kick-off there will be a minute's applause for club ambassador, PLC chairman and Ipswich Town Foundation trustee Peter Over, who died at the weekend, and the players will wear black armbands.

If the tie is level after 90 minutes it goes to extra-time before being settled by penalties with no replay.

The Team

Second-guessing the side McKenna will pick isn’t easy, however, it seems likely Alex Palmer will return in goal.

Sheffield United loan target Harry Clarke could come in at right-back for his first appearance of the season with Jacob Greaves perhaps partnering one-time Blackpool loanee Elkan Baggott at the heart of the defence with the former Hull man probably in his less preferred right-sided role. Ben Johnson could start at left-back with Leif Davis perhaps rested.

In central midfield, Ashley Young could start in the deeper role with the Blues also seeming certain to give Azor Matusiwa a rest having started all bar one Championship game this season. Jack Taylor or Jens Cajuste are likely to take the more advanced position.

McKenna will have to choose between Kasey McAteer, who seemed set to start at Fratton Park, and Wes Burns, who has made three sub appearances since returning from his long-term injury, on the right, but may well opt for the former Leicester man.

Sammie Szmodics, back after missing the Christmas period through illness, could start as the number 10, although McKenna was concerned about the Irish international’s recent game-time, while Jack Clarke may get the nod on the left.

The Town boss will have to choose between Chuba Akpom and Ivan Azon as the number nine with the one left out set to play their part from the bench.

The Opposition

The Seasiders are currently 18th in League One with head coach Evatt having been in charge since October.

Having gone six games without a defeat, culminating in a three-game winning run, the Tangerines have lost their last two matches, 5-1 away against bottom-of-the-table Port Vale on New Year’s Day - recalling a not dissimilar result for the Blues on the opening day of 1990 - and then 2-1 at home to third-placed Bradford on Sunday.

The Lancastrians, who won the trophy in 1953, defeated Scunthorpe 1-0 in round one and Carlisle United 4-1 in the second yesterday, both at home.

On their travels in the league this season, they have won three, drawn one and lost eight.

Evatt, sent off the only other time the teams met in the FA Cup back in 2010, knows his side has a tough task to make it through to round four of the competition.

“It’s as tough as it gets and as far as it gets,” he told the Blackpool Gazette. “It’s a bit how we felt against the Carlisles and Scunthorpes of this world where we had all the pressure and they’ve had none. They’ve got all the pressure and we’ve kind of got none.

“We’re going there with no expectations apart from being the best versions of ourselves - if we can do that then we’ll hopefully cause an upset, but we’re looking forward to that challenge of showing what we can do.

“I don’t think it’s a distraction and the FA Cup for this club means the world. We respect the history of this football club. We’ll give it our best shot.”

Former Blues loanee Coulson misses out due to his hamstring problem, while forward Niall Ennis is on the way back after an achilles issue but is unlikely to be ready to face Town.

Striker Dale Taylor recently underwent surgery on a metatarsal injury and centre-half Michael Ihiekwe has been out with a toe issue.

Blackpool will have a big backing at Portman Road with shirt sponsor TreadTracker providing 18 free coaches for fans making the 560-mile round trip.

Fourth Round Draw

The draw for the fourth round takes place on Monday, live on TNT Sports ahead of the Liverpool-Barnsley tie at around 6.35pm.

Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist will present with Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole making the draw. Town or Blackpool will be ball number six.

Fourth round ties will be played around the weekend of Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th February.

History

Historically, Town have won 14 games between the sides (13 in the league), 10 have been drawn (10) and Blackpool have won six (five).

The teams last met at Portman Road in February 2021 when goals either side of half-time from Alan Judge and Luke Woolfenden saw the Blues to a what was ultimately a comfortable 2-0 home victory over Blackpool.

Judge struck from 20 yards on 43, then Woolfenden added a second with a close-range header four minutes into the second half and Town really should have won more convincingly with a number of subsequent chances spurned.

The Blues have lost only once in their last nine games against the Tangerines - winning six of them - following their 6-0 thrashing at Bloomfield Road in August 2012.

In October 2020 at Bloomfield Road, Gwion Edwards scored twice and skipper Luke Chambers and Teddy Bishop once as Town beat Blackpool 4-1 to return to the top of the League One table.

Chambers gave the Blues the lead with a brilliant strike on 16, Edwards made it two in the 37th minute before Bishop added the third just before the break.

Gary Madine pulled one back for the Tangerines on the hour but Edwards sealed it with his second with 10 minutes remaining.

The teams have met once before in the FA Cup, also in the third round, back in 2010 at Bloomfield Road when the Blues beat the nine-man Tangerines 2-1.

Jack Colback put Town in front on three, Brett Ormerod levelled six minutes into the second half and Owen Garvan netted the winner for Roy Keane’s side in the 77th minute, the home team having been reduced in number when current manager Evatt and Wolves boss Rob Edwards saw red on 55 and 75 respectively.

Familiar Faces

Blackpool midfielder Evans was with the Blues between June 2021 and January 2024, making 55 starts and five sub appearances, scoring six times.

He joined the Seasiders in the summer of 2024 after a spell with Portsmouth and has made 58 starts and 13 sub appearances, scoring seven times.

Tangerines’ full-back Coulson joined Town in the same summer on loan from Middlesbrough but was frustrated by injury during his spell, which was cut short after only six starts.

Town central defender Baggott was on loan at Bloomfield Road last season, making 17 starts and three sub appearances. The Indonesia international was named the club’s PFA Community Champion.

Officials

Saturday’s referee is Thomas Parsons, his assistants Marc Wilson and Andrew Ellis, and the fourth official Neil Hair.

Rochdale-based Parsons, who has shown 63 yellow cards and two red in 20 games so far this season taking charge in Leagues One and Two, has only refereed the Blues once before, and not uncontroversially.

In October 2022, Parsons was the official who dismissed Kyle Edwards in the 17th minute for a second bookable offence, adjudging the winger to have dived when video evidence clearly showed he had been tripped by defender Jubril Okedina.

Squad From

Walton, Palmer, Button, Furlong, Johnson, Young, H Clarke, Davis, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Kipre, Matusiwa, Cajuste, Taylor, Nunez, J Clarke, Walle Egeli, Burns, Philogene, McAteer, Szmodics, Akpom, Azon.

Photo: TWTD