There are 74 rungs in football’s league ladder between Newport County and Manchester United but Graham Coughlan is convinced his club can bridge the divide.

The reason for the County manager’s belief his team have a fighting chance in Sunday’s FA Cup tie are the home fans and the atmosphere they generate at a raucous Rodney Parade.

“You can hear everything (on the touchline), sometimes you don’t want to, because they’re that close. They’re on top of you and it’s a unique atmosphere,” says Coughlan ahead of the fourth round tie.

“It is hostile, it is noisy, and when they start beating that drum it’s an atmosphere to savour.”

United have not played since a 2-2 home draw with Tottenham on January 14, and Coughlan joked Erik Ten Hag’s squad had probably been sunning themselves in the Caribbean while his players had been “slogging it out” in the British winter.

“They’ll be well rested and sun tanned,” laughed Coughlan.

“They would have been in the Caribbean while we’ve been slogging it out in the wind and rain.

There are many more forgiving and welcoming venues in the FA Cup than Newport who have a proud record of Cup giant-killing. And will be backed by the noisy Amber Army.

In recent seasons, they have enjoyed memorable victories over Leicester City, Leeds United and Middlesbrough as well as a draw against Tottenham.

Coughlan, an Irishman who admits to being a lifelong United supporter, can add to ten Hag’s problems by producing an even bigger upset on Sunday evening and is clearly relishing the opportunity to embarrass the Dutchman.

Asked about the level of scrutiny ten Hag is currently under and what may be fall him if United lose, Coughlan said: “It’s part of the job. He knows what he signed up for. We all do.

“I am probably relieved that the scrutiny is not on me, it’s on somebody else.

“One thing is for sure – what goes around, comes around in football. When you put yourself in the firing line, there are going to be bullets flying and coming your way.

You’ve got to know how to handle that.”

Coughlan, 49, has guided Newport to 14th place in League Two after a difficult start to the season when financial problems left him with a threadbare squad.

But the former Bristol Rovers and Mansfield manager has used his experience to steady the ship and believes the demands and expectations are not restricted to the top end of the Premier League of high profile figures like ten Hag.

“I’ve been in his shoes. I’ve been there and got the T-shirt.

“But he’ll come through it. He’ll be experienced enough to come through it. He has good people around him and that will be the key.”

Like United, Newport are entering a new era with a change in the make-up of the club’s ownership.

But the disparity in the league positions – those 74 places between the clubs – does not begin to reflect the financial gulf.

Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has brought a 25 per cent stake in United which is believed to have cost £1.26billion, whilst Newport this week passed into the hands of former Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins, who bought a controlling interest for a more modest £500,000.

But County have embarked on a seven-game unbeaten run and are on a high after beating Welsh rivals Wrexham last weekend.

“Surprisingly everybody fit, there’s been a few miraculous recoveries,” added Coughlan.

With Cardiff City have been knocked out in the third round, and Swansea City losing 5-0 at Bournemouth in their fourth round tie on Thursday night, the only other Welsh club remaining in the Cup along with Newport, are Wrexham.

They travel to Blacburn Rovers on Monday night and are expected to take 7,000 fans with them for the tie at the Championship club.

Swansea head coach Luke Williams admitted he got it “horribly wrong” with his approach after seeing his team demolished by Bournemouth.

Williams’ men were 3-0 down inside a quarter of an hour and trailed 5-0 by half-time.

They recovered a little pride by not conceding any more goals in the second half, but Williams – in his fourth match in charge – conceded his tactical set-up was all wrong and lacked defensive structure.

“It was a horrible night for us,” he said after suffering a second defeat in six days after starting his time in charge with a win and a draw.

“I apologised to the players because I tried to set the team up to give a problem to the opposition. It is a cup game and we have to try to find a way to win.

“But I put the balance wrong, with too many players in advanced positions and then in the turnover there are not enough bodies to stem the flow of the attack, and the opposition were very good.”

 

With Cardiff City having been knocked out in the third round, and Swansea City losing 5-0 at Bournemouth in their fourth round tie on Thursday night, the only other Welsh club remaining in the Cup along with Newport, are Wrexham.

They travel to Blackburn Rovers on Monday night and are expected to take 7,000 fans with them for the tie at the Championship club.

Swansea head coach Luke Williams admitted he got it “horribly wrong” with his approach after seeing his team demolished by Bournemouth.

Williams’ men were 3-0 down inside a quarter of an hour and trailed 5-0 by half-time.

They recovered a little pride by not conceding any more goals in the second half, but Williams – in his fourth match in charge – conceded his tactical set-up was all wrong and lacked defensive structure.

“It was a horrible night for us,” he said after suffering a second defeat in six days after starting his time in charge with a win and a draw.

“I apologised to the players because I tried to set the team up to give a problem to the opposition. It is a cup game and we have to try to find a way to win.

“But I put the balance wrong, with too many players in advanced positions and then in the turnover there are not enough bodies to stem the flow of the attack, and the opposition were very good.”