PHIL Parkinson may be facing the best boss in the business tomorrow but insists City are not going to Chelsea just to make up the numbers.
Jose Mourinho’s free-scoring Blues boast a 100 per cent Stamford Bridge record in the Premier League - but they’ve also proved they can win ugly.
Parkinson believes the Special One and his team are the benchmark for the rest as they prepare for FA Cup fourth-round combat.
He said: “Every manager admires Jose and the reason he wins so much is because he’s not bothered how his team looks and what plaudits he gets.
“He just goes out there to do a job and adapts his formation accordingly. That’s what management is all about.
“Even with all the talent Chelsea have got, he still demands work ethic from them. You can’t carry anybody in the modern day game if you want to be the best.
“That’s what Mourinho has instilled into his teams and it’s the key thing we say to our players.”
Parkinson watched Chelsea’s draw at Liverpool on Tuesday when Eden Hazard’s penalty was their only shot on target.
He added: “That’s what Jose does well. I remember last year when he went to Liverpool with a weakened team and it was outstanding how he set his team up.
“He’s not worried how he’s perceived. He doesn’t always have to play the beautiful game.
“You’ve got to adapt. There’s no team in any division in this country good enough to say ‘we play this way and whatever the opposition do, we’re going to stick to it’.”
There are 49 places between the two sides but City, who will be roared on by 6,000 away fans, have no plans to “park the bus.”
“If we do that, we’re just asking for trouble,” added Parkinson. “It’s getting that balance right in our team and getting a decent platform to play from.
“We have to make sure we’ve got the opportunity to attack them. We’ve got players in our team who I hope will cause Chelsea problems.”
City have secured Andy Halliday and Francois Zoko for the rest of the season. Billy Clarke is also fully fit after his knee problem.
Midfielder Halliday signed a permanent deal after cancelling his contract at Middlesbrough.
Parkinson said: “Andy has got better as you’d expect. He hasn’t played loads of league football in his career.
“He’s versatile, which is important to us in a small squad, and he’s dynamic.”
Are you going to Stamford Bridge tomorrow? Share your pictures with us by emailing newsdesk@telegraphandargus.co.uk, tweet us @Bradford_TandA or post to our Facebook page.
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