By Matt Chedgzoy
Manchester United’s visit to Rodney Parade on Sunday afternoon will mark a special moment in the career of Newport County manager Graham Coughlan, as he prepares to face the club that he has supported since childhood.
The Irishman is facing the biggest challenge of his 15-month tenure in charge of the side, and will be hoping to continue the Exiles’ proud record of shocking higher-ranked opposition in the FA Cup.
Leeds United and Leicester City are amongst those to have left Gwent empty-handed in recent years, with Tottenham Hotspur taken to a replay at their temporary Wembley home in 2018.
Coughlan has joked about relying on “divine inspiration” to potentially upset Erik Ten Hag’s team, but insists County are well-aware of what they must do.
He said: “You’ll have to adjust because of the opposition. We can’t allow them lots of the ball, lots of space and lots of chances. We will get one or two moments in the game and it’s about taking those moments.
“They’re machines who are at that level for a reason. We’ve got to show resolve and stick to our game-plan. You’ll need lady luck and maybe a few decisions to go your way too.”, he continued.
The tie will round off what Coughlan has described as a “surreal” week as the boyhood United fan prepares for an afternoon in the dugout against the club that he has followed all over the world.
He added: “I was there the last time they lifted the League Cup, I was there the last time they lifted the FA Cup and I’ve been to finals they’ve lost. They gave me one of the best nights of my life in 1999 in Barcelona.
“I followed United years ago when they couldn’t win an argument, let alone a game and it was tough being a follower.”
The Dubliner used to travel by ferry to home games at Old Trafford and never believed that he would one day be facing United as a manager.
“Never in a month of Sundays, not a chance” he laughed.
“That’s why it has been surreal the last week.”
It has been a surreal week for Newport County as a whole.
Wednesday saw confirmation of the majority takeover of the club by Huw Jenkins OBE. The former Swansea City chairman had agreed a deal with the supporter’s trust in September, before it was finally sanctioned by the EFL this week.
After an uncertain summer period last year, it is a move that will bring optimism not only for the fans and players, but their manager too.
“It was tough on the pitch and tough off the pitch,” Coughlan admitted.
“It was just one blow after another, losing players that we didn’t want to lose, the losses that we announced. It was a turbulent summer but we’ve put together a good group of lads.”
Jenkins joins County after 17 years in Swansea and his takeover represents a new era for a club that had been expected to struggle this season.
“There’s now a clear vision going forward for the football club,” Coughlan explains.
“Huw’s got some great ideas which we’ve discussed. I think we’re all looking forward to what the next 12-18 months brings, not only the new owner but the players and fans too.”
The first seeds of Jenkins’ tenure have already been sown, with the arrival of former Welsh U21 striker Luke Jephcott announced on Thursday morning.
The 24-year old has returned to his native Wales having spent six months in Scotland with St Johnstone.
Jephcott had experienced a “sticky patch” at the Perth outfit according to his new manager but Coughlan hopes that the attacker can rediscover the kind of form that saw him become a fan-favourite at Plymouth Argyle.
Jephcott recorded 37 goals in just over 100 appearances for Argyle before moving north of the border last summer.
“We’ve done a lot of background on him and we felt we had the right character to fit into our group. He’s good in the box, one of those fox-in-the-box type of strikers. He’ll be a really good addition.”
When quizzed on further additions to the squad in this transfer window, Coughlan indicated that he wasn’t in a hurry to add bodies, but that the backing would be there if needed.
“I wasn’t looking to flood the club, we were looking to bring one or two in. We’ve got one, if we bring one more in then that will be a successful window.
“I’ve got a brilliant group of lads already so I wouldn’t lose any sleep if I didn’t add (further) because of what we’ve already got.”
It’s his admiration of his players that leaves Coughlan with a selection headache for Sunday’s game. He says that the club are doing “everything they possibly can” to register new signing Jephcott in time but admitted that there is no room for sentiment when it comes to picking his matchday squad.
“(Choosing the team) is the toughest part of the job – you’ve got to leave a few lads out and let a few lads down,” said Coughlan.
“They’re a brilliant group of lads to work with and leaving one or two out hurts them, but it hurts me too because I’d love to get every one of them on the pitch.”
Coughlan spoke of the weekend’s game as a “reward” for his players after a difficult prelude to the season both on and off the field, but also for the fans who have played their part in getting the team to this stage.
“Our fans have gotten right behind us. At times they’ve dragged points, they’ve dragged wins out of games where we didn’t think it was possible,” he admits.
A sell-out crowd will be packed into Rodney Parade for the second weekend in a row on Sunday but it’s not just during the good times that Newport fans have been there for their players.
“We’ve had some bad times and the fans have still cheered us off the pitch,: said Goughlan.
“That’s unique and a strength of this football club and this community. We’re hoping that we can make it a community event on Sunday.”