Cup ties are special, says Laudrup

Michael Laudrup insists FA Cup ties are "always something special", despite admitting he may have to ring the changes for his side's third-round match against Manchester United on Sunday, January 5.

The Swans travel to Old Trafford to face David Moyes' side this weekend, hoping to go one better than they did last year in the domestic competition, when they were knocked out in the third-round by Arsenal in a 1-0 replay at the Emirates Stadium.

However, it won't be an easy task for Laudrup's side, in the knowledge that the Red Devils have won four of their last five matches.

But despite the difficulty of the occasion, the Swans boss says his team will be putting every effort into ensuring that they are the side that advance through to the next round.

"We are playing at Old Trafford against Man United, so we want to do as well as we can, even though it will be very difficult," said the Great Dane.

"Yes, we may make changes, especially now because we have 18 players - some of which have played a lot of games.

"But just because we make changes, doesn't mean we don't care about the competition. I think I already proved that last year."

"For me, the cups are always something special, but I have also always said that the Premier League is like the daily bread - the most important thing - and of course that is our first priority.

"It has always been that way, not just this year. It was last year, the year before that and it will be next year.

"That's not to say that, because this is the most important, the other competitions are not important. Of course they are.

"Sometimes when teams make changes people say it's because they don't really care about this competition, but we made seven changes from Chelsea to Aston Villa, and nobody would dare say that I don't care about playing Aston Villa in the Premier League."

The Swans boss also believes Sunday's opponents are starting to find their feet under Moyes, following their difficult start to the season.

He added: "I have never seen anyone win a trophy or get relegated in December or January. It's always in the last two months.

"I think when you change a manager, a lot of things change. That happens. It happened here with me, and I came after a manager had been here for two years.

"It takes time because people are used to certain things. Even if you are a very experienced manager, it always takes time."