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FA Cup: Brackley like Arsenal to us – Notts County’s Martin Paterson

The tie against a side that sits 36 places below the Magpies in the English football pyramid will be Paterson’s first as a manager in the FA Cup.

He was assistant to Michael Duff at Huddersfield Town last season when the League One side were knocked out of the competition by National League outfit Tamworth.

Paterson knows at this stage of the competition, as a one-time winner of the cup – 131 years ago in 1894 – Notts are seen as a major scalp.

“Obviously we have history, we won it a long time ago, and it’s a proud memory of the club,” he said.

“I think everyone does look at Notts County as a really good club, especially at League Two level and traditionally being the oldest professional football club, so I imagine it looks like to others that we are a target.

“But I prepared for that. There are no excuses from me in terms of being a target. At the end of the day, it’s a game of football, and we don’t prepare any different.

“I don’t want anything extra or less from my players – I just want the same thing they have been doing in the last month, and that’s to just keep competing and improving.”

Notts have won three games in a four-match unbeaten league run in October to move up fifth in League Two and within two points of top spot.

“I’m proud a punch to be here as head coach of Notts County and I know the responsibility I carry with it as well,” Paterson said.

“And that is why people see me sometimes as this intense, grumpy individual, even when we win.

“It’s just an understanding of how important that we can’t let our standards slip and we’ve got to keep getting this group better and I need to keep getting better.”

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