By Rob Charbon
Liverpool fan Michael Flynn is hoping the FA Cup draw delivers a touchline tango with Jurgen Klopp.
Flynn and Newport County’s love affair with the Cup continues after they reached the third round for the four successive season thanks to a 3-0 win over Salford City at Rodney Parade.
Now, Flynn – a self-confessed Liverpool nut – will be dreaming of a draw against Klopp’s men in the next round.
Having already played against Premier League sides Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City in recent seasons, Flynn knows the value of reaching the third round and taking on one of the elite teams in the country.
“I’d love to get Liverpool at home in the next round, but we’ll have to wait and see how the draw goes,” said Flynn, who has already managed against Pep Guardiola in the competition.
“I’d love that, the players would love that and if we could get some fans back in the ground for it, they would as well. Then we could move on.
“Money is important every season. When we played Leeds and Tottenham that cleared debt at the club and we are in a better position now due to our cup runs.
“It is a proud thing for us that we have been able to provide the club with a lifeline through our cup runs.”
As well as doing well in the FA Cup, Flynn’s side are also top of League Two at present. The manner of the win over one of their main promotion rivals was another pleasing aspect of the home manager.
“I thought we were by far the better team and it should have been 7-0. We were ruthless when they went down to 10 men and Tom King didn’t have a save to make even when they had 11,” he added.
Salford boss Richie Wellens made nine changes to his side from the last league outing and saw Brandon Thjomas-Asante sent-off in the first minute of the second half. He also saw his side concede two penalties.
Watch highlights as Newport County cruise into the FA Cup third round at the expense of Salford City.
🎥 https://t.co/PwQzH4WWCw pic.twitter.com/Bgh8oPWxDh— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) November 28, 2020
“They were the better team although we had some really good passages of play in the first half. There were three or four players who needed a game and then four young lads we picked to start because they had done so well at Rochdale,” said Wellens.
“We haven’t got a massive squad. I picked a team to try to get through, but I also picked a tem knowing that after this game I would learn a lot more about the younger players.
“We were miles off it from where we want to be, but I’ll learn a lot from this. I had to protect some players.
“The referee (Kevin Johnson) was poor. I’ve seen him for 10 or 12 years now and nothing changes.
“I don’t think it was a hand ball for their first penalty, so the penalty was wrong and the sending off was wrong.”