Man United legend Ryan Giggs expects hostile Man City trip with Salford City priority clear

Salford City director of football Ryan Giggs expects the club to get a hostile reception at the Etihad this weekend given the owner's links to Manchester United.

But the Old Trafford legend has told the club's players to make the most of their evening in the spotlight, before returning to the grind of League Two and the ultimate target this season, which is promotion after five years in the fourth tier.

A run of six successive wins has catapulted the Ammies into the automatic promotion picture and Karl Robinson's side have a golden opportunity to seal a ticket to League One and bring momentum back to a club that reached the EFL in 2019 with a run of four promotions in five seasons.

That run came in the first five years of the Class of 92 ownership, but the group consisting of Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Giggs and David Beckham have found life harder since entering League Two. Those links with United mean Salford will travel to the Etihad indelibly linked to City's fiercest rivals in the eyes of many fans, and Giggs is expecting a hostile reception.

"Yeah, that's natural," he told the Manchester Evening News. "But our concentration is performing well and just carrying on the form that we've shown. We all recognise it's a tough game and if City play well, it's going to be a tough day for the lads but they're excited and we're going into it off the back of six straight wins so we're in good form, all the players are excited and hoping that they're starting in the game."

This is Salford's first experience of the third round of the FA Cup, having twice been knocked out at the second round stage in the Class of 92's 10 years as owners, and the draw was kind in handing them an occasion they will never