Salford's training pitch woes cannot dim excitement of playing Manchester City, says Robinson

MANCHESTER, England : If Salford City's FA Cup third-round tie at Premier League titans Manchester City was not already a mammoth challenge, their preparations took a hit this week with the winter weather making their Moor Lane pitch too slick for training.

But manager Karl Robinson said no matter the result, Saturday's David v Goliath clash at the Etihad Stadium is already a victory for his fourth-tier club.

"I don't think there's any outcome from this that should be negative," Robinson told reporters on Thursday. "We should look at this as a celebration of how far we've come."

Moor Lane, which lacks the under-pitch heating of bigger stadiums, looked more like a skating rink on Thursday under a blanket of ice and snow thanks to Manchester's current deep freeze.

Manchester United have loaned Salford the indoor facility at their old training ground The Cliff.

"We've had difficulties, as you'd imagine. We've been very, very thankful (to United)," Robinson said. "The problem is it's only 50 yards wide, and I think only 80 yards long. And I can honestly say to you, the size of the opposition's pitch at the weekend is going to feel a lot bigger than that.

"We've had to do our best to give ourselves the greatest opportunity to put a performance on."

While Saturday will be the first competitive meeting between Manchester City and Salford City, the game is not without a sense of rivalry.

Manchester United greats Gary and Phil Neville, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt are all part-owners of Salford.

'GREATEST MANAGERS OF ALL TIME'

Scholes and Giggs are often at training, with Scholes in attendance on Thursday. Robinson called the team's ownership a "massive reason" why he accepted the head coaching position a