Steve Bruce faces old club Sheffield United as Hull City chase history
Hull City manager Steve Bruce insists he won't let his players be distracted by the prospect of making history as they prepare to face League One minnows Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday.
Bruce's Premier League team head to Wembley for their first semi-final in 84 years as the clear favourites against third-tier opponents who are the last remaining obstacle between Hull and the first major final in the club's 110-year history.
On paper, Hull should have few problems dispatching Nigel Clough's team to set up a final showdown with Arsenal or Wigan, who met in the other semi-final last night.
United are 44 places below Hull in the league structure and no team from outside the top two divisions have reached the FA Cup final in more than a century.
But Bruce, whose first managerial job was with United in 1998, is determined to guard against complacency and, in a bid to keep his players in businesslike mood, he was quick to play down the historic sub-plot.
Former Manchester United defender Bruce, a three-time FA Cup winner as a player, said: "We won't do anything different. We want it to be like a normal game.
"We don't want to give them any excuses. We had Thursday off, we are in Friday and Saturday and let's hope preparation is the same as usual.
"You know when there is a big game and we had to put the reins on them at the training ground, which is great to see. They were flying around."
Should Arsenal get the better of Wigan, either Hull or United will qualify for next season's Europa League if the Gunners hold onto fourth spot in the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League.
"Hull playing in Europe would be terrific," Bruce said. "It would be quite remarkable but we've got to get to the final first."
Meanwhile, boss Clough admits he isn't offended by the Blades' underdog tag.
United, the first League One team to reach this stage of the competition since 2001, have a miserable record at Wembley and Clough is realistic about his unheralded team's hopes of springing another surprise.
"Our chances are slim because we're playing a team two divisions above us," he said.
