Friendship put aside for Dickov

12 August 2015 16:31

Doncaster boss Paul Dickov insists he will not let his close friendship with Leeds counterpart Uwe Rosler get in the way when their sides lock horns in the first round of the Capital One Cup.

Dickov and Rosler were team-mates at Manchester City during their playing days and have stayed friends, but the Rovers manager is only thinking about trying to take his Sky Bet League One side into the next round when they meet in Thursday's televised clash.

"We are friends off the pitch but once kick-off time comes, we both know it's down to business," Dickov told Doncaster's official Twitter account.

"You want to play in big games and the players are looking forward to appearing in front of the cameras.

"We want as many wins as possible, as soon as possible, to get the confidence levels up."

There have already been a number of upsets in this year's competition, with Championship sides such as Brentford and Huddersfield bowing out after losing to lower league opponents on Tuesday.

Dickov added: "Seven Championship clubs are out, we'll take confidence from that. "

Leeds head coach Rosler says his side knows how important this Yorkshire derby is to both the club's supporters and the team.

He told the club's official website: "We are taking the cup seriously, we want to get further.

"We are aware it is a Yorkshire derby and we have made sure every player understands what that means for our supporters and for ourselves.

"We have a very tight squad which - in my opinion - can be an advantage going into the season because it makes everybody be tight. It makes everybody feel like they have a chance when they are training well."

Source: PA