Ipswich Town manager Paul Cook says his team selection for tomorrow's FA Cup first round home clash with Oldham will show just how seriously he is taking the competition.

Having lifted the trophy in 1978, Ipswich have won just one of their last 19 games in the world-famous competition, a dismal run which stretches back to 2010.

The Blues moved up to ninth in the League One table with an eye-catching 4-1 win at high-flying Wycombe in midweek and Cook has intimated that he won't be making wholesale changes for the visit of a Latics side who currently sit 22nd in the division below.

“Everyone wants managers to tell them their team," said Cook, when asked what sort of side he might select.

"I can only say how serious we are about this competition.

“We’re approaching tomorrow’s game as if it’s the biggest of our season and that will be reflected in our team selection.

“It’s quite common knowledge how strong a squad we’ve got. If we were to make some changes tomorrow, does it weaken the team? I don’t think it does.

“But we are going into the game fully behind the competition and fully wanting to win. We take each game as it comes. I won’t look ahead to Colchester, on Tuesday (in the Papa John's Trophy), until after the Oldham game.

“All I know and care about is what momentum does to any football club. When you get on a good run you think everything comes naturally and easily. When you’re on a bad run, you absolutely think the opposite.

“The FA Cup comes along tomorrow and our team selection, which you’ll see at two o’clock, will show how we’re treating the competition. We want a cup run. Simple as that."

Cook continued: “What’s come into football over a period of time is the negativity towards cup competitions.

“Some managers basically more or less give up the game by the team selection. That’s the brutal truth of it. And if you get through with that team then the reality probably is you probably didn’t want to get through.

“I think we made it quite clear at the start of the season where our preferences lie. We are attacking the FA Cup – simple as that.

“Come 5pm tomorrow it might be one win in 20! But it certainly won’t be for tinkering with teams."

He added: "The other week we were talking about whether we could win two games on the bounce for the first time. Just win! When you win everyone bounces around the town so much happier. The feeling it brings to the community... You can see it in the supporters’ faces at the end of games. You come out and see them singing and dancing. That’s inspiring for us.

“We’ll probably have 15,000 fans in the stadium tomorrow. I’m guessing that for previous rounds at Ipswich Town it’s probably been eight, nine, 10 thousand? The reason why the fans are turning out is because of the optimism. We’ve got to drive that on for them."

Cook reached the quarter-finals of the competition twice as a player, at Wolves and Burnley, and once as a manager, at Wigan in 2018.

And he has fond memories of it growing up as a diehard Liverpool fan too.

“My first Liverpool final was 1974," he said. "We took a coach from our street. That’s how big it was then. All the families would go.

“I was lucky enough to get in the stadium with my dad. Keegan two, Heighway one, Liverpool three, Newcastle none! You don’t forget do you?

“I can go through all the historical ones; Sunderland beating Leeds, Ipswich winning. Fans love it.

“I think the FA Cup is a really special competition and I’m sure our supporters are going to be delighted with how serious we’re going to take it."

On his run to the quarter-finals with Wigan in 2018, he said: “You never forget. People can’t take those results away from you. We beat Bournemouth 3-0, Man City 1-0, we beat West Ham 2-0 and we went into a quarter-final with Southampton full of optimism. We played very well on the day and probably should have got something out of the game. They went on to play Tottenham at Wembley.

“They were great days, Wigan fans loved it. I’m now Ipswich manager, I know how much the cup means to supporters and that will be reflected in our team selection."

He continued: "I love the FA Cup. I love the fact league clubs play non-league clubs. The excitement of sitting there and seeing the balls come out the bag is great. If you’re a smaller club, you’re hoping you can be the one who gets a giant-killing opportunity. If you’re a bigger club, what draw will you get?

“We’ve got a tough draw tomorrow in Oldham Athletic without a shadow of a doubt. Every team must be treated with the utmost respect and be prepared for properly.

“Because, as we all know, tomorrow there will be a lot of cup upsets. That’s traditionally what the FA Cup does."

With Suffolk non-league side AFC Sudbury hosting Essex neighbours Colchester United live on BBC Two this evening, Cook added: “I’d love for that to have been us tonight, I really would. I think it’s great for everyone.

“We’ll all watch tonight. As poor Colchester will understand probably 90% of the population will be supporting Sudbury. That’s the FA Cup, isn’t it?"