Former Manchester City striker Mike Summerbee has warned his old side not to expect an easy ride when they face West Ham United in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
City go into the match as overwhelming favourites to progress to the final having gone 13 matches unbeaten, winning 11 of them, compared to West Ham's recent record of just one win in nine, including a 5-0 humiliation at the hands of Championship side Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Sunday.
However, Summerbee believes that under-fire boss Sam Allardyce is perfectly equipped to deal with the current situation he finds himself in and could be capable of pulling off a shock result at the Etihad.
"Crystal Palace came here and we had a job to break them down. And Sam Allardyce is a very shrewd cookie - he knows the game. He gave young kids an opportunity [against Forest]. It wasn't easy for him and he had to do it because of the injuries he has got," Summerbee told PA.
"He will come here with the right mind, the right attitude and the right players. He won't have anything on his mind about whether or not he is going to be in the job.
"He is as good as you can get in a situation like this. He will get through it - he is a good manager. His team will come here, will be focused on getting something from the game to take back to Upton Park, and will make it difficult for us."
The two sides are competing for a place to take on either Sunderland or Manchester United in the final of the competition.
Barney Corkhill
