By far the biggest news at Kingsmeadow this week is that come January 5, Liverpool will be making the trip down to our humble abode, for the FA Cup third round.

The visit of a mid-table Premier League side wouldn't normally incite such excitement, but this particular tie evokes memories of the 1988 FA Cup final, and will be televised on the BBC - earning the club a tidy £144,000.

Such is the demand for tickets, the club even considered installing temporary additional seating, but unfortunately nothing came of these plans.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Liverpool fans react to their allocation about 800 tickets.

The players ought to be even more excited than the fans. A number of our squad (including Akinfenwa) are Liverpool supporters, and they'll all be relishing the prospect of testing themselves against some of the best players in the country.

There have been concerns raised, however, about the potentially negative impacts of this cup fever on the team.

History shows that an upcoming high-profile cup tie can distract players from league games, and even see them play overcautiously to try and avoid injury.

But if yesterday's full-blooded showing against York is anything to go by, that might not be too much of an issue for us.

We weren't at our best, but kept focused to take our chances when they came, showing mental strength to hold on for a valuable victory - it seems like Neal has made it distinctly clear that no-one is guaranteed a place in the team against Liverpool.

And while the lucrative nature of this fixture is excellent news, Liverpool's current form offers further cause for encouragement - money is good, but the glory of victory is what this cup tie is really all about.

Let's be blunt: if Liverpool are anywhere at their best, then we stand very little chance of progression.

But it'll be their fourth game in 11 days, and they'll be very confident of an easy victory. There's every chance they won't really turn up, and if that's the case, then we need to stand up and be counted.

The prize money means this cup run is already a massive boost - but if we can use the excitement generated to boost our league form, and do ourselves proud come Monday the 5th, then this could be a real turning point in our season.