FIRED-UP Blackburn Rovers midfielder Chris Taylor has warned Manchester City his side will not be FA Cup cannon fodder in tonight’s big third-round replay.

Free-scoring City are averaging almost four goals a game at home this season after netting an incredible 59 times in 15 matches. But Taylor insists underdogs Rovers are not going to the Etihad Stadium waiting to be thrashed.

He said: “We don’t want to go there just to make up the numbers.

“I know City have battered a few teams there this season and they could do it to us. “But we want to try and give them a game and if they do go through we will have at least made them work hard for it. “We don’t just to want to turn up and give it to them.”

Rovers are the only team to deny City victory in their last 10 games and Taylor added: “People may say I’m foolish but I think you’ve got to go there and pose a threat as otherwise you’ll just sit there and they will break you down eventually.

“The lads are full of confidence. We’ve started 2014 really well and we’ve already seen what City have to offer in the first game.

“While I think they have a few more gears to go through if they need them, I think we played really well.

“We stuck at it, played some good football and in the second half I thought we could have caused a big upset and knocked them out.”

Taylor has hailed tonight’s game as one of the biggest of his career – but not the biggest.

That came in the FA Cup last season when he was part of the Millwall team which went down 2-0 to eventual winners Wigan Athletic in the semi-finals at Wembley.

“It was an unbelievable experience and I’d love to get there again,” said Taylor, who joined Rovers from Millwall in the summer.

“There are always shocks in the FA Cup. Obviously we need Manchester City to not be at their best for us to have a chance of getting a result.

“But they’re in four competitions and that may mean they’ll need to rest a few players. “Hopefully that may cause a bit of dysfunction and we can take advantage.”