Alan Pardew has dangled the carrot of FA Cup semifinal selection in a bid to keep his Crystal Palace players sharp for Sunday's Arsenal clash.
Boss Pardew wants Palace to rubber-stamp their Premier League safety in daunting tests against Arsenal and Manchester United before their last-four FA Cup showdown with Watford.
Pardew believes his players will be buoyed up by the April 24 FA Cup clash rather than distracted, and is hoping for a sterling showing at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The 54-year-old grabbed the extra-time winner in Palace's memorable 4-3 semifinal victory over Liverpool in 1990, and cannot recall his own league form suffering during that FA Cup run.
"You might say the FA Cup's lost a bit of its glamour because of the Champions League, but I don't think it was any bigger back then in the players' minds, I think it was the same," said Pardew.
"For me as a player I was playing hard to stay in the team then.
"I've tried to create that here by threatening a few players with that game.
"And I expect to see that on Sunday at Arsenal and see that on Wednesday against United, players fighting to play in that semifinal.
"I'm the sort of person the way I played I would never pull out of challenges with another match in mind and I won't accept that.
"And I don't think anyone would do that. It's just instinct for them, the ball's there they are going to go for it.
"The cup run is definitely focusing the minds. I think we were more vulnerable to this discussion a couple of weeks ago than we are now.
"For us and Watford, one of us is going to hurt and one's really going to come alive. So we really want to be that team that comes alive."
Pardew's Palace pushed Manchester United to a replay in the 1990 final, the teams locked at 3-3 in the first clash.
Lee Martin netted the winner in United's 1-0 replay triumph, but while those memories are imprinted on Pardew's mind he joked his players have little clue of his own history.
Pardew admitted fearing for his squad's historical appreciation if forward Jason Puncheon's musical knowledge is any guideline.
"They haven't a clue," said Pardew, when quizzed on whether his players have boned up on his FA Cup exploits.
"Jason Puncheon went to the Motown musical the other night, and came back saying, 'That Motown's good isn't it.' He'd never heard it before!
"If they don't remember Motown they won't remember me.
"Although they have seen a few shots of the high shorts and all that."