Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Manchester City manager, has set his sights on winning the FA Cup this season.

The competition's reputation has been damaged this week by claims that it must take second place to Premier League survival - Dave Kitson, the Reading forward, insists that he could not care less about his team's fate in the tournament.

But Eriksson is set to name his strongest line-up for tomorrow's third-round trip to West Ham United. "We want to survive and we want to go further in the FA Cup," Eriksson said. "We are going to play the best possible [team].

"Since football first started to be televised all over Europe, the FA Cup final has always been screened in Sweden. If you talk to football people in other countries, everyone in Italy, Portugal, Sweden, wherever it is, is jealous of the FA Cup because it's the biggest domestic cup in the world. Everyone takes it seriously - it is beautiful."

Eriksson is hopeful of winning a major trophy for City - their last success being the League Cup in 1976. "We are trying our best and I think we are going the right way to sooner or later win a trophy," he said. "I think we will do that. Whether it will happen this season, you never know, the way is very long, but it is the first step to try to be in a final."

City's ability to remain competitive in both the league and cup could hinge on Eriksson's transfer dealings over the course of this month. "I expect that one or two more [signings] will happen," he said. "Sometimes we think we are close, the next day we are less close. It's not easy to get players in January."

Asked if a big name could be among those to arrive, Eriksson said: "I hope so, we are working on that."