Eddie Howe is desperately hoping his side can “achieve something special” and claim Newcastle's first major trophy in 69 years in the League Cup this season.
The Magpies have not won a domestic title since the FA Cup in 1955, but they will go into tomorrow night's quarter-final clash with Brentford as favorites to secure a place in the semi-finals.
“This is what we are here for,” Howe said. “I made it very clear when I came to Newcastle that this is what I wanted to achieve. I speak on behalf of the players and the coaching staff in this regard.
“When you get to this part of the competition, it's important to realize that this is our goal and what we're trying to do. These games take on a lot of importance when you get to the final stages.
“We want to be the team that can get over the line and achieve something special. When you are competing, these rounds are very tough and we will not take anything seriously from our end.
Eddie Howe was speaking to the media before that #NEWBRE In the Carabao Cup quarter-finals tomorrow 🗣️
You can watch today's press conference live on the official Newcastle United app 📲 pic.twitter.com/CnMcZI3JvY
– Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 17, 2024
He was beaten by bees in the last meeting
Newcastle faced Brentford in the Premier League at the start of the month, losing 4-2 in north-west London, but bounced back at the weekend with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Leicester City.
“It's an interesting game to look back on different things,” Howe said. “Brentford went to Chelsea and played a different system but they don't deviate too much from their principles.
“Ultimately, when you look at the game, we weren't where we wanted to be in the defensive side of our game fundamentally which is strange for us on the back of Liverpool's performance. It was good to get back to our defensive best against Leicester, I think that It will be big for us because we back ourselves to score goals.
Given their desperation to end the cup drought, Newcastle are likely to field a strong side tomorrow night.
“Every match is like a cup final,” Howe said. “When you manage Newcastle, you can't afford to lose a game and certainly any team I pick has that view – I always have the view that I think this team can win and I will certainly try to do that tomorrow.”
