Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has said the FA Cup is an important competition for his team as the Magpies face Blackburn Rovers in round five.
Howe’s team travel to face the Championship side on Tuesday evening, looking to progress to the quarter-finals for just the second time since 2005/06.
Newcastle have endured a difficult recent run in the Premier League and have lost seven of their last 12 games, including a 4-1 defeat at Arsenal at the weekend.
Ninth in the table, the club’s hopes of a top-four finish appear all but over and Howe has insisted the FA Cup is a priority for his team as Newcastle look to celebrate a successful season. The Magpies have not won a domestic trophy since 1955.
“For me the the FA Cup has always been one of most important competitions. I was brought up with it being the most important competition in the 1980s, in was the be all and end all,” Howe said at his pre-match press conference.
“In many ways your season was based around how you did on the FA Cup. That is not lost on me. I always take it seriously and want to try to progress in it. We have to take it seriously and I want us to embrace it.
“The cup competitions are so important and we want to go as far as we can.
“Watching the game [EFL Cup final] yesterday brought back a lot of memories from last year [when Newcastle lost to Manchester United in the final].
“In many ways, that got me even more up for this game. I hope for more experiences to come like that in the FA Cup.
“We are looking for inspiration from everywhere. We have enough from our last game – we need to use every tool we have to help us get to the next round.
“It is a huge game for us. We are absolutely committed to the FA Cup to do well. We have been all season. We have had two very difficult games, both away from home, to get to this stage. Now we have another difficult game away from home, midweek as well. We have been looking forward to this game for a while, so we know how important it is.”
