Latest News
Bruce urges Magpies to seize 'wonderful opportunity'
Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce has urged his side to make the most of their “wonderful opportunity” to reach the last four in the Carabao Cup when they face Brentford in the quarter-finals on Tuesday night (5:30pm kick-off).
The Magpies face the Championship outfit at their new Community Stadium looking to book a semi-final spot, which has eluded them in recent years.
And head coach Bruce wants his charges to seize the chance to go one step closer to a potential first cup final since 1999 when they take on the Bees, who are currently fourth in the second tier.
“Once you get to a quarter-final, there’s a semi-final at stake. We haven’t been there for years,” said Bruce. “I hope we’re looking forward to it – certainly I am.
“The games are coming thick and fast, but what an opportunity we’ve got. We’ve got a wonderful opportunity to get to the semi-final of a cup, so let’s look forward to it, enjoy the challenge of it and see where we can go.
“It’s been far too long, as has been well-documented, but we’ve got ourselves a chance. As always, the big teams are still there – I think there’s only Wigan off the top of my head who’ve won a cup (in recent years) apart from the top six if you like – so we know how difficult it is.
“But let’s have a crack, let’s enjoy it and see where we get to.”
Bruce is likely to shuffle his pack for the trip to the capital, with a handful of his players still suffering from the effects of COVID, and hinted that Isaac Hayden – impressive since his return from illness – could be set to fill in in a more defensive role again.
“At the moment, I think I have to (make changes),” he said. “I have to monitor what we’ve got. Isaac has gone in at centre back, and I can’t see that situation improving, so there’s a problem for us straight away.
“Whatever we put out, we’re certainly capable of performing better than what we have done over the last couple – and we’ll have to perform better because Brentford are a good side.
“I’m disappointed – after the platform we gave ourselves against Crystal Palace and West Brom we’ve certainly had a difficult week, so let’s get on with it and see what we can do.”
On the players affected by Covid, Bruce added: “As we speak today, the numbers are far too high, and big players for us.
“It’s difficult, of course, but we’ve got to try and manage it as best we can, be sensible and take the advice that the medical people can tell us, and see where we get to.”
Thomas Frank’s Brentford just missed out on promotion to the Premier League last season when they were beaten in the Championship play-off final by Fulham at Wembley.
But they do have one of the most prolific forwards outside of the top flight in former Newcastle frontman Ivan Toney, and Bruce is well aware of the challenge posed by the Bees, who have made some rapid progress.
“I think you have to pay a huge compliment to the way they’ve gone about their work over the last five years, really,” he said.
“They’ve got a new stadium, they keep selling players, they keep buying them on the cheap and selling them for tens of millions, and last year they nearly got up again and they’re going well again this year.
“You have to say congratulations to them – as a small club they’ve done remarkably well and they’ve got some very good players. They’ve got a great model, which a lot of us will be envious of, because they keep turning over really, really good players.”
Latest videos