On Monday, Newcastle drew either Rochdale or Boston United for the FA Cup third round. The two clubs will meet next Tuesday at Boston for the right to host Newcastle in the first week of January.
It was a very good draw for Newcastle, who had a difficult draw in the Carabao Cup against Leicester City. Though no matter who we get, whether it’s League One’s Rochdale or the National League North’s Boston, the lads must make sure they avoid a massive upset.
We all remember the Stevenage debacle in 2011, where Newcastle lost 3-1 in the third round.
During his press conference, Steve Bruce was asked about his thoughts on the FA Cup draw. He, like us, expected the worst. This is what Steve had to say:
“Well, I was totally wrong. I said to Lee (Charnley). Mark my words we’ll get Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool, or Arsenal away.
“That hasn’t happened. We’ve got the complete opposite.
“So we’ll respect whoever the opposition is when it comes around. Hopefully, we can progress into the next round.”
When Bruce was first appointed, he spoke about having a run at the cups this season. He has recent experience in taking Hull to the FA Cup final in 2014, where they ultimately lost 3-2 to Arsenal but put in a good showing.
Steve was also asked if the competition was still exciting for him. This was his response:
“It’s one of the great competitions. As I said when I walked through the door here, it would be great if we could have a little run in it.
“I remember in 2014 when Hull got into the Cup final. If you ask all of their supporters what is there best memory of the past few years.
“Is it Premier League survival or staying in the Premier League, I think 95% would say it was going to Wembley and playing in the FA Cup final.
“It would be great. That’s got to be the aim. You can win five games. We’re capable of winning five games or six games, whatever it is.
“So let’s hope it’s our year.”