Fighting talk - Marco Silva backing Fulham to 'make a statement' against Newcastle United
Newcastle United face a stern test against Fulham tonight - just days after losing to bitter rivals Sunderland.
Marco Silva has not held back on how motivated Fulham are to win the Carabao Cup this season.
And in a confident pre-match message, he has backed his team to become the first in the club’s history to win a major trophy. Newcastle United welcome the Cottagers to St James’ Park tonight for a Carabao Cup quarter-final.
Fulham won 2-1 on Tyneside last season in the Premier League to give them confidence ahead of the game. With the Magpies also reeling from a Tyne-Wear derby defeat, Silva’s men will fancy their chances of stunning the home crowd into silence.
‘A big game’ - Marco Silva
Speaking to reporters at his pre-match press conference, Fulham boss Silva sent an ambitious message that his squad mean business in the Carabao Cup. He said: “It's a big game. From the first moment of this competition, I've been saying that we aim high. Now that we are playing quarter-finals, with the chance to be in the semi-finals, we are not going to hide ourselves.
“We go to play the game with the full ambition that we can be in the semi-finals, because it's our aim, it’s our ambition to be there. We play against a tough side - we have been very strong against them, like they have been against us. The games have been very competitive against each other recently.
“Probably one of the toughest places to play in this country but, at the same time, probably one of the best places to play football and to enjoy a football match in this country as well. And we have to go full of ambition that the semi-finals are there for one team to take, and let's hope it can be ourselves.”
Marco Silva on ‘realistic’ aim
Founded in 1879, Fulham are London’s oldest club but, astonishingly, have never lifted a major honour. Silva recognised that the title is out of reach but believes the Cottagers can attack the domestic cups.
“Nothing is impossible in football, but we have to be realistic,” he added. “The best way to achieve something, the cups are the way. And we have been trying to create this mentality inside the club, and because of that we did achieve, for the first time ever, semi-finals two years ago in this competition.
“Last season, the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. And we want to go again. Let’s go to play each stage of the competition with full ambition. Of course, silverware is always in our mind. Such a historic club, that doesn't have a title in this type of competitions, it’s something that if you can achieve, you can imagine how the fans are going to feel, and how we can really put a statement in this football club.”