Newcastle boss Eddie Howe vows to go all out for FA Cup glory ahead of Man City clash | OneFootball

Eddie Howe has firmly stated he will offer no apologies for targeting cup success, even as Newcastle United navigate a challenging Premier League campaign.

The Magpies are preparing to face Manchester City in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday evening, a fixture that follows their Carabao Cup defence being ended by Pep Guardiola’s side at the semi-final stage last month.

Last season, Newcastle’s Carabao Cup triumph marked an end to a 70-year wait for domestic silverware.

While they remain in the Champions League, with a last-16 clash against Barcelona on Tyneside next Tuesday, their league form sees them languishing in 12th position, 12 points adrift of the top four with just nine games remaining.

When questioned if the FA Cup now represents their most viable route to securing European football next season, head coach Howe conceded: "Yes, possibly. We just want to try to win.

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Newcastle and Man City have already faced each other four times this season (AP)

“Yes, there are by-products behind winning and advancing in various competitions, but I don’t think we can look at it that way. We want the glory of trying to win a trophy."

Howe acknowledged the formidable challenge ahead. "The hard bit is navigating the rounds to get there, and there is none harder than this. We’ve been given the hardest tie we could have been," he added.

Despite previous criticism for taking cup competitions seriously, Howe remains resolute.

"The players’ mindset has been to try and win every game. I’ve been criticised previously for taking the cup seriously, this season especially because people have felt it’s given us too many games.

“But that’s the way we have to be when representing this club. We will have the same attitude again and will try to win the game and see where it takes us."

Saturday’s encounter will be the fifth time Newcastle and City have met this season. The Magpies secured a 2-1 league victory at St James’ Park earlier in the campaign, but have since lost the subsequent three fixtures, including both legs of their League Cup semi-final and the reverse league fixture at the Etihad Stadium.

Howe also addressed Pep Guardiola’s frequent post-match conversations with opposition players, expressing a relaxed view.

"That’s something Pep does with lots of players, it’s not personal to us. He’s a football man and he has different relationships with different players," Howe explained.

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Howe insists he is not bothered by Pep Guardiola speaking to opposition players (Getty)

"I really respect Pep, what he does, how he coaches. His teams have been fantastic for the Premier League and fantastic for football, really.

“I think he is a revolutionary and that [speaking to opposition players] is just part of his psychology. I don’t know what those conversations are about. I don’t spend any time investigating what they are about either."

In terms of team news, Newcastle will be without Jacob Ramsey, who is suspended after being sent off during Wednesday evening’s dramatic league victory over Manchester United.

However, striker Nick Woltemade could return from illness, while full-back Tino Livramento is nearing full fitness following a hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined for almost two months.