Newcastle United have been warned that the red carpet will not be rolled out for them at Fleetwood if they get past Everton in the Carabao Cup. The League Two side have already made it clear they are prepared to use both fair means and foul to cause another major shock.
The victory for the Lancashire basement boys over Arsenal has been deemed the biggest ever shock in Carabao Cup history, meaning further danger lies ahead for either Newcastle or Everton in the last eight.
Fleetwood's approach and weather tactics
Arsenal left Fleetwood with a sour taste in their mouths after underestimating the minnows and seeing Max Downman sent off after reacting to a late challenge. When asked if the EFL side were out to wind up opponents, veteran Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch told Talksport: "Yes, obviously you’ve seen it with the Max Dowman tackle, their sending off. That’s what we’re about, that’s what League Two is about. It’s about winning your duels fairly, I think it was a fair tackle."
"Obviously, we’ve had a storm at the moment with the weather; we actually wanted it as bad as possible. As we drove into the stadium, the sun is shining, we’re thinking ‘oh no, this suits them,’ then the wind comes, we’re like, ‘alright, game on.’"
Ticket allocation and scouting plans
Should Newcastle, who will have almost 8,000 fans at Everton tonight in their last 16 ties, get past the Toffees, they can start preparing for a visit to the League Two side's humble Highbury home. Positioned behind terraced housing, the stadium holds just 5,000 supporters, and Newcastle can expect a low allocation.
Arsenal fans were given just 841 tickets for their horror night against Fleetwood, with fans encamped behind the goal and allocated standing tickets. Newcastle will send scouts to Highbury for Fleetwood's encounter with Bristol Rovers this weekend if the Magpies see off Everton.
Fleetwood boss prioritises league
The fourth tier boss Matt Lawlor said: "It’s an amazing feeling still, for everyone connected with the Club and what we achieved. But it’s full steam ahead in terms of Bristol Rovers. Hopefully an amazing night on Tuesday will lead to an amazing day on Saturday."
"The league is our priority. I said that from 23 June. For me, a win on Saturday is paramount because it’s the next game. Three points is what we always want to achieve at home."
Reacting to the draw for the quarter-finals, Lawlor said: "I’m delighted it’s at home, to give the fans yet another opportunity to see an amazing football club. I love the feeling of being at home under the lights, and I think we’ve been really good at home. It’s a crazy sentence to say, but we’ve managed to get to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup."
