Steve Bruce believes he has lived up to his vow of taking the domestic cups seriously after leading the Magpies to their second quarter-final in 2020.
A narrow victory - via a penalty shoot-out - at Newport earned Newcastle United their first League Cup quarter-final spot in three years after what was the club's second ever win on spot-kicks.
It was in a Shanghai hotel back in summer 2019 when Bruce first discovered how much United had disrespected the FA Cup and League Cup under previous managers and there and then he insisted he would tear up the existing cup policy of fielding youngsters - something that was once published in writing on the club's website when a blueprint was controversially issued at the start of the 2009/10 season.
Bruce told Chronicle Live: "I promised everybody I'd have a go in the cups.
"I know what it means to people.
"We have got to a second quarter-final now, can we get through it?
"That will be great if we can.
"I was pleased with many aspects at Newport, it was difficult against awkward opponents.
"But we just needed to score.
"The longer it goes the more anxious you become."
Newcastle were still on the end of a critical social media reception despite the win in Wales, but Bruce feels his side got stronger as the game went on and earned their place in the last eight.
He said: "We're through and in my opinion, we deserved it after a difficult first half in particular.
"We stepped up in the second half and for me we deserved to go through."
