Butt believes United can embark on a long cup run if squad is strengthened

Jan 14 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

IT has been 54 long years since Newcastle United lifted a trophy at Wembley, but Nicky Butt sees no reason why, given a bit of luck, that run can not finally be put to bed.

Portsmouth won last year’s FA Cup, while Hull City stand between United and a fourth round tie at home to Millwall. The league table might dispute it, but it is with plenty of justification that the 33-year-old claims his current club are better than both. Or rather their first team is.

“If you look round our squad, it’s as good as any team outside the top four,” he said. “But when one or two injuries start becoming long term, and if there’s a suspension here and there, it starts to get thinner. That’s why hopefully it will be a busy January (in the transfer market) for us.”

Despite their poor recent form, newly-promoted Hull City are two places outside of European qualification.

Newcastle, for all their greater resources, sit three points above the relegation zone.

“You look up at teams in the table and think we are better than them, but it has always been said the table never lies and it’s true,” Butt admitted. “Hull have come into the Premier League on a high and carried on in the same vein. You always find one team that comes up every year always seems to do unbelievably well. This year it’s Hull.”

The former England and Manchester United midfielder judges performance by the table but came to Tyneside to win silverware and admits cup success would revitalise the club. “A cup run is a massive boost for the fans, for the players and for the confidence,” he reflected. “If we can get a good run going, anything can happen.

“The FA Cup is a massively important competition for any club. We are no different. We have a massive fan base, who I’m sure would like to see us go on a run. They will want to see us go to Wembley and even dream of us lifting that cup.”