Nuno Espirito Santo wants Nottingham Forest to write a new chapter in the club’s proud history by reaching the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 34 years.
Forest, chasing a Champions League place after a fine Premier League season, travel to Brighton for the last-eight tie on Saturday, knowing they are one win away from a date at Wembley.
They have not played an FA Cup semi-final since 1991 under Brian Clough, when they lost to Tottenham in the final, and Nuno is determined to end the wait.
“As a group and as a club we have managed to change many things. We’ve broken records that have stood for 30, 40 years,” said the Forest manager.
“Suddenly we have another chance to break another. This is how we think.
“Since the beginning of the FA Cup, we have had only one ambition — to go as far as possible.”
Forest, who needed penalty shoot-outs to get past third-tier Exeter and Premier League strugglers Ipswich, hammered Brighton 7-0 in February’s Premier League meeting at the City Ground, but Nuno said that result would have no bearing on this weekend’s match.
“We want to go as far as possible in the FA Cup. We love this competition and our fans love it,” he said.
“In terms of the bond between fans and the squad, it is growing, it is getting stronger.
“There is a natural belief on both sides that we can do anything, as long as we keep our same approach, work as hard as we can.”
Forest’s prolific striker Chris Wood is missing with a hip injury picked up on international duty with New Zealand and the club are awaiting results of a scan to assess the severity of the injury.
Nuno’s men are third in the Premier League, five points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea and six ahead of fifth-placed Manchester City with nine games to go.
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