Nottingham Forest's manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, expressed determination to perform well in the FA Cup after advancing to the quarter-finals through a penalty shoot-out victory against Ipswich Town. With a history of limited success in the tournament, this marks their second quarter-final appearance in four years, showcasing a revived ambition. As they compete in the Premier League for a chance at European qualification, Nuno emphasizes the importance of the cup run, revealing that the club practices penalties for every match, contributing to their successful shoot-out record. He aims for a serious approach as they continue in the tournament.
"I'm really happy. We have so many hopes and in the FA Cup we want to go as far as we can. In penalties, the emotions are always high," he told BBC Sport.
"We proceed on our journey together. It's a good moment and it's important for the club to give it a real go. Now we have to focus on the Premier League, but the FA Cup is always going to be on our minds."
Forest were also taken to penalties by third-tier Exeter City in the fourth round, triumphing 4-2. They have won all four of their shoot-outs in the FA Cup, with only Macclesfield Town and Stevenage boasting better 100% records in the competition proper.
"For every FA Cup draw we have to practice penalties, and we kept the same order as Exeter. We did really well and they were good penalties," Nuno said.
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