Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has defended his dismal FA Cup record at Newcastle United.
Pardew maintains he always gave his best and understood what delivering silverware to a trophy-starved Newcastle fan-base would have meant to the city.
"That is the perception but it wasn't the case," he said when asked if he took the competition lightly in the past.
"It was just at times we were unlucky in terms with selection of teams. We had a couple of bad results in that competition and, of course, the way it is with cups and their longing for a trophy after all these years, the hurt at going out was magnified each time.
"Unfortunately I have to accept that but I can assure you we didn't plan for it. I have always done the same with cups.
"I have tried to make sure the team is competitive and sometimes you do have to look within your squad and give people the opportunity, as we did at Dover. Then hopefully you find out things about players, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the not."
