Newcastle caretaker boss Chris Hughton hopes Wednesday's Carling Cup tie with holders Spurs will bring respite from the club's off-field troubles.

"It's a great opportunity, particularly with the way some clubs have approached the cup," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"We as a club cannot afford to approach this game in the wrong way. It's a game we need to win and of course the team selection will show that.

"I think it will be a welcome relief from the league."

The nearest Newcastle have come to landing the League Cup was a final appearance in 1976, a 2-1 defeat by Manchester City made famous by a spectacular bicycle kick winner from former Sunderland winger Dennis Tueart.

And Hughton, a former player and coach at Wednesday's opponents Spurs, knows how desperate fans on Tyneside are to end the run since their last trophy, the 1969 Inter-City Fairs Cup win against Ujpest Dozsa.

"It's something that has been thought about for quite some time," he admitted.