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Swansea City manager Carlos Carvalhal has praised his players for making Notts County look like "they are not a good team" in their FA Cup fourth-round replay on Tuesday night. The Swans were held to a 1-1 draw in the first game at Meadow Lane but recorded an 8-1 win at the Liberty Stadium to send the Magpies crashing out of the competition. Carvalhal, who has masterminded an upturn in form for a Swansea side that looked set on dropping out of the Premier League, admits he knew they were in for "a challenge". "It is important if it is the best result in the history, but the most important thing is the attitude of the players that made all the difference," Carvalhal told BBC Sport after the game. "I [told] them before the game that we have a challenge. "I am very proud of the players as they accepted the challenge. They made Notts County look like they are not a good team, but they are a good team. But we the way we played made the difference, the attitude was fantastic." Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Swansea City boss Carlos Carvalhal has stressed that, whilst his focus is on Premier League survival, he will still field a strong team against Notts County in their FA Cup fourth-round replay. The Magpies travel to the Liberty Stadium to take on the Swans tonight, who have enjoyed an upturn of form in the league in recent weeks. Swansea had just 13 points to their name from 20 games when the Portuguese was named as Paul Clement’s successor; they have taken 11 from six under his stewardship. However, they were unable to see off Notts at Meadow Lane in the first game, Jon Stead salvaging a 1-1 draw after Luciano Narsingh had put the top-flighters a goal up at the break. With a double injury blow coming in the form of Leroy Fer and Wilfried Bony sidelined until the end of the season, the former Sheffield Wednesday manager insisted he will not take any risks by using players with knocks. “We will try to win this game,” Carvalhal told the official Swans site. “We will not take any risks with any players who have some small pains or are risking injuries. “But we will play a strong team. As I said before Wolves (in round three) and before the first game against Notts County, our main competition is the Premier League. “If you gave me the choice of staying up or winning the cup, of course I would choose staying up. “But we are happy to play these cup games. We understand the prestige of this competition. We have to respect that and we also must respect Notts County. “It will not be an easy game, but we will fight to get to the next round.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Swansea City boss Carlos Carvalhal has praised Notts County for stepping up their game in Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round encounter at Meadow Lane, which enabled them to come away with a 1-1 draw. The Magpies began brightly but their opponents soon stepped up a gear and had the hosts under the coash before finding the net on the stroke of half time through Luciano Narsingh. Kevin Nolan's charges were much improved in the second half, however, as Jorge Grant spurned three gilt-edged chances in quick succession. Eventually, County's pressure was rewarded as veteran striker Jon Stead turned home on the hour to draw the Magpies level and ultimately clinch a replay at the Liberty Stadium. "After the first ten to 15 minutes we started to control the game," Carvalhal told reporters. We created chances and took the lead against a side that defended very well and in numbers. We were prepared for that and we were in total control. "In the second half we must give credit to Notts County. They played more long balls and were more physical. They scored and they deserved it during that period. "After that, it was just Swansea on the pitch moving the ball. They were compact but we created two clear chances to finish the game. The negative was not winning the game, but there are lots of positives about this game. We are still fighting in this competition. We have another chance to get to the next stage of the competition." Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Swansea City manager Carlos Carvalhal has claimed that he "will not take risks" in Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round meeting with Notts County and admitted the priority is the Premier League. The Swans sit bottom of the table but have picked up form in recent weeks, including a shock 1-0 win over Liverpool on Monday night, to give themselves a better chance of survival. Since Carvalhal’s arrival in South Wales, the Swans have tasted defeat just once in seven games, but despite the morale-boosting win over the Reds, he says it will be a "totally different game" at the Lane. "When I said Liverpool were like a Formula One car, I also meant because of their style of play. They are very fast in the offensive transition," Carvalhal told the official Swansea site. “Against Notts County it will be different. Of course we are the bigger side, but we will respect Notts County. We will pick a team that can win the game. “Especially in England, opponents will always ask you questions, so we must give the correct answers. Even the smaller teams are very organised and difficult to play against. “And as we have seen in the cup competitions, such as the Carabao Cup, there can be surprises. We have to be ready and focused. If we do that, we will have a big advantage. “We will prepare the team as well as we can to progress in this competition... our priority, of course, is staying in the Premier League, so we will not take risks in this game. But we will respect the competition and will respect Notts County." Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.