Eddie Howe has rubbished talk of a Newcastle United curse as the Magpies boss called on his players to ‘create history’ by ending the club’s long wait for silverware.
Geordies, of course, need no reminding that it has been 70 long years since Newcastle last won a major domestic trophy ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool. The black-and-whites have lost each of their last five showpieces but rather than being weighed down by that record, Howe wants his side to embrace the chance to become immortals at Wembley.
“The destiny is in our own hands,” he vowed. “I’m not even going to use the word [curse]. It’s not in that mindset. It’s about us delivering a great performance if we can and, then, talking about the other outcome and the other possibilities that exist. That’s exciting. That’s what we’re here for.”
It is Newcastle’s second final in just three years and much has changed since the painful defeat against Manchester United a couple of seasons ago. Not only have Newcastle become accustomed to playing in big games – in the Premier League, Champions League and cups in that time – but there are likely to only be five survivors from the side who lined up at Wembley in the starting line-up this time around.
Lessons have been learned. Kieran Trippier has spoken about getting tickets for family and friends boxed off well in advance following the ‘carnage’ of two years ago and Howe was the first to admit that there was ‘a lot less noise’ this time around compared to when the Magpies reached their first showpiece in nearly a quarter of a century in 2023. In fact, Newcastle’s preparations for the trip to Wembley have not changed drastically from a typical Premier League game in order to keep it ‘very stable’ for the players in Howe’s own words.
That is not to say the group have been sapped of emotion, though. Captain Bruno Guimaraes has repeatedly visualised potentially becoming the first skipper in seven decades to lift a trophy and Howe declared that his own desire ‘could not be greater’ to do so.
“It’s a real motivation for us to try and break that long wait that everyone’s feeling here,” he said. “It should be inspiring for us – not a negative.
“I understand it will be a perceived negative for a lot of people, but we’re trying to look at it the other way around. It’s a chance to make history for us as a team and that’s very rare in football. You get very few opportunities to do that.
“It’s a chance to be remembered positively and, again, not many times in your career do you get a chance to do that so they are all positive outcomes and I want the players to attack the game and give a good representation of us.”
(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Newcastle will certainly have to be at their best, particularly without regulars like Sven Botman, Lewis Hall and Anthony Gordon, against the Carabao Cup holders and league leaders. Liverpool have only suffered five defeats in all competitions this season, but the Reds suffered a bruising Champions League exit at the hands of PSG at Anfield on Tuesday night and Howe was among those watching on from afar.
“I’m looking at it from a tactical perspective and an analytical perspective trying to find ways that we think we can win,” he added. “Very few coming through because they are so strong, but we always believe that we have an angle and we always believe that we have the players that can make a difference against any system or any team so I’ve got total faith and belief in the players.”
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