EDDIE HOWE has urged his Newcastle United players to seize their “chance to make history” when they line up against Liverpool at Wembley this afternoon.
Howe’s side head into the Carabao Cup final looking to end Newcastle’s 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy, a drought that stretches all the way back to the club’s FA Cup final triumph in 1955.
The Magpies, who will be roared on by more than 40,000 travelling fans from the North-East, will start as outsiders, partly because of Liverpool’s pedigree as Premier League champions-in-waiting and partly because of the club’s wretched record in recent finals.
Newcastle have lost nine successive matches at Wembley, the worst record of any English club side, but rather than seeing the run as a cause for trepidation, Howe is hoping his players will take inspiration from what a cup final victory would mean for the Magpies’ long-suffering fans.
“A lot is made of that (Newcastle’s final record), and of course I understand why, but I think it’s a real motivation for us to try to break that long wait that everyone is feeling here,” said Howe. “It should be inspiring for us, not a negative.
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“I understand it will be a perceived negative for a lot of people, but we’re trying to look at it the other way round. It’s a chance to make history for us as a team, and that’s very rare in football. You get very opportunities to do that.
“It’s a chance to be remembered positively, which again, there’s not many times in your career you get a chance to make that happen. They’re all positive outcomes, and I want the players to look at it that way. I want them to attack the game and give a good representation of us.”
When Newcastle lost to Manchester United in the League Cup final in 2023, Howe felt his players let their emotions get the better of them. Two years on, and he is determined to avoid a repeat.
“I wouldn't say (we're) taking emotion out of it,” said Howe. “But controlling it is the key. You need emotion. You need to feel all the excitement, the potential 'what ifs' from the positive side, but you just need to control it.
“If you’re too emotional you won't perform at your best, if you're under-stimulated - which I would be very surprised if anyone was - of course you won't perform at your best. So, it's getting that sweet spot, it's getting that balance absolutely right and that's what we'll try to do in our preparation.”
