EDDIE HOWE is hoping Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup success is the start of a prolonged period of success for the Magpies.
Howe’s side ended Newcastle’s 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy on Sunday when goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak secured a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Wembley.
With the club under Saudi Arabian ownership, significant investment over the course of the next few years should be guaranteed.
And while Howe accepts there is no guarantee more silverware will follow, the Newcastle boss is looking forward to what the future might hold now the trophy drought is over.
“I think it’s a very important moment,” said the Magpies head coach, who has travelled to Dubai with the non-international members of his squad for a warm-weather training break. “Hopefully, with one can come more, although there’s no guarantee of that.
“I just think it proves we can do it. I’ve never had any doubts about our ability to lift our game, but you don’t get many shots at something like this. You don’t get many shots at a cup final.
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“We had to take our opportunity, and that’s where the players delivered so well under pressure and so impressively. I’m just so pleased to have this trophy to end the long wait, and hopefully we can get some more in the future.”
As well as ending Newcastle’s wait for a major trophy, Sunday’s victory also saw the Magpies finally end their wait for a win over Liverpool.
Prior to their Wembley win, Newcastle had played 17 successive matches against the Reds without winning, and having also beaten Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United this season, Howe’s side have proved they can more than match the best teams in the country.
In the past, previous Newcastle teams have appeared to suffer from an inferiority complex when they have lined up against their biggest rivals, and plenty of Howe’s predecessors have adopted a safety-first approach when taking on teams at the top end of the table.
On Sunday, Howe’s players took the game to their opponents, pressing aggressively, attacking with purpose and forcing Liverpool onto the back foot, an approach he will be keen to replicate in future matches.
“It proved we can mix our game against the very, very best,” said Howe. “Now, the challenge for us is to try to get there more often, as in mixing our game against the best opposition. That’s what we did at the weekend.”
