Newcastle (N) - League Cup Final, Sun 16th Mar 2025 (4:30pm)

[Trumo]

This game is on Sky and ITV so UK viewers have a choice of which shite commentary/punditry combo they wish to choose. Note also the kick-off time, ideal for a Sunday with the majority in attendance having travelled from up north. Those coming in by car or coach will be negotiating the quiet stretch of road known as the North Circular. Those coming in by train/tube will all have to either pile into Wembley Park or stop a little further afield like Neasden and walk the rest. When you think that a cup final could go to extra time and penalties, very little thought is given to the fan experience. A load of fireworks and a dickhead bellowing over the tannoy and belting out Olly Murs shite is all the fans need for a great day out. So say the authorities.

 

Anyway, the game. The Geordies reached the final 2 years ago against the red Mancs, with Karius drafted in at the last minute to play in goal as first-choice keeper Pope was injured, and stand-in Dubravka had been loaned to the Mancs that season and was ineligible having played for them earlier in the competition. The Mancs won comfortably to give their bald Dutch coach his first silverware in English football. We now take on the Geordies at Wembley with them again missing a few key regulars like Botman, Hall and particularly Gordon. Newcastle have reached the final after beating Forest, Wimbledon, Chelsea and Brentford along the way, and thrashed Arsenal in the semis. Eddie Howe has coached them to play quickly in transition, using pace out wide and the skill and efficiency of Isak in the middle. They also aren't averse to resorting to shithousery. They like to time-waste if they are ahead in games. They like to feign injury to try and stem any momentum their opponents are building. And in Guimaraes and Joelinton, they have a couple of midfielders who are immune to yellow cards. The league encounter at Anfield offered no real pointers as to how this game might go, since Newcastle were without Isak for that one, and we played with much more verve and invention than has been the case in the last week or so. It's hard to know how up for it they will be, as they strive to end a trophy drought stretching back to the late 60s.

 

Let's keep it that way. For us, this is an opportunity to retain the trophy we won for a record 10th time last season. It's also a chance for our bald Dutch coach to bag his first trophy in English football. We got here by seeing off Premier League opposition in each round, in West Ham, Brighton, Southampton and Tottenham. On paper it appears that the Geordies faced tougher opposition in getting to the final, but they haven't had European commitments to fit into their schedule. We have. We might have come a cropper against PSG this week to exit at the last 16 stage, and that is the first real setback for Slot this season. Our other defeats have had no bearing on anything in the overall picture. He and we need to see how the players react on Sunday.

 

It goes without saying that we need to be solid at the back. As I write, we don't yet know the full extent of the knocks picked up by Trent and Ibou against PSG. Trent's looked like a rolled ankle so I think he might be unavailable. Ibou's appeared to be more fatigue and cramp-related so hopefully he should overcome that. It's likely we'll use Jarell from the start on Sunday. Ideally he will be at right back. Not that that's his ideal position but because it means Ibou can play and we don't need to deploy Endo at centre back. We have a lot of weary players after their midweek exertions but this is the last game before the international break so their international coaches are the ones that need to be careful about their workload. In midfield, we could really do with giving at least one of Grav, Macca and Dom a breather by not starting them. It's in attack where we need to see a real uplift. Mo has looked out of sorts since the start of Ramadan. Lucho is brighter on the wing but still erratic with his output. Diogo is struggling to recover his best form and hasn't looked a goal threat in recent weeks. Cody looked as though he could hardly run on Tuesday night so I don't think he should be in from the start. And Darwin? His initial impact against PSG as a sub waned dramatically, and his penalty was the strike a man low on confidence. It's clear Slot doesn't believe in him as a viable long-term option but he needs to find a way to keep him involved for what is left of the season. And Darwin needs to find a mentality that allows him to be precise and decisive at the critical moment. Coaches are qualified to find ways for players to achieve that, so that's what they need to do.

 

Let's find a positive though. This squad of players (even though several were absent for last season's final) is good enough to deliver when it matters. Control the game, leave out anything resembling complacency or sluggishness, and get back on the bike. There's a trophy to be won.

 

How have our previous managers fared in their first League Cup tie against the Geordies? We've only played them twice, surprisingly, and both games were in the 90s under Evans. The first came during that November 1995 run that saw us lose almost every game, getting knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Brondby too. The 1995 cup tie was against Keegan's title-chasing team featuring Ginola and Ferdinand. We fared much better at the quarter final stage in January 1998, winning 2-0 at St James' Park in extra time thanks to goals from Owen and Fowler. So we are actually 50/50 in the competition against them.

 

Shankly...N/A

Paisley...N/A

Fagan...N/A

Dalglish...N/A

Souness...N/A

Evans...29/11/1995...4th Round...Liverpool 0-1 Newcastle

Houllier...N/A

Benitez...N/A

Hodgson...N/A

Dalglish...N/A

Rodgers...N/A

Klopp...N/A

 

I don't ask for much. Maximum motivation, control, application, attitude and concentration from minute one. An 11th League Cup trophy please. Get it done!

[Bjornebye]

[AngryOfTuebrook]

I know we're all a bit bruised and chastened from the other night, but the simple fact is that we are better than Newcastle. Our senior players know their way around Wembley, having won three finals in as many years. Having to rely on our fourth-choice right-back might be a concern, but Jarrell has done alright there so far.

 

There's a trophy to be won.

 

Just get these beat, Reds.

[gkmacca]

As far as TV coverage is concerned, ITV is surely a no-no: Sam Matterface - quite easily the worst footie 'commentator' in the whole of history - has probably already written all of his 'spontaneous' remarks on a range of WH Smith coloured index cards and is learning them off by heart as we speak. 

 

(I once heard a radio commentary by him: '...And the ball is now on the wing...Bit of a squabble out on the left...Oh, what a ball!' - absolutely no hint as to what side the 'wing' was, whose team it was, who played the ball - I think he genuinely hadn't bothered to take in the fact that listeners weren't watching on their own private monitors at home. He's so scandalously bad as a commentator I think he needs a long prison sentence, and that's honestly not an overreaction.)

 

As for the game: who the heck do we play at RB?  No Trent - not so big a loss seeing as he's been godawful for a while now - but presumably no Bradley either. Quansah? Surprisingly good when he came on against the arrogant French shitbags. 

 

Apparently elite athlete Konate was just 'tired' and should be okay for the game. Aside from Gakpo the rest of the elite athletes looked shattered on Tuesday, so I've no idea the best line-up we can assemble. If Slot isn't even prepared to consider Chiesa for a ten minute sub appearance then frankly there should be a public explanation as to why the hell Hughes made this 'opportunistic' signing in the first place.

[manwiththestick]

I gotta bad feeling about this.

[Bjornebye]

11 minutes ago, manwiththestick said:

I gotta bad feeling about this.

I have and all. Can’t get rid of this gut feeling. Fucking Jimmy Nail* Lindisfarne, Raoul Moat, half a shilling, tops off foggy cunts 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Jimmy Nail is boss 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

It's Newcastle at Wembley.  No team has ever put in such consistently execrable performances there.  Here's hoping the current crop keep up the tradition.

[an tha]

Can't wait for this

 

Days out at Wembley and the chance to win shiny things - one of the best parts of being a Liverpool supporter.

[gkmacca]

12 minutes ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

It's Newcastle at Wembley.  No team has ever put in such consistently execrable performances there.  Here's hoping the current crop keep up the tradition.

Brian Glanville, writing in the Times, wrote a report on the 1974 FA Cup Final the Sunday BEFORE it happened. They won. He even gave weather conditions for the day. It was quite impressive in a sense, but also bonkers in the way Glanville always was prone to be bonkers. And it makes the memory of us winning slightly sweeter.

 

I hope we thump them for so many reasons, including the pain it will cause all those southern twats who insist on pronouncing Newcastle as N'Cazzle, even though they pronounce the likes of Doncaster as 'Doncaaahster' and Lancaster as 'Lancaaahster'. Make your fecking mind up!

[bizzle10]

This is basically our cup bring it home then on to the small matter  of winning no 20 

[JohnnyH]

I think the loss on Tuesday made it more likely we win this.  The players will be massively up for it anyway, but now don't want to make a shite week unbearable for themselves (and us)

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Fuck Newcastle. Hope this helps.

[Anubis]

Just win.

[Anubis]

Also, win and we get to put it on a pedestal in front of the tunnel for the Derby. What more incentive do we need.

[Mook]

I really hope we can win this within 90 minutes, extra time again here could be a killer.

 

Assuming Konate is fit, Quansah can fill in at RB & I think the rest of the team picks itself what with Gakpo looking like something out of a 70s zombie film on Tuesday night.

 

Into these Geordie bastards.

[Kevin D]

44 minutes ago, Mook said:

I really hope we can win this within 90 minutes, extra time again here could be a killer.

 

Assuming Konate is fit, Quansah can fill in at RB & I think the rest of the team picks itself what with Gakpo looking like something out of a 70s zombie film on Tuesday night.

 

Into these Geordie bastards.

No chance.

 

We fucking love extra time. If there’s an opportunity to go past 90 minutes, we are going for it.

[Bellflower]

Referee John Brooks, VAR Stuart Attwell, 4th Official Darren England.........

[Anubis]

Destroy these cunts.

 

https://newcastle-online.org/topic/38340-league-cup-final-newcastle-united-vs-liverpool-160325-1630-live-on-itv-sky/page/103/

[Section_31]

Lfc does specialise in the damp squib, that's why I never believe until the trophy is in the cabinet. I can think of few clubs who've repeatedly come so close to glory in the last three decades just to fuck it up.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

4 hours ago, Anubis said:

Destroy these cunts.

 

https://newcastle-online.org/topic/38340-league-cup-final-newcastle-united-vs-liverpool-160325-1630-live-on-itv-sky/page/103/

I like the idea that we're their "bogey team" and not just, y'know, better than them?

 

When was the last time they finished above us? 1997?

[LFC 6 Times]

Who to play up front? Jota going through worst form of his career and Nunez once again confidence at rock bottom. Gakpo certainly didn’t look ready for a start.

 

Will be a tough one this.

[KMD7]

4 minutes ago, LFC 6 Times said:

Who to play up front? Jota going through worst form of his career and Nunez once again confidence at rock bottom. Gakpo certainly didn’t look ready for a start.

 

Will be a tough one this.

 

 

 

[Scott_M]

We can’t dismiss these, I know Gordon and Hall are missing, they still have some really good players. They are strong in midfield, Isak is obviously top quality and I like Harvey Barnes.

 

Its obviously the biggest game of some their players (and supporters) lives and I’m sure they’ll give absolutely everything. We need to match them. 
 

Sounds like Konate will be available, so I assume Quansah will be at right back. 

 

I assume the rest of the side picks itself, apart from centre forward. Jota & Nunez were poor and Gakpo looked miles away from fitness 
 

Personally, I’d go with Chiesa and use as it as an opportunity to make the others buck their ideas up. I also realise there is more chance of me starting up front than Chiesa. We’ll likely go with Jota or 4 in midfield. 

 

Absolutely gutted to be missing this (again - fuck the ballot), I hope everybody who is going has a great time and we bring #11 home. 

 

Just fucking win. 

[Scott_M]

12 hours ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

I like the idea that we're their "bogey team" and not just, y'know, better than them?

 

When was the last time they finished above us? 1997?

2023. Even then, we beat them twice.

[VladimirIlyich]

This will be a very tough game. I'm expecting Extra Time and Pens.