‘Howe’s Newcastle can assume legendary status forever’

Newcastle United’s ecstatic fans scurried down Barrack Road in search of the statues of Geordie icons Sir Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer, hoping for the long-overdue heightening of glory.

Many of those heading for the city’s turbulent past would have had to dig deep into their memory to recall it because many of those who were not born when Newcastle last experienced success.

Newcastle United won its final major silverware in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969, a competition that then served as the Uefa Cup and is now the Europa League, while its FA Cup was its last domestic success in 1955.

After a convincing 4-0 victory over Arsenal against Arsenal that made it possible for either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur to make their Carabao Cup final debut on March 16, Eddie Howe and his Newcastle players now have the chance to put an end to their barren years.

And what a night it was on Tyneside as Newcastle’s supporters sat in agonizing tension before coming home to Wembley once more.

They went through their full song-sheet in readiness for another showpiece occasion, from “The Blaydon Races”, The Beatles ‘ “Hey Jude” as well a Wembley-themed version of Doris Day’s “Que Sera, Sera”.

Newcastle will now attempt to tell a different story from the Wembley failure that saw them lose five titles since Manchester City’s 3-1 defeat in the 1955 FA Cup final.

Howe and his players will forever be regarded as legendary if Newcastle United wins the Carabao Cup. Forget about the fact that some priorities might not prioritize this competition. This football team and city are forever indebted to it.

The Toon Army made their way to the well-known drinking spots around St James’ Park, including The Strawberry and the bar named after the legendary Shearer, throughout the hours leading up to the game.

The anticipation and expectation were mixed together in a way that you could not only hear and feel.

Forget the 2-0 lead from the first leg down at Arsenal. There was genuine anxiety in the air, borne out of Newcastle’s two tame home defeats to Bournemouth and Fulham, coupled with Arsenal’s 5-1 demolition of Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday.

A giant flag with the message “Get Into Them” was unfurled across The Gallowgate End in a pre-game atmosphere so loud that you could barely hear yourself think.

Simple. To the point.

And Newcastle did just that with a turbo-charged start that is a hallmark of their success.

The only concern for the fervently home fans was that their team would blow themselves out.

All the worries vanished into the chilly air of Tyneside night as part two of the man’s tormenting Arsenal game rose to the occasion.

Before escaping the grasp of Arsenal defender William Saliba, Alexander Isak had already had one crisp strike that had been ruled out for a slight offside. His shot struck the goal’s frame, but Jacob Murphy was there to help him get the rebound.

When he inexplicably played Declan Rice into trouble after 52 minutes, the ball was shadowed by Fabian Schar, and it ended at Anthony Gordon’s feet for a quick finish, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya ensured Newcastle’s fans could start a celebration that would last for the majority of the second half.

Bruno Guimaraes grabbed a black and white scarf and hurled it onto the side of the pitch, holding it above his head, while goalscorer Gordon grabbed another before imitating the cheering crowd by wrapping it around his head in joy.

In among all the throat-clearing in practice for Wembley, Newcastle’s fans reserved a special place for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who complained about the ball being used in the Carabao Cup after their first-leg loss.

“Mikel Arteta, it must be the ball”, became part of this soundtrack to victory as Newcastle’s players and staff did a lap of honour – even the normally low-key Howe fist-pumping towards The Leazes End in celebration.

Newcastle’s X account joined in the fun, posting a picture of the ball with the words ‘ the culprit’, while some were wondering whether Gordon’s post-match demand for his team to ‘ stay humble ‘ was a small dig at Arsenal’s weekend celebrations against City.

Shearer delivered his verdict on “X”, posting: “That was a proper performance man. Arsenal couldn’t live with the intensity. Better than them tonight in every position”.

He was not wrong.

For all the carnival, colour and noise, once heads clear and calm returns, Howe and Newcastle know the hard part remains. Can they finally overcome the psychological slog that has rendered Newcastle an “also-ran” for so long?

They have previously been here, as recently as two years ago, but this is yet another illustration of how excellent the team has been since Steve Bruce took over in November 2021, when they were 19th and five points from safety after 11 games.

This is a huge opportunity, but they have had opportunities before.

Isak and Gordon, who are both world-class players, and midfielders Sandro Tonali and Guimaraes, who are capable of exerting full control against teams as good as Arsenal, do not have what they do.

It’s important to stay humble right now, Gordon said, perhaps in an unwitting reference to the message Arsenal were so eager to send to Manchester City on Sunday.

Guimaraes, however, was in no mood to play down expectations and what Newcastle can achieve as he added: “Play like that and we can dream big. It would be amazing to get a trophy, it is my dream to do this”.

The final word, however, must go to the man behind it all, the manager who has made Newcastle fans believe again.

Howe said: “It is huge to get back to Wembley. The first appearance there was a bit unexpected, but with the club we want to be, we have to be there regularly, so it’s not a surprise.

” We are there on merit, our run has not been easy this year, we’ve faced four Premier League teams, so we have done the hard yards.

“I’m hoping we can improve our performance from the most recent experience.”