70 years!. This is the wait for the Newcastle supporters for the trophy. 70 years of title drought is finally, finally over. Alexander Isak has been Newcastle’s biggest player this season in the Premier League, and the Swede did not disappoint against the Premier League’s best defence by far. In recent months, the super Swede has been heavily linked with exiting Newcastle, after Sunday’s League Cup title, we can’t believe Isak is tempted away from St. James’ Park.
The 2-1 win against Liverpool at Wembley with 32,000 Geordies in the stands meant everything to Newcastle and Isak. You could almost feel the Swede’s “nu jäcklar!” mentality filling Wembley after the game.
Newcastle has the richest owners in the world in the Saudi royal family, yet they, like everyone else, are limited by the economic rules of the game. The club has a smaller fan base than several of the big ones, it is far between every time they play in the Champions League they do not have enough income to do what they want in the transfer market.
Now, unlike Manchester United, which is in full financial crisis, they have been operating with moderate profits for the past three years. Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan does not believe that the Newcastle owners are happy with the situation at the club regardless of whether they win the Carabao Cup or not. – It’s only big trophies that count!
In the first half, Van Dijk controlled the Swede and won almost all duels, after half-time it was a Newcastle striker who went out on the pitch as the match-winner – and made sure to put in the goal that also became the match-winner.
Arsenal, Liverpool and PSG are circling towards the summer’s biggest signing, Alexander Isak. On Sunday, they again received confirmation that the 25-year-old is the right one, but now so much is happening that Isak is not going anywhere.
On Sunday, Newcastle can end their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy when they face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
The Magpies are set to be without Lewis Hall and Sven Botman due to injury, while winger Anthony Gordon is suspended.
Ahead of the final, Howe has been told that his long-term future could be uncertain even if Newcastle manage to land the Carabao Cup. Simon Jordan said on talkSPORT: “I’ve always said, and I’m not sorry for this, I said this to him when I spoke to him, that I’ve always felt that [Howe] is the gatekeeper.
“You had the likes of (Alan) Pardew who took exception to that. He didn’t understand what I meant. Ultimately, it is highly unlikely that the high ambitions of the Saudis, who did not buy Newcastle so that they can win the League Cup, they want to win the Premier League and the Champions League.
“They want to take the League Cup in the meantime because it will mean so much to the fans. My view was that Eddie can be very valuable and deservedly rewarded for having achieved something at Newcastle, which gets a good side, a team that is really competitive in the Premier League and that people actually like to watch.”
He continued: “But is he going to win anything for Newcastle? Maybe he’ll win the League Cup this weekend, but I don’t see Newcastle, not because of Howe, but because of the restrictions on their ability to spend… That could well mean that Eddie will be a wreck in 18 months’ time, knocking on the door of the FA building to take over from Thomas Tuchel.”
Howe was at the helm as Newcatle reached the 2023 Carabao Cup final, when they were beaten 2-0 by Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United.
Last year, Liverpool won the trophy after Virgil van Dijk’s extra-time goal secured a 1-0 win over Chelsea. It turned out to be Jurgen Klopp’s last trophy as Reds boss.
