The thing about Eddie Howe
The story of Newcastle United's historic Carabao Cup win over Liverpool at Wembley – and an 'unchanging' Eddie Howe.
Over the years, I have written millions of words about Newcastle United.
I documented good times and bad from press boxes over 20-odd years.
But it is hard to put into words just what happened at Wembley, and what the historic Carabao Cup final win meant for a fanbase which had not seen their team win a domestic trophy in 70 years.
It had been such a long time in coming that many of those in the Newcastle end at the national stadium will have, at one point of another, questioned whether they would ever see their team win something.
The club was “cursed”, it was said.
Wembley history
My first visit to Wembley was for the 1996 Charity Shield.
Newcastle were convincingly beaten 4-0 by Manchester United on a sodden day in the capital, and subsequent visits did not get much better, though Rob Lee, at least, gave fans a goal to celebrate in an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea in 2000.
I was sat in the bench seats at the old Wembley for that game, and there was bedlam in the stands. There were no camera phones back then, and fans wildly celebrated Lee’s header, which had cancelled out an opener for Gus Poyet.
Everyone was living in the moment.
Unfortunately, Poyet scored a winner a few minutes later, and the moment was gone. Supporters would have to wait 25 years for another goal at Wembley.
However, like buses in London, you wait so long for one, then two come along.
There are so many strands to this story, and so many deep and visceral emotions were felt by supporters of all ages on Sunday.
One story before the game was the England call-up for Dan Burn, who had been released by Newcastle as a schoolboy. Burn had to carve himself a career in football the hard way, starting out in non-league football while working in a supermarket.
Fittingly, it would be Burn who would deliver that long-awaited Wembley goal.
This time, just about every fan will have had a camera phone in their pocket when Burn’s first-half header, which seemed to be in slow motion, hit the back of the net.
Yet the celebrations were no less wild. Supporters who had been drinking in Covent Garden the night before joyfully drunk it in.
Again, they were living in the moment. Grown men, women cried. Strangers embraced each other, family and friends hugged.
They were as united off the pitch as the team was on the field.
Unplayable Joelinton
The mood music had not been good after Newcastle lost Anthony Gordon to a three-game ban ahead of the final following his dismissal against Brighton and Hove Albion at St James’ Park.
How could the team, which had not been anywhere near its best, stop a seemingly unstoppable Liverpool side?
Yet the mood, as predicted, was very different by kick-off time at Wembley.
The scenes before the game, as fans held up and waved their black and white scarves, were extraordinary.
What would follow on the field would be just as extraordinary.
Howe’s side were dominant, utterly dominant. They never let Liverpool settle into the game. Joelinton was everywhere, unplayable and winning balls all over the pitch. Time and again, Tino Livramento got up the left side. Jacob Murphy, the “selfless” player who came close to leaving the club four years ago, put in an incredible shift on the right.
But it was less about individual performances and more the collective effort. Every player made a contribution.
Liverpool, maybe still coming to terms with their Champions League exit, were awful with and without the ball.
Newcastle simply wanted it more. They wanted every ball more. They were seemingly possessed in pursuit of a historic success.
There was an inevitability about the second goal, scored by Alexander Isak. The strike, at the Newcastle end, was greeted by more wild limbs.
Howe’s team should have been further ahead by the time Federico Chiesa pulled one back for Liverpool, and, after an agonising 10 minutes of added time, there was another outpouring of emotion.
The 2-1 scoreline did not reflect the game itself, such as Newcastle’s dominance, but the victory was all that mattered.
More embraces. More tears.
This was history. This was a united Newcastle.
It was all about survival, not silverware, when Howe took charge of a winless team in late 2021.
Yet Bruno Guimaraes had boldy spoken about Champions League football when he first spoke to the media early in 2022. The club, under new ownership, was slowing starting to stir.
Soon it would rise.
Guimaraes had followed Kieran Trippier to the club, and, also, fittingly, those two held the cup aloft along with former captain Jamaal Lascelles at Wembley.
They say the first trophy is the hardest to win, and Eddie Howe’s team won it the hard way, beating the Premier League’s top four.
The club has always had an exceptional support. Now it has an exceptional head coach – and an exceptional squad.
Once cursed, now blessed.
Howe masterclass
Howe impressed at the club from day one.
The club was in a mess when he joined, succeeding Steve Bruce in the role, but he cut through everything and spoke with clarity at his first press conference at St James’s Park.
Quickly, fans and players alike got the message.
Over the following weeks and months, and the team’s position improved, he impressed even more.
Howe gave the team the identity it needed on the pitch, and, off the field, his work ethic and diligence was extraordinary. He and his staff put in very long hours – and still do.
And here’s the thing.
Howe – who faced the media at Wembley after being doused in champagne and ice – will have turned his attention back to the next steps the very next day.
The downtime over the international break will not be wasted, such is Howe’s drive and determination.
“I want more of these days, that is for sure,” said the 47-year-old, who has taken his squad to Dubai for warm-weather training. “That will continue to drive me.
“I won’t change, I can’t. I’m built this way now. I want continued success, and that only comes from hard work.”
Fans, however, will want to savour this long-awaited success for a few more days (and weeks).
Good article Miles. It certainly is a moment to savour. Apart from watching the game live on TV, I have watched the full match again on Tuesday and then the 1 hour highlights on Sky yesterday, whilst doing my ironing. The anticipation and emotion, leading up to and following BDB 's immense header was incredible. A sight I will never tire of seeing. As you rightly point out. It's been delivered through the hard work and dedication of Eddie Howe.
Nice piece.