The Carabao Cup memorabilia will be going strong for a long time on Tyneside - but Eddie Howe wants players to switch their focus again
Newcastle United Head Coach Eddie Howe holds the Carabao Cup trophy
Newcastle United Head Coach Eddie Howe holds the Carabao Cup trophy
(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Eddie Howe has warned his Newcastle United stars not to become too intoxicated with last season's success story as the Magpies eye their first win of the campaign against Wolves.
All around the city and in pubs and restaurants, there are reminders and memorabilia of the Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool, but as a grand photographic exhibition of the Wembley victory comes down at the illustrious Baltic Centre on the banks of the Tyne, Howe has called for a focus on simply beating rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers at St James' Park this weekend.
Newcastle have Barcelona in town next Thursday as the start of their reward for qualifying for the Champions League begins, but Howe has demanded his squad focus on the bread and butter stuff this weekend.
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Howe, also keen to turn the page on the Alexander Isak saga, told Chronicle Live: "Regardless of what happened last year, for all of us, we start again and we start from zero.
"And we have to earn everything and achieve everything again together, from a very clear start point.
"I think that is a really important message to the players, because you can't live off last season or live off history.
"The future is there to be made for us, and we have to attack together.
"This is a new team, new feel, but one that I think can be successful."
Howe is poised to hand £69m German international Nick Woltemade his debut against Wanderers but Yoane Wissa has been ruled out with a knee injury and £43m midfield star Jacob Ramsey is sidelined for a month after an ankle wound sustained against Leeds.
The Wolves clash offers a chance to try to move on from Alexander Isak after his record-breaking £125m sale to Liverpool.
Howe was asked if his players had finally moved on from Isak's exit after three months of uncertainty.
He said: "I can't speak for everybody, Alex was closer to some players than others.
"I think that is natural, but I think the players were very good at focusing on what they could directly control.
"They knew that was the football.
"As soon as the season started, they went into a different mindset, really. You could see that from the Aston Villa performance it was very strong, very committed.
"You can't play like that if you have any doubts or outside noises affecting the group internally. From that moment when the season started, they went into a different place."
With Isak gone and a spend of £252m seeing the likes of Wissa, Woltemade, Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Aaron Ramsdale arrive at St James' Park, Howe admitted he was just happy to be back on the training field and focusing on match day preparations again following a long summer saga.
Howe said: "The coaching aspect is where I get most of my enjoyment I'd say and it's been great the last two weeks to be on the training pitch and focusing purely with the players, the small group of players that I had to work with, trying to find ways to improve them and get the best out of them and that's always at the core and the heart of the job that I enjoy so much.
"The transfer window goes away for a period of time, which is great, and now we've got such big football tests coming up."