Newcastle United fans eagerly await their day at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
With several players injured or suspended, it’s going to be a mammoth task for the Magpies to bring the Carabao Cup back to Tyneside, but a task fans will know their team is up for.
Newcastle United can end a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy on Sunday but have to beat the defending Carabao Cup champions and probable Premier League winners Liverpool.
There will surely be renewed confidence of a good result within the fanbase after Newcastle’s 1-0 win against West Ham coupled with Liverpool’s intense Champions League defeat to PSG on Tuesday night, Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss the final through injury, having come off early against the French giants.
A win in the Carabao Cup final would also secure European football for the Magpies next season, with the winner automatically qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League playoffs.
Newcastle have been in this position before and have been left heartbroken at the end of it. But this time it’s different with players the club didn’t have before available who could be the difference maker, including one star who former Magpie Ryan Taylor is a huge fan of.
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
Ryan Taylor on Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali
Taylor never won a major honour with Newcastle but was part of the Championship winning side in the 2009/10 season, so he knows what it’s like to lift a trophy of some significance for the club.
The now-40-year-old made 106 appearances for Newcastle over five seasons filled with serious injury problems, some of which kept him out for seasons at a time. However, Taylor was still part of one of the Magpies’ more recent cup runs, playing in Newcastle’s famous 2-0 win against Manchester City in 2014.
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Midfielder Sandro Tonali has enjoyed a fine season in Newcastle’s midfield, unlocking brand-new potential for his partners Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes who have much more freedom to roam around the pitch safe in the knowledge that the Italian maestro is there to cover for them.
Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Taylor gave his honest opinion on his former club’s chances of winning the Carabao Cup.
“On the player front, I think signings like Sandro and one or two other players have not half brought the team on.
“He’s my favourite player. He could run the game at Wembley.
“I don’t think someone like him would freeze. We’ve got that experience being there and know what it’s all about. We’re going there now, and we are in a better place than what we were two years ago.”
Sandro Tonali’s sensational Carabao Cup campaign
Following a 10-month layoff through suspension, Tonali returned to Newcastle’s first-team squad and made an immediate impact, coincidentally in the Carabao Cup second round. The Italian played a big part in the build-up for Joe Willock’s goal at the City Ground before running himself into the ground for the next 60 minutes.
Tonali was benched for the 1-0 win against Wimbledon but returned to the starting XI for the win against Chelsea at St James’ Park, bagging an assist. The best performance undoubtedly came in the quarter-finals, with Tonali scoring a sensational brace in a 3-1 win against Brentford in December.
The 24-year-old then worked his magic against Arsenal in both legs of the semi-final, barely allowing them an opportunity on goal in 180 minutes.
Newcastle are without Lewis Hall and Sven Botman for the Carabao Cup final. However, Toon boss Eddie Howe has trialled several alternatives to replace the pair and Anthony Gordon, who is suspended but fans will take great pride in seeing Tonali in the starting XI for the game.