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Newcastle United will look to end their 70-year-wait for domestic silverware against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium
Newcastle United fans will need no reminding that it has been an eternity since they last lifted domestic silverware. The Inter Cities Fairs Cup triumph of 1969, which happened just a month before the landing of the moon - and around four months before BBC introduced coloured TV, is technically Newcastle’s last memory of winning a major trophy.
But in terms of domestic silverware, fans of the club have to go even further back to 1955 when Jackie Milburn (cousin to the mother of Jack and Bobby Charlton) spearheaded the club to a 3-1 victory over Man City with the help of goals from Bobby Mitchell and George Hannah.
Milburn, Newcastle’s second highest goalscorer in history, won three FA Cups with the Magpies and scored in two finals in a trophy-laden period following the war, but the man that idolised him and would go on to eclipse his record Alan Shearer would have to settle for just two silver medals on his trips to Wembley with the Toon.
Shearer, the highest scoring footballer of the Premier League era, is just one of the great names to leave SJP without any form of major silverware - some of the others include Paul Gascoigne, Kevin Keegan, Shay Given and Peter Beardsley to name but an illustrious few.
Since 1955, the Magpies have reached the FA Cup final three times - 1974, 1998 and 1999 - while they have also twice finished runners-up in the League Cup in both 1976 and most recently 2023. Newcastle are currently in the middle of one of the longest trophy droughts of any of England’s big clubs and heartbreak and setbacks have become something the fans have become accustomed too - but hope springs eternal on Tyneside that this time could be different…
What went wrong in the past?
Newcastle United have to quite literally go back to the times of Black and White to watch footage of the club’s last major domestic honour and they are currently on a run of five consecutive Wembley defeats, which is the second most of any team in English football history behind Chelsea, whose extra time defeat to Liverpool saw them eclipse the unwanted record.
The Magpies have flirted with silverware throughout the last 70 years, but have often fluffed their lines at the decisive moment. The first came in 1974 when the Magpies came toe to toe against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium. Joe Harvey, a two-time cup winner as a player, managed a side to the final and had some talented players at his disposal Malcolm MacDonald, Bobbie Moncur and Terry McDermott ,but in reality the side that finished 15th were no match for a star-studded Liverpool side featuring Kevin Keegan, John Toshack and Phil Thompson, who beat them 3-0.
The second bite of the cherry came two years later in the 1976 League Cup against Manchester City, which prior to the days of Eddie Howe had been the team’s only appearance in the final of the competition. The Magpies were beaten 2-1 with Alan Gowling remaining the most recent player to score in a Wembley final.
Newcastle endured a difficult period in the 1980s but had the makings of an incredibly strong team when they returned to the top division under the guidance of manager Kevin Keegan. The Doncaster-born coaches’ team dubbed ‘the entertainers’ were renowned for their front-foot cavalier style of football. It was designed to simply outscore opponents, and featured talents such as Les Ferdinand, David Ginola, Peter Beardsley and Rob Lee, taking the division by storm in the first half of the 1995/96 season and establishing a 12 point gap on Manchester United at the half way stage.
However, due to a combination of struggles with fatigue, squad depth and Alex Ferguson’s mind games, Keegan’s side ultimately finished in second place in what remains one of the Premier League’s biggest near misses. In an effort to avoid a repeat Newcastle made a world statement and secured the record-breaking signing of Alan Shearer for £15m, in what at the time was described as the missing piece of the jigsaw.
Keegan’s time with Shearer was short-lived with the manager walking out midway through the 1996/97 season in surprising circumstances only to be replaced by a serial-winner in Kenny Dalglish. The Magpies again finished second in the 1996/97 season but when Shearer sustained a serious knee injury in the 1997/98 campaign their fortunes unravelled and the team plummeted to 11th in the league table.
There was still time, however, for two more FA Cup finals - the first to eventual double winners Arsenal in 1998, who breezed past the Magpies with a 2-0 victory - and the second against a treble-winning Red Devils side by the same scoreline a year later.
“We did not prepare 100 per cent for the match. The coach Ruud Gullit didn’t have enough experience to prepare us. We’d lost a bit of confidence," Solano toldThe Mirror when discussing the 1999 final.
"Tactics can win a game, but we didn’t set up properly against a very good Man Utd team. Too open. Maybe sit back a bit.” added Solano.
In reality, the Newcastle of the late 1990s was a far cry from the Keegan team just a few years prior and the gap between the Magpies and their opponents was simply too big to overcome. The same, however, cannot be said for the most recent 2-0 loss over Erik ten Hag’s United side where the Magpies simply let the occasion get to them.
Newcastle started the better of the two sides but struggled at the back in a game by conceding a soft goal from a set piece and second on the counter attack, in a game which marked Loris Karius debut. "We have had to move on very quickly," Howe said at the time. "I don't think you ever fully get over a defeat but it's history so you tend not to dwell on it.”
What makes this Newcastle United team special?
Newcastle United will have to defeat an opponent that they haven’t beaten away from St. James’ Park since 1994 to secure their first victory in a cup final in 70 years. Add in the fact that their opponents are running away with the Premier League title, plus the fact that Slot’s men are the most successful team in League Cup history (10 trophies) and it becomes increasingly clear why Liverpool are the overwhelming favourites to win the cup final.
However, this is a group stronger and more complete than anything Newcastle have had in their previous cup finals due to the presence of Alexander Isak - who has scored a staggering 22 goals in 32 matches across all competitions this season. Admittedly, Isak was on the books back in 2023, but he was still settling into life in the North East and adapting to the rigours of English football. He’d also only just returned from a long-term injury which had disrupted the early months of his career on Tyneside.
However, Isak has now established himself as the first world class striker Newcastle have had since Shearer - and he is one that has proven he is capable of thriving against Liverpool after scoring one of the goals of the season in a 3-3 draw back in December.
WATCH: The Premier League Panel: Will Liverpool or Newcastle win the League Cup?
The Swedish striker has formed a formidable partnership with right-sided winger Jacob Murphy, and is blessed with the speed and technical ability to thrive against the world’s best defenders as he has proven against Virgil van Dijk and William Saliba throughout the campaign. Isak has a habit of rising to big occasions as he has proven with goals against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United over the course of the campaign.
Eddie Howe’s side also boast one of the most talented midfield trios in the league - packed with exuberance, physicality and willingness to out-work and out-run opponents. Sandro Tonali is the deep-lying playmaker who gives the team a sense of composure that has been lacking in previous years, Bruno Guimaraes is an all action midfielder and the heartbeat of the Newcastle team that statistically runs more than any other player in English football this term, while Joelinton, a failed striker converted into a midfield monster has the strength and aggression which if harnessed potentially can be a real asset for the Magpies.
Skipper Guimaraes expressed his confidence, saying, via Shields Gazette: "I believe that we can win. In a final everything can happen. I believe our fans can make the difference for us. For us it is like the World Cup.”
Another factor could be Liverpool’s Champions League exit which could work in one of two ways. A defeat of that manner against PSG - going all the way to extra time and penalties - is likely to have taken its toll on the Reds physically and mentally, with their strong desire to succeed in Europe. That could play into the hands of Newcastle’s high-pressing midfield, which could smell blood in the contest. However, it could also spur Liverpool on to bounce back and showcase their quality in front of a packed Wembley crowd as they have proven they are more than capable of winning the competition twice in the last three seasons.
“Do you know you know something? Newcastle never play well at Wembley.” Said Gary Neville on the Overlap, before adding: “I can’t see Virgil Van Dijk and Mo Salah not being winners on Sunday.”
Newcastle will need a monumental effort if they are to break their barren Wembley curse - particularly without Lewis Hall and Anthony Gordon - but this team has proven at its best that it’s more than capable of causing an upset.
Read More: Why Newcastle can take heart from Liverpool’s recent Champions League exit
Related topics:LiverpoolEddie HoweBruno GuimaraesPremier League
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