Kieran Trippier has spoke to the media about how Newcastle intends to right the wrongs of 2023 and the club is committed to clear, focused mentality for the final against Liverpool.
Returning to Wembley for the second time in three seasons, Newcastle’s focus looks to be purely on the game ahead, and the occasion won’t go to the players’ heads like many fear it did last time.
With a new approach taken to everything from training to accommodation, just how much better prepared are Newcastle to upset Liverpool on Sunday?
Kieran Trippier has spoke out about his and the squad’s plans and how different they are than what was done leading up to the 2023 final
“Staying at the Hilton (a hotel just a stone’s throw from Wembley) was too close, shall we say.”
“It’s about learning. The club learned a lot from the first time around. A lot more things are well organised this time.”
Fans and pundits alike have had their reservations over just how prepared Newcastle were for the 2023 final loss to Manchester United, where the occasion of travelling to Wembley and finally ending the trophy drought got to a few of the player and scores of the fan base.
“I’m not saying it was bad last time but we’re more prepared because we’ve been in this position now. We played Man Utd in the last cup final and we’re more relaxed (for the 2025 final).”
“Now we’ve just got to review the West Ham game and look forward to another special occasion at the weekend against Liverpool.”
In a report from the i’s Mark Douglas, manager Eddie Howe is trying to “remove the sense of the occasion” behind the scenes, allowing the players to focus on the football and harness their energy levels in the right way.
Measures taken include moving a mandatory pre-final press conference back to Friday to tone down the prospective build-up, and seemingly keeping the fixture as close to a normal Premier League game as possible.
Plus, player media duties were completed last week to keep the schedule clear for the likes of Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy to keep focused on both the West Ham and Liverpool fixtures.
Special consideration also looks to have been to the ticket sales process for players and their families, helping avoid adding any stress on that front.
And just for added measure, it won’t be the Hilton that the club stays at this time around.
### How ready are Newcastle ON the pitch?
Though a strong contingent of the squad that played the 2023 final will likely start the 2025 final, fresh additions and improved form for a number of the players will make the team feel like a completely different side than what played against Manchester United.
Sandro Tonali is a player who’s no stranger to big occasions, having played in Champions League semi-finals and title-deciding Serie fixtures before making the move to the Toon.
Alexander Isak’s big game experience meanwhile, having scored already against Liverpool in the league this season, in addition his devastating performances against Arsenal in the semi-finals, show he’s truly the big game player that Newcastle were sorely lacking at Wembley last time around.