Eddie Howe has revealed that the Newcastle squad’s mentality and focus is completely different to the high emotions felt during their last Carabao Cup final.
The boss hinted that the squad has learned from the mistakes of 2023 and that the club is far more focused for the Liverpool fixture than they were for Manchester United, where the occasion and build up may have got to us.
Heralded as “the biggest difference” between his 2023 and 2025 cup final sides, it looks like the occasion won’t be getting to Howe or any of his players’ heads any time soon.
Speaking to the media in his pre-Carabao Cup final press conference, Eddie Howe explained how different mentally his squad now versus their mentality two seasons ago heading into the final against Manchester United.
One reporter asked: “So, on the cup final, how are you feeling, how are the squad feeling, how different at all does it feel to two years ago?”
Howe responded: “It does feel different, I think the whole thing has felt different in a sense that we’ve just gone about our business in a calm, controlled way.”
“There’s been a lot less emotion, there’s been a lot less noise I think outside of here (the media room), and hopefully that helps us in our performance in the game.”
“You never quite know what effect that might have that we’ve been very much focused on our buildup and preparation and getting the game plan right. So yeah, I would say that’s the biggest difference.”
Few can deny that Newcastle have certainly delivered some exceptional performances en-route to the final, dispatching a number of top Premier League sides including Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Brentford and Arsenal, avenging league defeats to the Blues and the Bees in the process.
”I think we’ve had a really tough run of fixtures in the Carabao Cup, and I think to attack those games in the way we did, of course you’re in the midst of a busy campaign: Premier League, FA Cup, we’ve sort of just gone from round to round, now we’ve ended up in the final.”
With the truly toughest test awaiting them at Wembley, Arne Slot’s Liverpool who Newcastle came agonisingly close to beating at St James’ Park earlier in the campaign, fans will be hoping that the Magpies can see off just one more top side to truly warrant their place as a member of the Premier League elite.