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NewcastleWorld takes a closer look at Eddie Howe’s meticulously prepared plan before overcoming Newcastle United’s 70-year domestic trophy hoodoo.
Referee John Brooks, the man in the middle on Sunday, had control over 70 years of hurt. Wembley’s West Stand pleaded for full-time. Those 11, anxiety-ridden minutes felt like days for a fan base whose natural habitat is failure and disappointment.
One high-pitched blare from his whistle later and pandemonium erupted. A sea of black and white, young and old, from all walks of life shed tears of joy over a single cause: Newcastle United.
For this was the also-ran who became a winner, the perennial bridesmaid who became the bride, the club infamous for 12-point surrenders and Wembley heartbreak that finally tasted success. And boy did they deserve it.
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Passions reached fever pitch in London, around Tyneside and beyond. Even Eddie Howe, the level-headed tactician and newly-crowned Toon messiah, had a twinkle in his eye. That evolved into personal tears when he eulogised Annie, his late mother who passed away in 2012, at the post-match press conference.
Publicly, Howe displayed a measured approach before the game, not wanting to heighten the already heavy burden of breaking the trophy drought. Admissions were made that staying at the Hilton - on Wembley’s doorstep - two years ago was a mistake.
Instead, the Newcastle squad stayed at the Grove Hotel in Watford, the same venue England enjoy before home matches. A private gig from James Bay, the Hertfordshire native and lifelong Toon fan, provided a soothing ambience the night before the storm.
Howe delivered a speech to his players that one source described to NewcastleWorld as “moving” - but one which built upon the already-calculated tone. The underpinning theme of his battle cry was Wor Flags’ “get into them” display which, very deliberately, was on show as the players entered the battlefield.
The banner was also emblazoned across the Newcastle dressing room - a message which clearly translated onto the pitch as those in black and white fought for every blade of grass. Howe referenced the Carabao Cup, as England’s second cup competition, perhaps not being the pièce de résistance for some players.
This is, of course, a dressing room boasting talent who have featured in World Cups and Champions League finals. Kieran Trippier, the most experienced in the Newcastle ranks, was Howe’s on-field lieutenant, emanating calmness in a cauldron of chaos.
Everything was done for a reason. From the hotel, to the media build-up being more reserved and even a tactical reshuffle against Liverpool a fortnight earlier, all preparations were geared towards winning - not just showing up.
And his players answered the call. From the first whistle, the Reds knew they were in for a game. It was perfection from Howe - now destined for a lifetime of after-dinner speaking whenever he returns to Tyneside.
He stands alongside greats like Frank Watt, Stan Seymour, Joe Harvey, Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson as a genuine Newcastle icon. From day one, when Howe, a south-coast native, braved the northern November cold at 6am, he absorbed himself into this club.
All the recognition is deserved. One day - but not anytime soon - Howe will make a stellar England manager. But for now, he is the captain of the black-and-white ship as the Magpies enjoy the odyssey of a lifetime under their unassuming genius.
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