The Carabao Cup Final 2025. Yes, I'm going to go back to that again. It was a shock we won, Yes?
What was even more of a surprise was that we didn't freeze like an occasional supporter going to watch a game at Tow Law in a T-shirt because it was sunny when they left the car.
What was even more of a seismic toss (stop laughing at the back) was that we won the game by being tactically better than a Liverpool team that was showing everyone else up in the title race. Liverpool, had, in every game of the season been faced with a ‘low block’. It was the de-facto challenge every week. They had made that look tired though by rendering it useless by crushing it early in games and forcing the opposition to come out.
While United did sit at times, Howe was adamant beforehand that Liverpool were not going to dictate play. It was a move that was rarely used in the latter part of his tenure, but that day it was based on every player doing their job perfectly. All the tactical stars align by every player being incredible.
One player was imperative to this press working as a unit. Every now and again in the first half especially, one player would jump from the press, swap with Tonali (yeah, I know) and lead an aggressive man-to-man press on Liverpool's backline, leaving us free to throw long balls at a defence who fell for it hook line and sinker. And before we knew it, we were turning them back towards their own goal, creating chances and forcing dead balls which ultimately led to the opening goal.
Jaissle desperately needs that player now. Well, that man is back in training. I don't know about you but I'm desperate to find out how Joelinton 3.0 fits into Newcastle 2.0. Or whatever point zero we are up to, now Joe's back.
Think about it. As good as Steur, Miley, González and Ramsey have been at various points this season, our midfield drastically needs some steel in there. When the going got tough at Millwall, Leeds, and in the last 30 minutes against Hull, we looked awfully lightweight. Hull might not have cracked the code, but Leeds did and many more will follow with that type of meek, frightened rabbit type of performance in the centre of the park.
You look at our squad and Joelinton stands out a mile being THAT player who can not only put his foot in, but also one who can provide that little bit different type of pressing.
So far, apart from the odd time, I've not seen us do anything radical at all so far in terms of Gegenpress. We've had our moments, but talk of Jaissle praying at the altar at the church of Klopp have been wide of the mark. Injuries have hampered things, but mostly we have looked pretty similar to everyone else.
It's worth noting in that Cup Final that not only did we have joy against Liverpool, we contained them as well. It was their third lowest chances created in a season when everything came so, so easy.
Also why I'm looking forward to Joelinton's return, is to see if he is actually still any good. I've got to be honest, I thought he was finished here. Like most players last year, Joelinton was sometimes awful.
His fitness is always patchy, but it was more his physical fitness which was the worry last season. The days of him getting box to box looked over, as he resorted to ridiculously stupid hacks which inevitably got him booked, sent off and suspended. Howe’s loyalty to the player was often to his detriment as he left Howe in the lurch continuously with acts of stupidity.
Joelinton has never been a great midfielder in the purest sense. But when he's at his marauding best he's unstoppable. The feeling last year was that he was losing the punch of the latter. Peel away from the surface and you are not left with an awful lot if he's losing his edge.
Jaissle needs Joelinton on the pitch, not suspended, and he will be out by February if that's the script. Surely he knows this and the fire of trying to impress someone new and fresh is right in that belly of his.
The Bruno factor also comes into it. You don't think it does, but it will. That was another reason I thought he'd move on when his great friend got his über-agent to buy him a Newcastle hat and go fishing. Joelinton without Guimarães seemed fanciful, especially after Bruno quite rightly got criticised from our support.
Other places looked far more appealing than starting again here. However in the pre-season debacle in Edinburgh he was there and one of our best players much to my stupefaction, only to then go missing.
The injury was listed as a “quad injury”. I'm assuming it was the bit between hip and knee, rather than coming off a far too fast four wheeled motorbike, though that could be a metaphor for Joelinton himself. Now he’s been spotted training, and I'm assuming he will play some part when we restart at Coventry.
I'm not expecting a 30 year old who missed 60 days and ten games with four separate injuries last season to play every game and be the blueprint for our new Newcastle, but there must be at least a decent part of your brain wondering how he will look in there. In a season full of “it can either be brilliant, or terrible, no in between”, this could be the biggest of them all.
Joelinton (along with Schär) seems the last of the old guard but instead of coasting towards the exit door he could be a massive asset for us. Either way, the popcorn is out at my end. Just don't come to me when he does a Mitrovic and flies two-footed into some poor Sky Blue sap on Monday week.
It's only my opinion but we are so, so desperate for someone to do that slide tackle in front of a bemused East stand that gets everyone up like a screaming banshee. I think I might just know someone.
Picture the Arsenal game. That's what I will leave you with.
Scott Robson