Thru Black & White Eyes - Moving Targets - 31/Mar/25

City in rapture but players must now get back to business!

The scenes in Newcastle city centre on Saturday gone will live long in the memory.

The footage spoke more of a frenzied, football crazy Latin American - southern Mediterranean city than a sober (ahem) northern English city in a chilly climate. The whole thing put me in the mind of Naples after SS Napoli had won the Scudetto or even Buenos Aires celebrating a Messi inspired World Cup. Whatever your thoughts on a great day in NE1, it demonstrated just what Newcastle United means to the city-region and the symbiotic relationship between the football club and the communities which have sustained it since those days back in 1892 and the formation of the beloved institution we know today. It’s an unbreakable bond.

Newcastle United - the People’s Club - the Club of the North!

Now the test for Eddie Howe, staff and players is to forget about winning the League Cup, that astonishing trophy parade from SJP to the Town Moor and get back to the serious business of winning football matches. Nothing else matters now.

Our target must be to qualify for the Champions League and that dare I say it after the euphoria of capturing our first piece of domestic silverware in seventy years, matters more than the trophy now taking up residence in the SJP trophy cabinet. The Champions League is the competition our top players want to compete in, it is the tournament players we want to attract to the club want to be in and it is certainly where our men in suits at SJP and in Riyadh want us to be in.

We know the financial benefits of the Champions League will lift the club onto a different financial level and a second qualification in three seasons starts to speak of Newcastle United’s underlying, relentless direction. Indeed, it might not be overegging it to suggest these next ten games and where we finish in the PL table could have a significant impact on the club’s direction over the next couple of seasons.

Can we do it?

That is the million dollar question. It will depend upon the mentality of everyone at United. The risk is some players kick back and imagine they have achieved legendary status with that Wembley win (and they have) and can afford to coast until the end of May. The correct mentality however will be for everyone at the club to be driven forward by the success of a cup win. Everyone needs to be hungry for more and competing in Europe’s elite competition is a prize we are more than capable of achieving.

We can do it.

There are ten games remaining with six at home and four away away. We begin that run of games at SJP v Brentford, our game in hand, this coming Wednesday night under the lights. Anyone who fancies giving into the temptation of believing beating Brentford is a gimmee should reacquiant themselves with the result we got down at their place and some of the fuck-ups we have had this season at home to West Ham, Brighton x2, Fulham and Bournemouth. Brentford are a good side with a clever manager. We underestimate them at our peril.

I’ve little doubt the start of the game will be played amidst a huge post Wembley buzz but we know this midweek fixture isn’t a continuation of the partying many have been doing since we came away from Wembley. Wednesday is a serious fixture where we can put ourselves above Man City and Chelsea, winning our game in hand, get us into fourth place and set the tone for following fixtures away at Leicester and then back home v Man Utd.

I would hope Brentford enter the SJP pitch facing a roaring crowd creating an intimidating atmosphere our players will thrive in. That’s our job and although noone has any business asking them for anything after their incredible exertions at Wembley and for the trophy parade, I’d hope Wor Flags has readied our old home to create the vivid spectacles that are so inspiring for fans and players alike.

I suspect the club’s majority owners, Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, were delighted at the trophy win a fortnight ago but I doubt very much winning the League Cup was the dream per se in Riyadh. There are bigger prizes to play for and one of them is qualifying for the Champions League again.

We can do it. Get into them.

Keep On, Keepin’ On …

Michael Martin @TFMick.bsky.social