THRU BLACK & WHITE EYES - Treasure - 10/Feb/25
United see glints of silverware on the horizon!
In very different ways, Newcastle United were magnificent last week.
Our insipid performance at home to Fulham the preceding Saturday was not the dark foreboding nervous nellies like me had imagined ahead of the League Cup SF 2nd Leg v. Arsenal despite our two goal advantage. That anxiety was misplaced as the Mags put in a performance full of discipline, graft, aggression and professionalism.
Our courage was rewarded with another 2-0 win to give the aggregate scoreline an emphatic feel over Arsenal.
Eddie proved he knows best by selecting a reshaped backline which featured a superb Kieran Trippier whose experience and craft gave us so much on the night. It will be a bad day on the B&W planet when this lad leaves Newcastle United.
We are now in our second League Cup Final in three years and despite the opposition being no less than Liverpool, unquestionably the country’s best side and possibly Europe’s finest at this moment, there is a sense amongst us, this could be our opportunity to bring seventy years without a domestic honour to a close. You can sense the hunger amongst the players, the manager and staff.
Last time I felt there was too much of a thrill to just be there after fourteen years of spirit crushing misery under Ashley. But this time I sense we intend to travel with a single focus on winning the cup … the cloying sentimentality, letters from grannies and all of that palaver can get in the bin … we’re not here to be liked, we’re here to compete ©. We need to go to Wembley as cold eyed killers and not the canny lads and lasses we’ve been before.
Our support inside Wembley should be ferocious. I think we’ll all have a great Saturday night before the final but let’s keep plenty back for the main event and roar our lads to a cup win.
That’s not where the Cup joy ended last week.
We faced a very different challenge at Birmingham City. The home crowd at St Andrews created a raucous atmosphere as might have been expected as the L1 leaders faced fancy dans Newcastle United from the Premier League’s upper reaches.
The Blues attempted a strong arming of the game which I don’t think we can complain came as a surprise despite the referee losing control at times. Our lads kept their discipline and despite conceding early on to Birmingham we came back into it to win the game.
The experience should benefit United beyond the result however. We saw several players get plenty time out on the pitch who have been missing for a while due to injuries.
There were eye-catching performances from Pope, Osula, Miley, Krafth and Willock in particular but it was good to see Wilson and Targett playing much of the game too. They might have been understandably lacking in match fitness but the testing nature of the contest will have moved them up a few notches in readiness for future games. That’s great for the rest of the campaign in the Premier League and both Cup competitions.
I am sure Howe will shut out all of the noise with the League Cup Final up and coming. Similarly the wild talk of Cup doubles (and tongue in cheek references to a treble) will not be repeated within Howe’s camp.
The time is now for focus and building the kind of form that take us up the PL table and compete for a Champions League qualification that is within our grasp with fourteen PL games to go.
Info TF Cup Final Live Show
https://www.patreon.com/posts/121918103?utm_campaign=postshare_fan
It is a cliche but nothing matters more than the next game. Our next fixture is away to Champions Man City at the Etihad who face us between their Champions League games versus no less than Real Madrid. It is a rare 3pm, Saturday KO for both sides but although it would be ridiculous to travel with misplaced arrogance, neither should we be cowed by City’s remarkable achievements in recent years.
We are weirdly on exactly the same points and goal difference with Guardiola’s side and for whatever reason this season’s version of Man City has been less potent than those we’ve found so difficult to play against away from home.
We have a chance on Saturday. We have beaten better sides than this season’s Man City and matched them too. A packed away end will give United the support it needs and hopefully we’ll get what we desire. Jesus, we’re due something at the Etihad and now couldn’t be a better time.
Back to the Cup Final for a second and as I write the much valued e-mail has dropped into in-boxes. I’ve winced at the ticket prices and you wonder what the authorities are thinking about setting prices at those levels for working class supporters from the NE and Merseyside … if they are thinking of anything beyond their bottom line.
Many supporters of both clubs have decided to take no chances and book accommodation the night before the final and following it such is the lamentable state of the country’s rail network outside of London and the SE. Some of the circuitous routes I’ve heard about Mags taking to travel to the capital would be laughable if they weren’t such a sad reflection on the country’s crumbling infrastructure (aye mate, we’re gannin to Ibiza from The Toon then back owah to Gatwick, then fuck knahs after that etc).
This is going to be a weird week. There will be anxiety at getting Cup Final tickets, deep disappointment and rancour for those who can’t get hold of them as well. No doubt there will be heartbreaking tales of Mags who have put the years in not getting tickets whilst the air will be thick with accounts of corporates and tourists somehow getting to a Cup Final, many regard as the reward for years of loyalty for diehards.
I will have deepest sympathy for those Mags who miss out but I hope back home in Newcastle, the club stirs itself to organise events to bring together those who can’t get to Wembley and create a massive community feel to the final, here in the city.
Well done to the Newcastle United Supporters Trust who are organising FREE events in London for those who travel without tickets. We will give maximum publicity to those events. These events are yet another reason to join NUST - you can do so here.
https://app.joinin.online/#/app/joinin/organisation/shop/7a785319-4051-4111-be60-a259eb52a740
On the day of the game TRUE FAITH will have an event organised in London and we’ll have more information for you on that soon too. Those who attended the events before the 2023 Final will know what to expect - a good time was had by all who attended I think.
Anyway, what a month we have up and coming … Man City this Saturday, followed by Forest at SJP, Liverpool at Anfield and then Brighton in the FA Cup 5th round. That’s a tough but winnable tie.
These are the days we have yearned for.
Get into them
Keep On, Keepin’ On …
Michael Martin, @TFMick1892.bsky.social
NB - we learned today of the sad passing of our former striker John Tudor. John was a much loved part of Joe Harvey’s side in the 70s and an old Leazes End favourite. I imagine there may be renditions of ‘Hallelujah John Tudor’ at the Etihad on Saturday.
Plenty of players have written footnotes in NUFC history. Trippier’s will be up there with the most important. Love the lad.
Nice one Mick, especially the reference to Pope, outstanding yet he got some grief.
Unbelievable.