Wembley 2025 - Nerves are Jangling on the Kop

We asked a Kop ST holder for their thoughts about Wembley. Turns out their knees have gone at least a little trembly...

It’s not only us who think football’s lost its soul. A couple of years ago I found myself working alongside a proper football fan – a “legacy” fan, as some would call us – who decided things had got so bad that it was time to rediscover his love of the game. Admittedly, he'd just come round in a hospital bed after a near-death experience, so his judgement may have been clouded.

His answer? Take a football with him round the world, throw it down onto the ground wherever he could, and play eighty different games of football all around the globe. Not organised games on proper pitches with referees, but games in parks, games in public squares, games wherever you can kick a ball. From New Zealand, to Columbia, to China, and back. Talk about jumpers for goalposts.

His name is Steve McCluskie, and he even wrote a book about his adventures. I'm contractually obliged to tell you that you can buy said book on Amazon (link in the picture below). He tells a decent tale does young Steve. You could do worse than give it a peruse. It's canny as a bag o’ Tudor.

Unfortunately, Steve has one fatal flaw. He’s a Liverpool fan and a season ticket holder in the Kop. I mean, it could have been worse. We were working in Manchester, and a mutual loathing of Trafford United was a decent starting-point for a footballing friendship. And if nothing else, the Monday morning team meeting was a lot more fun than usual after the Red on Red 7-0.

But I digress... just what does a Liverpool fan make of facing us on Sunday at Wembley? Here's Steve's view. You might be surprised.

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In a week when the world lost Gene Hackman, its only fitting that there’s a french connection to this year’s Carabao Cup Final. But before we come to that, a question.

What have Dalglish, Keegan, Souness, Benitez, Barnes, Beardsley, Rush, McDermott, Kennedy, Gayle, Hooper, Venison, Owen, Hamann, Enrique, Stubbins, Wijnaldum and Milner all got in common? That’s right. They all have winners medals from their time at Liverpool FC.

Oh, and they’ve all played for, or managed, Newcastle United too. That the Geordies have waited almost 70 years for domestic silverware is astonishing. However, that could all change on March 16th 2025.

As once again we head down to Anfield South, we do so with a healthy lead in the Premier League league and a chance of a quarter-final place in the Champions League. The midweek game against PSG at home on Tuesday night will be pivotal to our chances on lifting the Cup next weekend.

How we came away with a 1-0 victory last week in Paris only Alisson Becker knows. Our Brazilian brick wall was the only thing standing between us and a sound drubbing from one of the most exciting and talented teams I’ve seen in years. We were totally out run and out played, but somehow scraped over the line. Unfortunately, we have to play them again this week.

After witnessing our laboured first half against Southampton yesterday, I fear our tough schedule is beginning to take its toll. Even World Cup winner and relentless scrapper Alexis MacAllister admitted last week that the team was tired. The physical and mental demands of trying to get past Luis Enrique’s brilliant young PSG team on Tuesday will be brutal.

Lose and we will be dealt our first serious psychological blow of the season, just days before a major final. Players and managers can talk all they want about ‘it’s only the next game that matters’, but they are not machines. Those Liverpool players will be eying a treble this year, and PSG are more than capable of delivering us a crushing blow. There’s every chance we could turn up at Wembley drained of all life and crying into our onion soup.

The injury to Lewis Hall is a major blow for your lads. He was one of the few full-backs this season to almost put Mo Salah in his pocket. A super talented and tough player. Liverpool fan and undercover agent Gordon did the right thing and got his sending off. Mission accomplished. All this, and with superstar Isak struggling with injury, and a poor recent record against us, the pundits have already written Newcastle off, which of course is nonsense.

The excellent Bruno, Tonali, Joelinton and the enigmatic Murphy will all have a huge say on Sunday I’m sure. Blyth born giant Dan Burn will sweat blood for the shirt and the guttural roar from the marauding black and white army will send shivers through southern softy land, and no doubt a few of the Liverpool players too.

If Newcastle were playing anyone else in the final I would want them to win, not only because I’m a massive Sam Fender fan, but also for their incredible fans and for Bobby Robson.

I’m usually an optimist, but something tells me that those sparkling young croissants from Paris will have a hand in making Newcastle’s elusive dream come true on Sunday. May the best team win. YNWA.

Steve McCluskie