Newcastle United’s upward direction of travel since Eddie Howe’s arrival on Tyneside is moving at such a pace that the Toon Army can now add Wembley to their list of destinations as they shoot for a place in next season’s Champions League.
This being Newcastle, what looked like being a stroll against Southampton in their EFL Cup semi-final came accompanied with some second-half nerves before the sound of Paul Tierney’s final whistle was drowned out by the deafening roars echoing around Tyneside.
In reality, Newcastle United were never in serious danger of squandering a place in their first Wembley final since the 1999 FA Cup once two early goals from Sean Longstaff gave them an even greater hold on this EFL Cup semi-final after winning the first leg at St Mary’s.
First Wembley final since 1999. First League Cup final since 1976. A chance to win their first trophy since Ujpest Dozsa were beaten in the 1969 Inter Cities’ Fairs Cup Final.
Heady times indeed for Newcastle United and their transformational manager Eddie Howe, supported by transformational funds supplied by Saudi Arabian owners.
When Howe succeeded Steve Bruce in November 2021, Newcastle United were 19th in the Premier League table, five points from safety after 11 games.
The mood was hopeful, however, because of those new mega-rich owners.
For all the debate and questions surrounding them, along with the accusations of this famous old club being used as a sports-washing exercise, Newcastle’s graph has been ascending ever since.
What has happened on the field since has been more than even the most optimistic Newcastle fan could have dreamed about.
Newcastle’s confidence is now so high that they will be confident against either Manchester United or Nottingham Forest at Wembley on 26 February – and all this while pursuing a place in the Premier League’s top four and next season’s Champions League, as they currently lie third in the table.