The head of Newcastle, Eddie Howe, is looking forward to a “delicious” Carabao Cup final against Liverpool next month.
The opponents of the Magpies for the Wembley Showpiece on March 16 were confirmed on Thursday evening as leader of the Premier League by Arne Slot, after dismantling Tottenham with 4-0 in Anfield, to secure a 4-1 overall victory.
Howe, whose team booked their place in the final, by defeating Arsenal with 4: 0 over two legs, says that it will be a fantastic occasion in the next month, but he urged his side to concentrate on the “immediate challenges” first , starting with the fourth FA Cup round this weekend when you travel to Birmingham on Saturday.
The Toon boss said: “It’s a great game. Liverpool did what they do in Angeld – it was a really good performance. Whoever we wanted to face would have been a hard game, but playing Liverpool is a delicious tie.
“We look forward to it, but we have to bring it to bed and focus on the immediate challenges.
“The biggest challenge is to eradicate the final from our brain. When we play Liverpool, Man City and Nottingham Forest, very important and difficult games. “
It is the second time in three years that Newcastle appeared in the final of the competition after losing 2-0 against Manchester United in 2023.
“I think we’ll do things a little differently, but not from superstitious point of view,” added Howe.
“As a player, I was more superstitious than managers, I tend to look at things a little differently. I have become much freer in myself. I have to bring the players in the best condition and let fate do the rest of the work. “
Team News: Botman for Miss Birmingham Game
Eddie Howe on Birmingham City:
“We respect you, Chris Davies did a brilliant job. Every time you go to Birmingham, you can see the size of the club. It is a huge football club with a brilliant supporter base.
It is a really good floor you can play on. We see that as a big one … pic.twitter.com/irpxmiuq3u
– Newcastle United (@Nufc) February 7, 2025
Howe said Sven Botman would miss the visit on Saturday in the league -1 leader with a knee problem that is not serious that he has just returned from a cruciate ligament injury.
“I don’t think he will be available this weekend. He knocked on the opposite knee on his ACL injury, ”said Howe.
“It is not a serious injury, but it will keep it out of Birmingham before we judge him next week.”
“PSR has changed our recruitment strategy”
Newcastle did not sign players during the recently closed transfer window in January, and howe said that the prime minister’s profit and sustainability rules means that they concentrate more on the development of talents than to buy on finished stars.
He said: “Making stars is something that the club has had a vision since I arrived. The boys in the other building (academy) can really help develop and flourish (player) and to promote them to the first team.
“With PSR I think that we are probably more weighted in this direction. If you can get one or two gemstones through, it can have a massive difference and help to achieve everything we want here.
“There is still space for the signing of established players and there must be the size of the size we are. It is really a mix of both. “
