Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United face a blockbuster clash at Wembley against Arne Slot’s Liverpool, with the scene now set for next month’s Carabao Cup final.
Both managers have shown their tactical nous this season and a high-octane affair is expected when the two sides meet in the capital – although we’ll face the Reds before then, with a trip to Anfield also pencilled in on Wednesday 26th February.
As well as the Premier League trip to Merseyside, there are pivotal fixtures against Manchester City and Nottingham Forest in the season-defining month of February that continues this Saturday against Birmingham City.
There is plenty lined up for Howe to think about before Wembley, and he proves evermore why he has earned the trust of the Toon faithful with his latest comments.
Howe on Newcastle’s “biggest challenge”
Wembley is undoubtedly our biggest game of the season as we push to end our longstanding drought of major honours, but the team must push it to the back of their minds and focus on our upcoming fixtures – says Howe.
“We have to [park it],” said the Magpies manager. “The biggest challenge is to eradicate it from our brain for a matter of time, and when it comes around, we will look forward to it. We have some big games coming up so we will focus on those.
“When you’re playing the likes of City, Liverpool in the league and Forest, we can’t take our eyes off them. We need to focus on every step before the final.
“It’s a great game lined up. Liverpool did what they usually do at Anfield – it was a really good performance from them. Whoever we were going to face was going to be a big task. We really look forward to it but we have to put it to bed. That’s our challenge.”
Typical as ever, Howe is spot on. We can’t let the occasion get to us, both on the night and in the build-up, as our league form can’t afford to slip at this crucial juncture if we are to keep our Champions League qualifying goals alive. Not only that, there is also the small matter of an FA Cup to compete for as we head to St. Andrews for a spot in the last 16.
Huge five weeks
Pressure makes diamonds, as the saying goes. “Pressure, what pressure? Pressure is for tyres” as said by Alan Shearer. Newcastle will have to adopt both mantras if they are to get the most out of a monumental five weeks of their campaign.
League One leaders Birmingham will be no pushover in the FA Cup, though one BBC pundit thinks we have enough to best the Blues in the FA Cup fourth round, before the vital successive fixtures of Man City (a), Forest (h) and Liverpool away – before we face West Ham (a) on the Monday (8pm) of final week.
There is far too much at stake to put all our eggs in the Carabao Cup basket in the run-up to Easter. An early exit from the FA Cup at the hands of lower league opposition would dampen the mood after that superb victory over Arsenal, and we mustn’t lose our foothold in the tight race for Champions League qualification.
As Howe often says, we’ve achieved nothing yet. There is plenty to play for on three fronts and, provided everyone stays fit, we can be the masters of our own destiny if we get the results required by mid-March.
