If there's one thing Newcastle United under Eddie Howe cannot be accused of it's a lack of focus. This season has seen the Toon manager build a resilient team underpinned by a strong defence and driven by a focus to improve.
It's led them to the top four of the Premier League and within a real chance of qualifying for the Champions League. Newcastle's quick rise to the top of the table has come as a surprise for most but it's been helped by Howe and his staff laying home the importance of being focused on the task at hand.
The message has very much been one game at a time, no thinking ahead to next season and European nights on the continent but simply concentrating on the game directly ahead of them. Understandably, the League Cup final has become a distraction for fans. The excitement of a weekend in the Capital and the first major piece of silverware since 1969 has captured the imagination of a success-starved fanbase.
