Anyway, Jamie Jackson was at Old Trafford tonight and his report is in. Thanks for reading this MBM. Stay safe, dry and warm, everyone. Nighty night.
Not much of a reward for either Newcastle or West Ham after their big wins. Everton however can be forgiven for beginning to dream of a first trophy since 1995 … and they’ve never won the League Cup. Meanwhile we’re guaranteed non-Premier League representation in the semi-finals, as Port Vale welcome Middlesbrough. What price a Port Vale v Fulham final?
The quarter-final draw
Everton v Fulham
Chelsea v Newcastle United
Port Vale v Middlesbrough
Liverpool v West Ham United
Ties will take place the week commencing 18 December.
Erik ten Hag talks to Sky Sports. “We know this is not good enough … we have to take responsibility for it … I have to take responsibility for it … we don’t give the performance and I feel sorry for the fans … it is below our standards and we have to put it right … we have to recover from it … we have to quickly recover … Saturday is the next game but yeah, we have to raise our standards, this is not good enough … we have [the right characters], I am confident of that, players will stand up, they are sticking together, they tried … I am responsible for this … we have to do this together … you only get your confidence when you want to play, get the right results, and it is only possible when you are following the rules, following the principles … be in the game, win your battles, go into the fight … but especially do it together … you have to do this as a team … you have to stick together and you have to be disciplined … everyone has to take responsibility, be accountable and co-operate, that’s the key word … first we have a night’s sleep, then we will pick the team and the tactics [for Fulham on Saturday] but most importantly the mentality.”
A shot across multiple bows there.
Eddie Howe speaks to Sky. “It’s a very good performance from us … the mentality was unbelievable … we had injuries coming into the game and then we pick up another within seconds of the game starting … it’s very easy for the players to feel sorry for themselves but credit to the group for an unbelievable response … Emil Krafth coming back from such a long absence and playing in a position that was slightly foreign to him … there were a lot of highlights for us … without the players committing to what we asked them to do today, you’ve got no chance in my position … the spirit of the group showed in the performance, the unity … we hope the draw is kinder to us!”
Sean Longstaff, stand-in captain for the night on his 150th appearance for his home-town club, speaks to Sky. “It’s a special night … it was a special night for everyone … Emil Krafth playing his first game in over a year and I thought he was unbelievable … you could probably go through the whole team … it just shows the togetherness and depth we’ve got in the squad … the manager gives us a game-plan every week … there’s a reason he’s so good, he makes a lot of us look really good in his system … it’s a pleasure to play for him … see all the away fans, it was really special for them.”
Some hot chat from the managers coming up soon, no doubt. But there’s also the small matter of the quarter-final draw. Newcastle United join West Ham, Liverpool, Fulham, Port Vale, Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Everton in the velvet bag. The potential for quite a few mouthwatering match-ups there, I’ll be bound. Details of that coming up too.
Newcastle enjoy their moment, smiling, clapping, jigging in front of their delighted fans. They deserve to. They were brilliant to a man, showcasing the depth of their squad. The dream of going one better than last year, and winning the club’s first domestic trophy since 1955, remains alive. This was only Newcastle’s third win at Old Trafford since 1972, a run that stretches to 60 matches. So this means something. It also paints a picture that Manchester United may not want to study too closely, though they’ll have to if they’re to get themselves out of this rut. The club are in all sorts of bother, from the top down. Expect to hear more about that in the next few days. The visit to Fulham at the weekend suddenly takes on great importance.
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FULL TIME: Manchester United 0-3 Newcastle United
The whistle is greeted by boos from the home fans. The away support sing their hearts out. A scoreline that doesn’t flatter Newcastle at all. Erik ten Hag walks off towards the tunnel, half livid, half embarrassed.
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90 min +3: Wilson is clipped near the left-hand corner flag. He gets up and takes the free kick himself. He taps to Joelinton, who elects to take the ball to the corner and shield it. Neither Antony nor Fernandes are having that, and get it back off him. A futile gesture, but professional pride is at stake.
90 min +1: Tino Livramento is named man of the match by Gary Neville on Sky.
90 min: Manchester United will relinquish their grip on the League Cup in four additional minutes.
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89 min: Fernandes is dispossessed 30 yards from goal. No petulant rake, but quite a lot of complaining. The collective mood at Old Trafford – Newcastle fans apart, and this is not breaking news – is not good.
87 min: That throw leads to a free kick, which Trippier flings into the box from the right. Wilson can’t get on the end of the cross at the far stick, and the hosts clear.
86 min: Rashford nearly makes something out of nothing, heading a loose ball across the face of the Newcastle box to himself, but failing to get a shot away. Newcastle go up the other end through Guimaraes, who wins a throw deep in Manchester United territory down the right, and celebrates it with the travelling 9,000 in expansive style.
85 min: Fernandes whips in from the right. Trippier is on the edge of the six-yard box and sweeps behind for a corner with Rashford lurking. Reguilon’s corner fails to clear the first man.
83 min: Trippier eases Reguilon off the pitch. Legally so, in the eyes of the referee. That won’t help Reguilon’s mood, landing at the bottom of the swale running around the Old Trafford pitch with an OOF as he did.
82 min: Joelinton is booked for a barge into the back of Fernandes. “McClaren is there to help Ten Hag with hish, how you shay, translation,” quips Niall Mullen, because in retrospect, it was obvious that somebody had to go there.
81 min: Antony tries to take a quick throw down the right. Joelinton goes down with cramp. Newcastle deliberately pressing Manchester United’s buttons there.
79 min: Perhaps. Amrabat is booked for a cynical tug on Guimaraes. “This has been heavily redacted,” begins a self-editing Steve Rose. “It’s hilarious. I have been a fan of Manchester United since ‘76, and to think that things have come to this thanks to a racehorse.”
77 min: Reguilon concedes a garden-variety free kick out on the Newcastle right. He kicks the ball away in frustration, and is booked. Then he nearly talks himself into a second yellow, and his captain Lindelof is called over to encourage him to pipe down. Antony and Fernandes lost the head towards the end of the derby on Sunday; is the same collective meltdown about to happen?
76 min: Almiron reaches the byline down the left and cuts back for Wilson, whose shot from the edge of the box is blocked out for a corner. Trippier takes the set piece, and it’s worked out to Longstaff, 30 yards out along the inside-right channel. He tees himself up before creaming a rising volley that swerves inches wide of the top-left corner. Onana would have been beaten had the shot been on target. It would have been a worldie.
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75 min: Newcastle replace Hall and Ritchie with Burn and Trippier.
74 min: Fernandes glides in from the right and sends a long diagonal towards Rashford, who can’t find anyone in the middle with his low cross. Manchester United come again, Antony slipping Fernandes into the box down the right. Fernandes slams his first-time shot wide right. Big chance.
72 min: Hall goes down with cramp, shaking his head. He hauls himself up and gets back to work, but it looks like he’ll be replaced sooner rather than later.
70 min: Mount nearly clears the Stretford End with a shot.
69 min: Hojlund races down the left flank though not with too much belief. Krafth shoves him off the ball with ease.
67 min: Reguilon crosses to nobody in particular. Newcastle look very comfortable now, as you’d expect for a team three goals to the good with time running out. “Can someone tell me what Steve McClaren is doing?” Jeff Sax the latest to ask a question that’s been doing the rounds in one form or another since at least 2007.
65 min: Manchester United respond with a triple change, switching out Hannibal, Martial and Garnacho for Fernandes, Rashford and Hojlund.
64 min: Newcastle make a double change, replacing Gordon and Willock, who have both been excellent, with Guimaraes and Wilson.
63 min: Manchester United had all but penned Newcastle back in their final third for the opening quarter-hour of the second half. But now look. Erik ten Hag sits in the dugout, all blood drained from his face … and as that drains, quite a few fans pour out of the stadium. The away fans once again question Ten Hag’s ongoing employment status via the medium of satirical song.
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GOAL! Manchester United 0-3 Newcastle United (Willock 61)
… but unfortunately, Manchester United have no room for error. Amrabat hesitates in the centre circle. Joelinton sticks out a leg to snaffle possession. Willock tears down the inside-left channel, drifts into the centre, and slots a glorious sidefoot into the bottom-right corner. Onana at full stretch, but with no chance.
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59 min: Manchester United have enjoyed 79 percent of possession since the restart. Garnacho crosses deep from the left. Martial can’t get a head to the ball at the far stick. Goal kick. Compared to the shambles of the first half, this registers CHALK on the Guardian’s patented cheese-o-meter™.
58 min: … Joelinton heads Reguilon’s delivery clear with ease.
57 min: Garnacho dribbles hard down the left and wins a corner off Livramento. From which …
56 min: Antony one-twos with Martial down the right, spinning off along his ribbon in the sky. He cuts infield, it’s a lovely run … then he blooters a wild shot miles over the bar, and a good way left of the target too. He has the good grace to chide himself in irritation. Shame, because he’d put in some graceful work to get there.
54 min: Manchester United are definitely playing in the post-hairdryer style. A clear injection of spirit. Garnacho and Mount combine down the left. The ball breaks to Amrabat, who attempts to guide a curler into the top right. Always wide, always high.
52 min: A poor Maguire clearing header falls to Willock, who takes a heavy touch while running onto the ball at full pace. Maguire is fortunate that Lindelof, who is now wearing his old captain’s armband after Casemiro’s withdrawal, is on point to cover.
50 min: Hannibal dribbles in from the right and draws a foul. He springs up and encourages the crowd to make some noise. He’s up for this, to be fair. The home fans respond. Bedlam … but it subsides a little as Mount wastes the free kick by hoicking it over everyone’s head.
48 min: Antony zips along the right touchline in exciting style. Like he’s on a tightrope, baby, nine miles high. He feeds Wan-Bissaka, who in turn finds Martial on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. Martial can’t poke home, but earns a corner, though it comes to nought. Still, so much better from the home side.
46 min: Willock is booked for a pointless climb on Amrabat’s back. The sub was going absolutely nowhere in his own half.
Newcastle United get the second half underway. Manchester United have made a couple of changes, replacing Dalot and Casemiro with Wan-Bissaka and Amrabat. A slight – no, big - surprise that Hannibal hasn’t been hooked, seeing he really should have been yellow carded twice in the first half.
Half-time postbag. “What must Manchester United fans think watching the performances of Casemiro and Almiron? And Casemiro is their captain” – Gary Naylor
“Emil Krafth as Franz Beckenbauer reincarnate, Lewis Hall’s Van Basten volley, Sacked In The Morning chants, Adidas re-issuing classic NUFC kits in at a 300% mark-up ... tell me I’m dreaming, mate” – Chris Paraskevas
“Your closing exactly describes my MO when I order beer at a restaurant. I live in the Sacramento region of California so we are abundantly blessed with millions of IPA varieties. Prost!” – Peter Oh
“Squire (pardon the pun), fully agree that Tightrope is a superior song to This is the One. I’d also argue that Second Coming is a superior album to their debut effort. Also, hoping that Martial can break into a jog at some point this evening” – Matthew Lysaght
HALF TIME: Manchester United 0-2 Newcastle United
The hosts are booed off. The scoreline doesn’t flatter Newcastle at all. If anything, it’s easy on Manchester United. Erik ten Hag walks off wearing the mother, father and extended family of all frowns. Big half-time team-talk … big half-time shake-up … coming soon.
45 min +4: Gordon scampers down that left flank. For a second Manchester United look in a world of trouble – again – but Gordon’s pass towards the overlapping Longstaff is behind his man. Newcastle turn tail and play some possession football, which their fans accompany with a few olés.
45 min +3: Reguilon drives down the left but there’s nobody moving into space for him. Manchester United come again down the same flank, and Mount sends a rasping drive towards the top right. Dubravka is equal to it, and turns it around the post. Nothing comes of the corner.
45 min +1: Dalot sends a low speculative diagonal drive wide left of the Newcastle goal. Dubravka had it covered.
45 min: There will be five additional first-half minutes. There’s Manchester United desperate to hear the whistle and regroup, as well.
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43 min: Almiron crosses low from the left. Maguire hacks clear. Dalot is all over the shop, though to be fair he’s not exactly getting much help from his team-mates.
41 min: Newcastle are enjoying the run of Old Trafford down their left flank. Almiron and Willock again pour down the wing, the latter cutting inside and looking for the bottom right from distance. Onana is behind it all the way.
39 min: Antony wins a corner down the right. It’s worked back to Dalot, who shovels an aimless pass out of play down the left. Goal kick, and so far this has been an embarrassment for Erik ten Hag, who is getting serenaded by the 9,000 away fans, all of whom have strident opinions on his future employment prospects.
38 min: That was another wonderful goal from an attacking sense, but it was another fiasco from a Manchester United perspective. The move started when a free kick had been awarded to Newcastle in the centre circle. Four players in red dozed as Longstaff ran in to take it quickly, sending Almiron off down the left. He found Willock, and the rest is history.
GOAL! Manchester United 0-2 Newcastle United (Hall 36)
Willock enters the Manchester United box down the left. He twists Dalot’s blood and reaches the byline. His looped cross is headed to the edge of the box by Maguire, but only to Hall, who steers a glorious volley across Onana and into the bottom right-hand corner. What a finish!
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35 min: Antony dribbles down the inside-right channel and lays off to Hannibal, who can’t control but is able to slide and hook the ball into the path of Reguilon, who creams a shot over the bar from the edge of the D.
34 min: There are huge gaps in the Manchester United midfield. Newcastle look capable of romping through them at will. “The commentator says Ten Hag looks puzzled standing on the sideline,” begins Jeff Sax. “He still can’t believe he is coaching Man U.”
32 min: … and so is this, as Dalot barrels down the right and crosses deep. Mount handles accidentally at the far stick and the whistle goes. But that’s a good response to falling behind by Manchester United, and from Garnacho, Mount and Dalot as well, the three players who didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory for the goal.
30 min: Manchester United try to respond immediately, Garnacho making good down the left and whipping towards Mount at the near post. Mount fires wide left. That’s at least better from the hosts.
GOAL! Manchester United 0-1 Newcastle United (Almiron 28)
Garnacho attacks down the left only to be easily stripped of possession by Livramento, who embarks on a Homeric run upfield, into the centre circle, unchallenged by Mount, and towards the United box. He slips Almiron in on the left, Dalot dozing. Almiron enters the box, draws Onana, and guides a shot into the right-hand side of the net. A great goal from Newcastle’s perspective, and a terrible one from Manchester United’s.
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27 min: Erik ten Hag comes to the touchline and stares at the play with furrowed brow. No wonder: Newcastle are first to everything in the middle of the park. “If there is an institution that is as similarly distant from its once-proud identity as Manchester United, it’s Newcastle Brown Ale. If I understand correctly, it’s no longer brewed in Newcastle. The North American version is made in California - but using a different recipe. It’s an internationally recognized brand, but it’s just not as good as it used to be.” Peter Oh, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the local IPA instead.
26 min: The Newcastle fans are still giving it plenty. The home faithful, not so much, as their team continue to splutter and putter. A little bit of anxiety in the air. “I’d support your suggestion to return to the Sharp and Brown Ale uniforms,” begins 90s revivalist Jake Shaffer, “but only if Howe wears a hideous purple and white track suit top while EtH dons a cavernous club/sponsor emblazoned full length coat.”
24 min: Manchester United are struggling to get going. Antony dribbles down a cul-de-sac on the right flank and clanks into Hall. Free kick. Hannibal then throws the ball away in disgust. He’s really testing the referee’s patience.
22 min: Ritchie has a whack from distance. Wide and high. After a slow start, Newcastle are beginning to get on top here. They’ve enjoyed 61 percent of possession in the last ten minutes.
20 min: Nothing comes of the free kick. On Sky, Gary Neville notes that nobody more senior than Hannibal has gone over to the young player to calm him down.
19 min: Willock drives hard down the middle and is brought crashing to the floor by Casemiro, who goes into the book. A free kick 30 yards out in a central position. More importantly, that’s two of Manchester United’s midfield trio already tottering along the disciplinary tightrope (a much better song than Old Trafford favourite This Is The One, incidentally).
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17 min: Hannibal comes clattering into Krafth from behind and wants to watch himself here. That could easily have been a second yellow. “Another injury!” yelps Slassor. “Can we not just bring everyone off, forfeit the match and come home?”
16 min: … and now Casemiro shoves Willock to the ground, just to the left of centre, 25 yards out. Ritchie curls in, and Lindelof, surrounded by black and white stripes, is forced to concede a corner. Joelinton attempts to leap higher than Maguire but doesn’t manage it. Manchester United clear their lines.
14 min: Longstaff is in the process of heading the ball in the centre circle when he’s barged in mid-air by Hannibal. A pointless challenge, and one that earns the young Manchester United midfielder a yellow card. He’ll miss the next round if United get through.
13 min: The first shot in anger. Martial robs Krafth down the left and finds Garnacho, who cuts back for Casemiro. Ping! The drive from edge of the box is an easy snaffle for Dubravka … who played for Manchester United in this competition a couple of times last season.
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12 min: Manchester United are pinging it around nicely. Newcastle are struggling to keep hold of the ball whenever they get hold of it. Both sets of fans making plenty of evening-pints-fuelled noise.
10 min: Casemiro finds Antony down the right with a glorious long diagonal ball, but Hall makes sure there’s no route to the penalty box. A fine pass by Manchester United’s stand-in captain, though.
9 min: A reminder that this game will go straight to penalties if it ends 0-0 after 90 minutes. No extra time. There’s no VAR either, so given that everyone wants it gone, no doubt someone tonight will end up missing it. You know how these things usually pan out.
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7 min: Joelinton sticks out an arm to tug back Reguilon and should really get booked, but nobody knows anything any more, so he doesn’t.
6 min: Mount spins elegantly in the centre circle to start a Manchester United attack. It breaks down quickly enough, but that earned the midfielder a roar of encouragement.
5 min: Poor Targett makes his way gingerly towards the tunnel, shaking his head slowly. Such a shame … and there’s to be no hard-earned rest for Almiron, not tonight.
4 min: Martial was near Targett but didn’t touch him. Targett gets up and traipses off sadly. A chance to impress gone in 90 seconds. Almiron will come on in his place.
2 min: Newcastle, on the front foot and with 9,000 travelling fans making the most noise right now, press the hosts hard. Targett stretches for a loose ball in midfield and falls to the ground, clutching his hamstring. He hammers the ground in frustration while prone. This doesn’t look promising at all.
Manchester United get the ball rolling. Newcastle are kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.
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The teams are out! Manchester United wear their famous red; Newcastle run out in their iconic black and white stripes. The only way to improve this classic aesthetic? Get Sharp Electronics and Newcastle Brown Ale back as sponsors. Well, you could ditch the sponsors altogether of course, but there’s no point asking to lasso the moon. The words “Football Club” back on the Manchester United badge? I’m even boring myself now. Never mind! We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.
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Eddie Howe has a chat with Sky. “We’ve had two really tough draws in this competition and we look forward to the challenge … we have to be ourselves and focus on us … we’ve made changes to our team and utilised our squad … I’m hopeful we’ll give a really good account of ourselves … I believe in the players we’ve picked … it’s a really tough game tonight … we need to be at our best, that’s for sure … it’s an opportunity for players who have been desperate to play to show how good they are … it’s an opportunity to protect one or two players in our demanding schedule … it’s a mixture of those things really.”
Erik ten Hag talks to Sky. “We always line up a team that is strong enough … we have a good squad … we can choose … these players deserve to play … you cannot feel sorry for yourself … top football is tough, hard, you have to deal with it … you moan for 24 hours then it’s another challenge … take it … you can’t change it any more but you can change the future … the fans deserve [a good performance] … they are always behind us … we have to match high standards … we know what to do and are very eager to give a good performance and get into the next round … we have a strong bench … we are not playing with 11 … we have a squad.”
Harry Maguire speaks to Sky Sports. “Obviously Sunday was really disappointing, a bad performance, a bad result … there’s no better chance to put it right than in front of our fans at Old Trafford … every round is a chance to progress … we’re here to defend [the cup] again … we’re looking forward to it … you lose a derby, it’s disappointing, the lads aren’t happy … we know we need to improve … we’ve moved on and know we have to put things right tonight.”
Manchester United make seven changes to the team sent out for the 3-0 defeat to City. Mason Mount, Anthony Martial, Casemiro, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Sergio Reguilon and Hannibal Mejbri take the places of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans, Sofyan Amrabat, Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund, all of whom drop to the bench. Only Andre Onana, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Diogo Dalot keep their places.
Newcastle go one better with eight changes from the XI that started the 2-2 draw at Wolves. Martin Dubravka, Valentino Livramento, Emil Krafth, Paul Dummett, Matt Targett, Lewis Hall, Joe Willock and Matt Ritchie step up; Kieran Trippier, Jamaal Lascelles, Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron drop to the bench, while Nick Pope and Fabian Schar miss out altogether. Only Joelinton, Anthony Gordon and captain-for-the-day Sean Longstaff keep their spots.
The teams
Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Lindelof, Maguire, Reguilon, Mejbri, Casemiro, Antony, Mount, Garnacho, Martial.
Subs: Bayindir, Amrabat, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford, Hojlund, Eriksen, Wan-Bissaka, Evans, McTominay.
Newcastle United: Dubravka, Dummett, Targett, Krafth, Livramento, Willock, Longstaff, Joelinton, Hall, Ritchie, Gordon.
Subs: Trippier, Lascelles, Wilson, Karius, Almiron, Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, Diallo, Parkinson.
Referee: Robert Jones (Merseyside).
🔴 TEAM NEWS 🔴
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 1, 2023
Erik makes seven changes from Sunday 🔄#MUFC || #CarabaoCup
HOWAY NEWCASTLE! ✊#MUNNEW // #NUFC pic.twitter.com/jpU0wTOpKJ
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) November 1, 2023
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Preamble
Manchester United were abject in the derby on Sunday. They didn’t get particularly good notices for their performances against Brentford, Sheffield United and Copenhagen either, and they won all of those matches, which only goes to illustrate the scale of the pickle Erik ten Hag and his men find themselves in right now. The club have made their worst start to a season since the days of Big Ron Atkinson, who ended up getting the boot in late 1986 after a loss in … the League Cup.
Which is not to say Ten Hag will receive his marching orders should he lose this tie tonight. Absolutely not. He did win this competition last season, for a start, so there’s plenty of credit in the bank. But with the fanbase restless for many a reason, he could nonetheless do with a positive result to lighten the mood. He’ll be pleased to see Newcastle United roll into town, then; the Toon have only won once at Old Trafford since 1972, and that was ten years ago. They’ve lost on both of their previous visits in the League Cup, once to the tune of 7-2, Gordon Hill netting a hat-trick in 1976. And of course it was Newcastle who were defeated in last season’s final. Ten Hag could hardly have hand-picked better bounce-back opponents, right?
Newcastle aren’t in the best form themselves, having won just one of their last four matches in all competitions. But when they click, they click: just ask Kylian Mbappé and PSG, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Sheffield United. Oh, and Manchester City, who they knocked out in the last round. Eddie Howe and his team will thus take on their hosts in reasonably high spirits. So it is, then, that Newcastle, who haven’t won a trophy since 1969, go into this tie relatively unencumbered by pressure; Manchester United, who haven’t won a trophy for eight months, threaten to buckle under the weight of the stuff. Funny old game, football. Kick-off is at 8.15pm BST. It’s on!
