Newcastle United evening headlines as Eddie Howe and Magpies turn attention to top-four challenge

A round-up of the latest Newcastle United headlines on Tuesday, February 28.

Every narrative around the top four race as Newcastle United prepare Carabao Cup final bounce-back

Newcastle United and Eddie Howe will have to bounce back from their Carabao Cup Final defeat to Manchester United in a big way when they travel to Manchester City this weekend.

The Magpies have been on top form for most of the season and are enjoying their best campaign for many years having all but secured themselves at the very least a top-half finish.

However, a gap is starting to form around them with the dip in recent form, and the race for the top four is starting to heat up as the season approaches its climax.

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Newcastle United players owe it to themselves to finish season well after Wembley disappointment

Newcastle players owe it to themselves. They really do.

They must not let this glorious season of over achievement fizzle out like a damp squib because of the bitter disappointment of Wembley. There is so much left to play for between now and May. Think of Europe and what that would represent after years of humiliating relegation battles.

If any need a point of reference just call up Jamaal Lascelles, Paul Dummett, Martin Dubravka and Matt Ritchie. They can vouch for the huge chasm between doom and delight at SJP.

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Pep Guardiola takes ‘money’ swipe at Manchester United after Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle

Pep Guardiola has insisted Manchester United’s Carabao Cup win was “normal” given their lavish transfer spending. An eye-watering £1.1billion net spend over the past 10 years is almost £200million more than Manchester City’s total in the same period.

However, that expenditure has not translated to on-field success. The Red Devils won the last of their 20 league titles in 2013 and the cup-final triumph over Newcastle United ended a six-year wait without silverware.

In that time, City won five Premier Leagues, one FA Cup and six League Cups to become the dominant force in English football. Most of that success has come under Guardiola, who arrived in 2016.

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Simon Jordan doesn't know what he's talking about with odd jibe at Newcastle's Amanda Staveley

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan recently redeemed himself in the eyes of Newcastle United supporters after holding his hands up and admitting he got it so very wrong about the Magpies' £300m takeover. However, the outspoken talkSPORT host has once again put his foot in it with a baffling attack on Amanda Staveley.

For context, the Newcastle co-owner took to the radio airwaves on Monday to wax lyrical about the Geordie support in London, relive the incredible weekend in the capital and discuss her grand plans for the future on Tyneside.

One particular part of Staveley's address to the Newcastle faithful left Jordan unhappy, however, when the financier claimed to have been 'humbled' by the scenes she witnessed across the weekend. “We don’t deserve the amount of support we have as owners," she told the station. "We’re very humbled by what’s happened today."

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Some Newcastle players fighting for futures and Eddie Howe will be ruthless amid £241.7m task

If Newcastle United's owners were already committed, well, Sunday's Carabao Cup final defeat will have only made the hierarchy more determined to end the Magpies' drought after they were left 'humbled' by the club's incredible supporters at Wembley. In fact, Amanda Staveley did not just stop at vowing to one day lift the Carabao Cup following the 2-0 defeat against Manchester United - the Newcastle part-owner also pledged the club would win the FA Cup, the Champions League and the Premier League in the years to come.

Staveley made a similar statement in her first round of interviews following the takeover back in October, 2021 and Newcastle are certainly closer to ending the club's 54-year wait for silverware than the black-and-whites were when the owners inherited a side in deep relegation trouble. Yet there is still very much a feeling within the club that Newcastle are only getting started with so much work still to do on and off the field.

Yes, Sunday's final was a reminder of how far Newcastle have come in the last 12 months, but this painful loss also showed how far the black-and-whites still need to go to take that next step. This spirited group have already overachieved - their contributions will never be forgotten - but Newcastle are going to have to evolve in the coming years to get to where they want to go. Eddie Howe, himself, admitted that there will be 'some players that might not get back to Wembley' before the Newcastle head coach later added: "We know how and what we need to do to push the team on."

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Newcastle United branded 'predictable' after Carabao Cup defeat

Former England international Micah Richards has hinted that rival teams are beginning to figure Newcastle United out. Heartbreak in the Carabao Cup final means the Magpies have won just four of their last 12 fixtures.

Alarmingly, three of those victories were in cup competition, with Newcastle winning only one league game in 2023. That poor run has resulted in United sliding down to fifth, four points behind Tottenham Hotspur with two games in hand.

It was a familiar story for Eddie Howe’s men in the 2-0 defeat at Wembley. Despite dominating possession, Newcastle looked toothless in attack, struggling to create clear-cut chances against a sturdy Manchester United defence.

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Newcastle make move before Manchester United final that may still have 'really powerful effect'

Dan Burn has vowed that Newcastle United players still believe they can 'match' Manchester United following a stirring speech from Alan Shearer.

Eddie Howe was keen to bring in the 'right' guest speaker before Newcastle's Carabao Cup final defeat against the Red Devils because the Magpies boss felt it could have a 'really powerful effect'. Howe extended an open invite to Shearer a few months ago and there was no better time for Newcastle's record goal scorer to address the group than in the run-up to their first final in 24 years.

Shearer returned to the training ground on Friday - the day before Newcastle players and staff flew to the capital - and the club legend spoke about how proud he was of the current squad. Shearer also opened up about his own experiences; Newcastle's former captain, of course, led his side out when they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Manchester United in the club's previous final back in 1999.

You can read more here.

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