Alan Shearer says Wembley is no place for losers as Newcastle United gear up to take on Manchester United in the Carabao Cup Final. Eddie Howe will be hoping his side bring an end to the Magpies' 68-year wait for domestic silverware.
There have been plenty of near misses, but as Newcastle's all-time leading goalscorer points out, there are no fond memories of the home of English football if you fail to win. "Ah, Wembley," Shearer told The Athletic. "I had some decent games there with England, but I felt no twinge of sadness when they tore the old stadium down. It’s no place for losers — where second, truly, is nowhere — and Newcastle lost there too much.
"My competitive debut set the tone, a 4-0 humiliation in the Charity Shield to, yes, that’s right, Manchester United, which was followed by a 2-0 defeat at Everton. My overriding thought: “What the f*** have I done?”
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The Magpies would return to Wembley again the following season to take on Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, with Shearer hoping to banish any demons left over from the Community Shield defeat.
"At the end of my second season, we were back at Wembley for the FA Cup final under Kenny," he added. "Our third-round tie at Stevenage was my first start after seven months out with an ankle injury and I scored. That and the last game stay with me.
"There was excitement in the build-up, all the while spouting the lie that it isn’t on your mind. And then driving on the coach to the stadium and it’s just all Newcastle and a gorgeous madness.
"Arsenal were going for a double (and they won it). We weren’t quite ourselves, but at 1-0 down we hit the woodwork twice, through Nikos Dabizas and then me, and I look back and wonder what might have happened if one of those had gone in. They didn’t and we lost 2-0."
Wembley was becoming a regular occurrence for the black and white faithful, but their hoodoo under the arch showed no sign of shifting. Another defeat in the FA Cup Final, this time to Manchester United, then defeat to Chelsea in the semi-final the following year.
Shearer said: "The following year, under Ruud, we were back again, against a Manchester United side (sigh) going for the treble (and they won it). That one was different. It was another 2-0, but they battered us.
"The next season; Wembley again, an FA semi-final against Chelsea and a 2-1 loss under Sir Bobby. The national stadium was familiar by then, but so was the gut ache that came with it.
"Wembley was pain and the more we tried the more it hurt and yet we craved it still. Since those days of mixed emotions, I haven’t been able to rid myself of the thought; just imagine what it would be like if we ever won. The lampposts would buckle."
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