Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United face a blockbuster conflict at Wembley in opposition to Arne Slot’s Liverpool, with the scene now set for subsequent month’s Carabao Cup remaining.
Each managers have proven their tactical nous this season and a high-octane affair is anticipated when the 2 sides meet within the capital – though we’ll face the Reds earlier than then, with a visit to Anfield additionally pencilled in on Wednesday twenty sixth February.
In addition to the Premier League journey to Merseyside, there are pivotal fixtures in opposition to Manchester Metropolis and Nottingham Forest within the season-defining month of February that continues this Saturday in opposition to Birmingham Metropolis.
There’s lots lined up for Howe to consider earlier than Wembley, and he proves evermore why he has earned the belief of the Toon trustworthy together with his newest feedback.
Wembley is undoubtedly our greatest recreation of the season as we push to finish our longstanding drought of main honours, however the group should push it to the again of their minds and deal with our upcoming fixtures – says Howe.
“We now have to [park it],” stated the Magpies supervisor. “The largest problem is to eradicate it from our mind for a matter of time, and when it comes round, we’ll look ahead to it. We now have some large video games developing so we’ll deal with these.
“While you’re enjoying the likes of Metropolis, Liverpool within the league and Forest, we are able to’t take our eyes off them. We have to deal with each step earlier than the ultimate.
“It’s an important recreation lined up. Liverpool did what they normally do at Anfield – it was a extremely good efficiency from them. Whoever we have been going to face was going to be an enormous activity. We actually look ahead to it however we’ve to place it to mattress. That’s our problem.”
Typical as ever, Howe is spot on. We will’t let the event get to us, each on the evening and within the build-up, as our league kind can’t afford to slide at this significant juncture if we’re to maintain our Champions League qualifying objectives alive. Not solely that, there may be additionally the small matter of an FA Cup to compete for as we head to St. Andrews for a spot within the final 16.
Strain makes diamonds, because the saying goes. “Strain, what stress? Strain is for tyres” as stated by Alan Shearer. Newcastle should undertake each mantras if they’re to get essentially the most out of a monumental 5 weeks of their marketing campaign.
League One leaders Birmingham shall be no pushover within the FA Cup, although one BBC pundit thinks we’ve sufficient to greatest the Blues within the FA Cup fourth spherical, earlier than the very important successive fixtures of Man Metropolis (a), Forest (h) and Liverpool away – earlier than we face West Ham (a) on the Monday (8pm) of ultimate week.
There’s far an excessive amount of at stake to place all our eggs within the Carabao Cup basket within the run-up to Easter. An early exit from the FA Cup by the hands of decrease league opposition would dampen the temper after that very good victory over Arsenal, and we mustn’t lose our foothold within the tight race for Champions League qualification.
As Howe typically says, we’ve achieved nothing but. There’s lots to play for on three fronts and, offered everybody stays match, we will be the masters of our personal future if we get the outcomes required by mid-March.