Eddie Howe has now admitted that he believes the Carabao Cup final was a major ‘distraction’ for his Newcastle United players.
Newcastle played Manchester United at Wembley last weekend, but were beaten 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final.
It was a huge disappointment for the Magpies, who had done so well to reach their first final since 1999. There was huge excitement from supporters, who couldn’t think about anything but the final ever since we qualified on January 31st.
It was a distraction for the fans, but a welcome one. How often do you get the chance to go watch your team play at Wembley? It was the first time for me, and it might never happen again.
But for the players, Howe believes it had a negative impact and is glad that it is now out of the way.
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Eddie Howe admits cup final was a ‘big distraction’ for Newcastle
Howe has spoke to the media ahead of the Premier League clash with Manchester City, and took time to reflect on the Carabao Cup final.
“The cup final, as much as we didn’t want it to be, was a big distraction for us,” Howe said.
“Not so much for me because I’m preparing for a game – all games you prepare for are very similar processes.
“But for the players, I’m sure their lives, their families, every time they went outside the door it was hitting them in the face that it the cup final was the focus. That can’t help but just interfere with your normal train of thought.
“That’s gone now and we’re back to our league form and we want to attack everything and finish as high as we can.”
Now Newcastle can focus on the Premier League again
The cup final was a distraction for the Newcastle players, who have only won one of their last seven Premier League games.
While we were getting excited for a day out at Wembley, we have lost ground in the race to qualify for the Champions League. Tottenham have overtaken us, while Liverpool are closing in.
It is now going to be extremely hard for the Magpies to regather momentum and put themselves back in the driving seat to finish in the top four.
But Howe will have a plan, and will be deciding what is the best way to get a response from his players. It is certainly a time to rotate, with multiple members of the Newcastle squad looking tired since the turn of the year.
Luckily, Howe has more options now, and should be able to mix up his side in the coming weeks, starting against Manchester City.
The cup final has gone, and it didn’t go our way. Now we must put it behind us and refocus on the Premier League, as there is still a huge amount to play for in the remaining 15 games.