Newcastle United are preparing for the important trip to Wembley for the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
In the next few days, there will be a sea of black and white throughout London, everyone will know that Newcastle United have arrived.
Newcastle are aiming to end a 70-year trophy drought against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium, but by no means will it be an easy task.
Liverpool have been on top form this season, looking set to win the Premier League by a landslide. However, Arne Slot’s side experienced a bump in the road on Tuesday night when they were knocked out of the Champions League on penalties to PSG in what was a tiring game for fans to keep up with, let alone the players.
Reports confirmed Trent Alexander-Arnold is injured, meaning he will miss Sunday’s final – Newcastle also have several absentees.
Anthony Gordon is suspended while left-back Lewis Hall is injured alongside fellow defender Sven Botman. Toon boss Eddie Howe has experimented with a new look left-hand side already with Tino Livramento and Harvey Barnes taking Hall and Gordon’s places.
Their absences may not have been as big a problem had it not been for PSR which has effectively prevented Newcastle from making signings over the past three transfer windows.
Simon Jordan predicts Carabao Cup final
The Magpies will go into the game with increased confidence knowing that they’re coming off the back of a win, something they haven’t done before a final since 1952.
Toon boss Howe has taken a much more reserved approach to the game in comparison to the 2023 final defeat to Manchester United – the emotion of the occasion proved to be a problem.
Now, Simon Jordan has made a bizarre claim about Howe while predicting who will win he final.
“I’ve always said, and I don’t make any apologies for this, I said this to him when I spoke to him, is that I’ve always felt (Howe) is the gatekeeper,” he told TalkSPORT.
“You had such luminaries like (Alan) Pardew who took exception to that. He didn’t understand what I meant. Ultimately, it’s very unlikely that the lofty ambitions of the Saudis, who didn’t buy Newcastle so they can win the League Cup, they want to win the Premier League and Champions League.
“They will take the League Cup in the meantime because it will mean so much to the fans. My perception was that Eddie might be very valuable and deservingly rewarded for achieving something at Newcastle, which is getting a good side, a team that is really competitive in the Premier League and who people actually like to watch.
“But is he going to win something for Newcastle? Maybe he will win the League Cup on the weekend but I don’t see Newcastle, not because of Howe but because of the restrictions put upon their ability to spend. That might well mean that Eddie becomes a casualty in 18 months, knocking on the door of the FA’s building to take over from Thomas Tuchel.”
Simon Jordan defends Newcastle despite Eddie Howe claim
Newcastle felt the impact of PSR last summer, with the Magpies forced to sell two young players with bright futures in order to avoid a points deduction.
It was a similar story in January, with Lloyd Kelly and Miguel Almiron departing Newcastle in moves motivated by PSR.
Former Crystal Palace owner turned pundit Jordan defended Newcastle earlier this week, slamming the Premier League for their treatment of the Magpies since the takeover in 2021.
On Wednesday, Jordan returned to Newcastle’s corner to back them in their fight against PSR.
“I’d like to think that the governance of the game changes so that, when you have this sustainability argument, I don’t know how anyone can keep a straight face and argue that the people who own Newcastle aren’t sustainable,” he added.
“They have people who have more money than God, who are quite prepared to fund them. It’s a nonsense, stupid government argument that’s actually unwinding some of the best parts of the Premier League.”
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