Wayne Rooney seems to have changed his mind on Newcastle United fans in the space of a week.
Newcastle United upset the odds on Sunday afternoon to beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final.
Eddie Howe’s side were clear underdogs but they certainly didn’t play like it with Dan Burn and Alexander Isak scoring the all-important goals that ended Newcastle’s 70-year wait for silverware.
In the build-up to the final, Wayne Rooney predicted Newcastle to lose alongside fellow pundit and former teammate Gary Neville.
They certainly weren’t the only ones who got it wrong. Jamie Carragher said Newcastle deserved to win after initially tipping his former side Liverpool to win at Wembley.
Rooney blamed Newcastle fans for the lack of success in cup finals. Newcastle’s record at Wembley was wretched (before Sunday) but to pin the blame on supporters was just wrong.
Wayne Rooney on Newcastle fans after Carabao Cup final
To elaborate on Wayne Rooney’s comments on The Overlap before the final, he said: “I was with Alan Shearer and [Mark] Clattenburg yesterday and I was thinking ‘you are making it [a big ocassion]”
“I know it’s a cup final, but I can imagine being a player and being in the city and they’re all doing the same thing.”
Despite suggesting Newcastle fans were an issue just a few days prior, Rooney seemed to change his tune with his latest comments, where he praised supporters for their passionate following.
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day, Rooney said: “It was great, he’s [Shearer] waited a long time for that as they all have. You can see how passionate he is and obviously speaking with Alan and working with him, you know how passionate he is about Newcastle winning games and trophies.
“But I’m delighted for the fans. I think Newcastle fans are traditionally great up and down the country, following their team.
“Even when, not so long ago, they were down in the Championship and there were thousands following the team.
“They’ve gradually been getting there, and they deserve it.”
Newcastle fans were excellent during Carabao Cup final
As Rooney said, Newcastle fans did make Sunday a big occasion, but that is nothing to be sorry about.
Newcastle fans made Wembley shake when Isak doubled the lead in the second half. The travelling Toon supporters were incredible throughout and took over London for the weekend.
Sela gifted scarves to Newcastle fans and it helped to create a wall of black and white at Wembley. Fans never stopped singing throughout the entire match, and it was all worth it for Newcastle’s trophy lift.
The behind-the-scenes celebrations at Newcastle were just as legendary, with players celebrating their hard-earned victory. They have just etched their name into the history books, and fans at Wembley have a memory they will never forget.
Now that the pressure of breaking the 70-year curse is lifted, there is not one team in England that will look forward to coming up against Newcastle in future cup finals – and that is largely down to the fans.
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