Opinion

After the highs of 16 March 2025, to the low of 4 February 2026, Newcastle United meekly surrendering the cup we all coveted for so long and relished having in our possession these past eleven months.

In truth, our grip on the League Cup had been loosened on 13 January 2026, the night Manchester’s oil barons swept into town, Rayan Cherki’s goal in added on time a dagger to the heart.

It was only a Micky Mouse cup though wasn’t it?

Try telling that to the Geordie nation, those who painted Wembley black and white, the many more watching on in pubs and clubs back home and the world over, or the estimated 300,000 that lined the streets of the city to see Eddie Howe take the trophy up onto the Moor.

For such a tinpot cup, Arsenal fans seemed particularly pleased when Kai Havertz scored late on to confirm their place in the final twenty four hours before we lost at the Emptihad.

I’m calling the former home of the Manchester Commonwealth Games the Emptihad for a reason, slang for the fact they cannot fill it.

And yet, this is such a big club…their...