'Newcastle don't have that' - Jamie Carragher hands Eddie Howe ideal Liverpool team talk inspiration

Eddie Howe will need no encouragement or inspiration for his pre-final team talk at Wembley but should the Newcastle United boss desire a little added extra to motivate his players, he may be best showing the group Jamie Carragher's prediction for how the Carabao Cup final will unfold.

"I think it's just the experience of winning trophies, playing at Wembley, players that have been there a lot in the last few years. Newcastle haven't got that," the Liverpool legend told Redmen Tv, when asked what the Reds' biggest strength is heading into the London showpiece.

"I always felt this going into the cup final as a Liverpool player - we weren't always the favourites in the games we went into but you think 'you're Liverpool, you're supposed to be, you're supposed to win cup finals'. Certain clubs don't have that. Newcastle don't have that.

"It's nothing to do with those players, it's the history of the club, it's the badge, it's the feeling. Sometimes it's difficult to explain... I think that'll be Liverpool's biggest strength.

"It won't feel like the biggest game in the world. It'll feel like a big game, we're supposed to be here, we're supposed to win."

To those of a black and white persuasion, it does indeed feel like the biggest game in the world. You only have to look at the carnival-like festivities that took place in Covent Garden on Saturday evening, as the Geordies flocked to their Trafalgar Square replacement in their droves.

Many of those in attendance, when asked by Chronicle Live how they would feel if Newcastle lifted the cup, struggled to find the words to sum up their emotions at the prospect. Some were still flummoxed even after a bit of Dutch courage.

Carragher may be right. Liverpool have been there and done it. Time and time again. And maybe those Covent Garden scenes showed that for Newcastle this is a weekend celebration, as opposed to a 90-minute job on the Sunday.

However, there is indeed a different feeling to this time two years ago; inside both Eddie Howe's dressing room and among the fans. All those pre-match Saturday scenes will be for absolutely nothing if the Magpies fail to get the job done Sunday. I don't think that was the consensus in 2023, where it did indeed feel Newcastle were more grateful to simply be in the final over anything else.

Howe has tried, and mostly succeeded, to block out the outside noise. Different travel, media and mindset preparation this time around will hopefully stand his team in good stead as they aim to treat the Wembley showpiece as just another game. Just as Carragher claims Liverpool will do.

History awaits this Newcastle side as they bid to show Carragher sometimes treating the tie like the biggest in the world can actually work wonders.

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Carabao Cup final
Watch Newcastle vs Liverpool on Sky Sports

Newcastle face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on March 16 and fans can watch the game with Sky Sports' discounted TV bundle.

The Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle is now £35 and includes more than 1,000 live matches each season across the Premier League, EFL and more.

£35

Sky
Get Sky Sports here