Tunnel delays and a brutal reality check
Newcastle United were ready. Lined up in the tunnel at the Etihad, focused and impatient, they waited for their hosts to appear. Three minutes before kick-off, Kieran Trippier looked around in confusion. There was no sign of Manchester City.
When Pep Guardiola’s side eventually emerged, the message was delivered swiftly and without mercy. Within minutes, Newcastle United were three goals down in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg and effectively out of the tie.
The holders were left stunned. The aggregate score raced beyond reach. For all the ambition surrounding the club, the opening half felt like a reminder of the distance still to travel.
Earlier that day, chief executive David Hopkinson had reiterated the club’s long-term vision of competing for the biggest honours by 2030. On the evidence of that first half in Manchester, those aspirations felt distant.
Eddie Howe did not hide his frustration. He made a triple change at half-time and later admitted: “I was really annoyed.” It was not the first time this season.
Pride intact but momentum fading
To their credit, Newcastle United responded after the break. Substitute Anthony Elanga pulled one back, injecting pace and purpose into a contest that had already slipped away. The damage, however, had been done.
A 5-1 aggregate defeat ended another cup run, but the away end told a different story. All 5,400 travelling supporters stayed with their team, repeatedly singing “Eddie Howe’s black and white army”.
That loyalty was not misplaced. It was Howe who delivered the club’s first major domestic trophy in seven decades in this very competition. Yet sentiment cannot mask reality.
This season has been a grind. The optimism of recent years has been replaced by inconsistency, fatigue and unanswered questions.
A season that refuses to ignite
Six months in, it still feels as though Newcastle United are waiting for lift-off.
On paper, the campaign retains promise. A third EFL Cup semi-final in four years. Favourites to progress past Qarabag into the Champions League last 16. An FA Cup run still alive, even with a tricky fourth-round tie against Aston Villa looming.
But the Premier League table tells a harsher truth. Sitting 11th, Newcastle United are well short of last season’s heights.
Away form has been particularly damaging. Just two league wins on the road. Only 11 points taken from a possible 36 against teams currently above them. Sixteen points dropped from winning positions.
Earlier in the season, players spoke privately about making history again by qualifying for the Champions League in successive campaigns. That goal now looks ambitious rather than inevitable.
Embracing the word ‘transition’
The departure of Alexander Isak, last season’s top scorer, left a gaping hole that has yet to be convincingly filled. Asked whether he could accept the label of a transition season, Howe did not push back.
“I can,” he said. “We brought players in from the summer and we lost players in the summer. There was always going to be a change to the team.”
He was keen to stress that transition need not be negative. “Change can be positive,” he added. “We are trying to find that flow and rhythm that we have been searching for all season.”
Beyond the pitch, he acknowledged wider changes at the club. “The club is definitely in transition, but transitioning for the positive in my opinion.”
It was an honest assessment. The issue is how long that transition can be tolerated before expectations catch up.
Flashes of quality without consistency
There have been moments that hint at something better.
A devastating first-half performance against Chelsea. An impressive, disciplined hour away to Paris St-Germain. A strong opening spell at Anfield.
But football matches are not decided in bursts. Newcastle United have struggled to sustain intensity, control and cutting edge across 90 minutes.
Part of the problem has been time. Or rather, the lack of it.
An unforgiving schedule across four competitions has limited training ground work. Instead of extended sessions, preparation has been reduced to meeting rooms, video analysis and walk-throughs.
That is the price of competing on multiple fronts, but for Newcastle United, it remains relatively new territory.
Injuries and disruption take their toll
The physical cost has been severe. Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Tino Livramento and Fabian Schar are all currently sidelined. On Wednesday night, Anthony Gordon limped off with a hamstring issue.
These absences have disrupted continuity and balance. They have also slowed the integration of summer signings still adapting to the system.
Only Malick Thiaw has truly settled. Others arrived late in a chaotic window where the club operated without a sporting director and missed out on several primary targets.
Forwards yet to click despite heavy spending
The most pressing concern remains at the top end of the pitch.
Despite spending £179m on forwards, Newcastle United are still searching for a settled attacking combination.
Jacob Ramsey, Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa all arrived in the final fortnight of the window. Their bedding-in period has been anything but smooth.
At the Etihad, Elanga offered energy and directness off the bench. Woltemade, by contrast, was withdrawn at half-time and has not scored since December. A visibly rusty Wissa missed several presentable chances across both legs of the semi-final.
The lack of cohesion is evident. Movement is disjointed. Confidence looks fragile.
For a side built to challenge on multiple fronts, the attacking output has not matched the investment.
A defining run ahead
As Newcastle United head into a demanding stretch of fixtures, the margin for error is shrinking.
“Where does that leave our season?” Howe asked. “We’re still fighting on several fronts. The games are coming thick and fast. There’s no let-up for us.”
He offered a familiar but vital reminder. “We need to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible. It’s the only thing that gives you new energy.”
For now, belief remains, both in the stands and inside the club. But belief needs momentum.
This season may yet turn, but the Etihad served as a sobering snapshot of where Newcastle United truly are. Ambitious, evolving, but still learning how to bridge the gap between promise and power.