TWO years ago, Newcastle United were delighted simply to be at Wembley. This time around, Eddie Howe is adamant the mood will be different when his side head into the Carabao Cup final.

There was a novelty factor to Newcastle’s appearance at the national stadium in 2023, with their game against Manchester United ending a wait of more than 20 years for a cup-final appearance. Yes, the 2-0 defeat was bitterly disappointing. But it was still a good day out.

Two years on, and things have changed. This is no longer a club or a team that takes satisfaction from making it to the top table. So, while there was pride in the wake of last night’s semi-final win over Arsenal, there was not the kind of unbridled joy that might have been expected.

Come March 16, Newcastle will be ready. And this time around, they will not be travelling to the capital to take in the sights.

“I think we learned a lot from that day,” said Howe, who has admitted his side failed to perform when they were beaten by Manchester United two seasons ago. “The whole build-up to the game was long. Looking back, it was exhausting for me, so I’m sure it was the same for the players.

“You learn different techniques to help keep your concentration and focus, and not become tired because of the long build-up. There’s definitely things that, as a club, we can look at and improve.

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“We can help the players, and make sure that when that day comes around, we’re able to help them to perform and give our absolute best.”

Understandably, Howe wants to take some of the emotion out of Newcastle’s return to Wembley. Nevertheless, the magnitude of what his side could achieve will be impossible to ignore over the course of the next month.

By the end of this season, it will be 70 years since Newcastle last won a domestic trophy. The drought has become one of the great statistical quirks of British sport, a weight that hangs around the neck of every manager who stands in the dugout at St James’ Park, and every player that wears the black-and-white stripes.

Has Howe contemplated what it would be like to end the yearning? Can he even begin to consider what it would feel like to lead a side that lifted a trophy instead of being ushered out of Wembley, battered and bruised?

“It’s a long time, isn’t it,” said Howe, when asked to reflect on Newcastle’s seemingly-endless wait for silverware. “It’s difficult for me to add too much to it. It’s a long time, and we’d love to end it. We’ll work as hard as we can, and prepare right, to try to do that.”

To that end, last night’s performance provides a template to follow. There was the potential for emotion and drama as Newcastle sought to defend a two-goal lead at St James’, but for all the pre-match talk of nerves and tension, Howe’s players delivered an ultra-professional display. Do the same thing again in the middle of March, and perhaps this trip to Wembley will follow a different script.

“You know the magnitude of the occasion, and the repercussions, good and bad,” said Howe. “But you can’t get caught up on that. The players were emotional, but in the right way. We weren’t over the top, we weren’t irrational, we were in control of everything we were doing.

“I think that comes with experience. Part of the team selection was to pick a team that could handle the occasion and the environment it was going into. There were some really wise heads on the pitch, really good leaders. I thought we looked a top team.”