Newcastle United's plans for the Carabao Cup final got under way before they even knew who they would be facing in the March 16 Wembley showpiece this week.

Eddie Howe and his backroom team will pore over their preparations from the 2023 final - which ended in a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United - and take the best bits from it, but other moves from that day will be scrapped. Newcastle stayed at the Hilton Hotel at Wembley last time out and were effectively ambushed by fans of both sides throughout an intense build-up to a 4.30pm kick off after being welcomed to their accommodation by a loud and lively hotel bar in reception.

There could be tweaks around accommodation, while other aspects such as meal times, travel times and training will be looked at by Howe and Co. Howe admitted after the 3-2 win over Birmingham City that he and his staff would be working closely with performance director James Bunce on how long some stars spend on the training field with injuries starting to build up.

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Last time around, Newcastle had the glare of the Amazon Prime Video cameras following them around and arguably had to "act up" in certain scenarios, with Dan Burn reading out Theodore Roosevelt's It is not the critic who counts poem just to add more nerves to an already intense build-up.

The players will also get more assistance getting tickets for players and families after many squad members were left sweating close to the run-up of the last Carabao Cup final. The club will also assist supporters tomorrow with a plan for Wembley ticket applications to go live much earlier than 2023.

Assistant manager Jason Tindall has made it clear that Newcastle need to treat the final like "a Premier League game" and they will need to against a Liverpool side that have won the League Cup 10 times and this is their third final in four years, with the Reds winning it in 2022 and 2024.

Liverpool, who have already started their own detailed analysis on Newcastle, are favourites to do so again at 2/5. But Newcastle's preparations this time are set to be more private.

Tindall told Chronicle Live: "Two years ago when we got to the final there was a lot of talk, it was the first time we'd got there in a number of years. It was a new experience for many of the players, staff and fans.

"Maybe the occasion got to us. The lack of experience and that's what I say we have to learn from those experiences and approach it like we do any other Premier League and try to get the job done."

Tindall and Newcastle staff have clashed with Liverpool before in the technical areas with the 2022 visit to Anfield resulting in an FA probe in which performance coach Dan Hodges was fined by the FA for booting a bottle at Liverpool's coaching bench. Tindall is full of respect for Arne Slot's staff though and while rivalries have not gone away, tensions have simmered between the two benches for now.

Tindall said: "They are a top, top team with exceptional players and we have to go to Wembley and we have to learn from our experiences last time. It is another game for us, we have to go out there and deliver the level of performance we did in the two semi-finals. And hopefully, we can go there this time and go one better."

Newcastle had an excellent warm-up for the final by seeing off Arsenal over two legs with Tindall paying tribute to the United squad for paying attention to the small details. Tindall said: "Arsenal are a top, top team as well, and they are there or there about, fighting for all competitions, it was important that we stuck to a plan.

"We had that plan in terms of how we wanted to player and it was about the players going out there ane executing what was asked of them. The players have to take full credit for the way they went out and performed, we went after them from minute one and made it uncomfortable for them. We defended our box really well, and we knew were a threat with Alex Isak and Jacob Murphy with their transitional pace, when those moments come it is about taking your chances."

It will have to be the same and more for Newcastle at Wembley and a major plan will be needed to stop Slot's side. Dealing with the intense surveillance of their own plans will also be a challenge for Newcastle, with even Birmingham City's analysts knowing most of United's corner routines at St Andrew's yesterday and stopping them from set-pieces as well as nullifying the threat of Lewis Miley.

The assistant coach said on Newcasle's own work: "You have to do your analysis and how the opposition line up, then come up with a plan that executes what we try to deliver.

"We have done well so far this season with our set-plays. A lot of people have to take credit for that and so have the players. You give them the detail but they are the ones that go out and execute it. We know that Arsenal are one of the best for set-plays, one of the best around but over two legs we have dealt with their threats, full credit to the players."

Now though Tindall and Howe will aim to bottle up the right mix of excitement and preparation into the game, Newcastle staff know could change the history books.

Tindall said: "We have to enjoy it. It is a special occasion, a cup final that doesn't happen very often. We have to enjoy it and then our focus starts on the next day. In both cup competitions we want to go far."