England's two domestic knock-out trophies have been significantly devalued through shifting sands over the lengthy passage of time.
The FA Cup is no longer the be-all-and-end-all of glamorous achievement as it was when Wor Jackie and Bobby Mitchell strutted their stuff across the fifties while the League Cup has always operated as the spare to football's heir.
However on the banks of the River Tyne cup dreams remain a constant fascination rooted in the club's DNA even though inexplicably nought has been achieved for 68 years. Whereas fans and clubs elsewhere may view the FA and League Cups as an irrelevance looking instead towards the wider boundaries of Europe we do not dismiss the opportunity of winning something so easily.
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Which is why United are wildly celebrating reaching the League Cup semi-finals for only the second time in their hit-and-miss history. Glory me, this is not to be sniffed at by those who have suffered for so long. Especially after what had literally just gone before.
Self-inflicted wounds cut the deepest and Newcastle crashing out of the FA Cup both hurt and annoyed in equal measure.
Eddie Howe, normally the shrewdest of the shrewd, fell into the Steve Bruce trap of miscalculation making a whopping eight changes at Sheffield Wednesday because they are from League One and United surrendered to inferior opposition at the first hurdle yet again. Four changes, maybe, but not eight. Eddie was never going to repeat that mistake.
There are no genuine giant killings these days, not like when non-league Hereford knocked out a full strength Newcastle side of First Division stars in 1972 because managers treat early rounds as an opportunity to give fringe players a rare run out or a means of breaking in others coming back from injury. Sheff Wed beat Newcastle reserves in the main while Aston Villa similarly made eight changes and lost to League Two Stevenage.
However chastised by a rare defeat this season and perhaps with one eye cast upon United's embarrassing League Cup record Howe went for broke against Leicester as we all expected. This was Newcastle's 10th League Cup quarter-final appearance and in eight of the previous nine they had tasted the bitter pill of defeat. Their only victory, in season 75-76, came courtesy of an own goal.
A shoddy record for sure but United's fans still dreamed on selling out SJP at 50,000-plus for the second successive home League Cup tie. Try telling these supporters even in difficult financial times that this competition does not matter!
The Magpies reverted to their tried and trusted. The usual bunch of Scrooges returned at the back and consequently Newcastle kept a clean sheet. No surprise there but one of them, Dan Burn, actually scored the breakthrough goal and it was a striker's finish with the big man swaying through defenders to expertly right foot into the far corner. This was supposed to be Dan's weak foot but no one noticed.
United's second came off exactly the same flank, set up by an astute rapier pass from Miggy Almiron and a sweeping finish by Joelinton. The B-boys from the opposite end of the global spectrum - Blyth and Brazil - had done the business and a mini run of three matches without victory was confined to the dustbin before it could become big enough to worry.
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