Gary Neville in shock as Ruud Gullit makes honest claim about Newcastle United
The ghosts of Wembley past have finally been exorcised. When Dan Burn’s towering header found the net in March’s Carabao Cup final, it didn’t just give Newcastle United the lead against Liverpool – it shattered seven decades of frustration at the national stadium.
That 2-1 victory marked more than just a trophy; it represented the closing of one chapter and the thrilling beginning of another for a club long starved of success.
The weight of history made that moment even sweeter. For 23 years, Newcastle’s Wembley story had been one of missed opportunities and unfulfilled promise. Rob Lee’s 2000 FA Cup semi-final header against Chelsea stood as their last goal at the iconic venue until Burn’s breakthrough – a statistic that encapsulates generations of near-misses.
The 1999 FA Cup final against Manchester United particularly stung, with Ruud Gullit’s side becoming mere footnotes in the Red Devils’ treble-winning campaign after a 2-0 defeat.
Gullit’s recent comments about that match raised eyebrows among those who witnessed it firsthand. “We really played really, really well,” the Dutchman insisted to Gary Neville’s visible surprise during a Sky Sports discussion.
This revisionist perspective contrasts sharply with Alan Shearer’s blunt assessment – the Newcastle legend admitted embarrassment over the subsequent bus parades, acknowledging the team “didn’t put up much of a fight” against Sir Alex Ferguson’s juggernaut.
Those painful memories made March’s celebrations so cathartic. Where previous generations had empty-handed homecomings, Eddie Howe’s squad gave Geordie fans something tangible to cherish – Newcastle’s first major domestic trophy since the 1955 FA Cup.
The scenes along Barrack Road and Strawberry Place carried extra poignancy for supporters who remembered the hollow parades of 1998 and 1999, when the club commemorated final appearances rather than victories.
Howe’s achievement transcends the Carabao Cup itself. By delivering silverware so early in the post-takeover era, he’s reshaped the club’s psychological landscape. No longer the plucky nearly-men, Newcastle now carry themselves with the assurance of winners – a transformation evident in their subsequent European performances.
That Wembley triumph has become a reference point, proof that the club’s ambitions extend beyond mere top-four finishes to sustained trophy challenges.
The parallels between eras highlight how far Newcastle have come. Where Gullit’s side faced a Manchester United team at their absolute peak, Howe’s men conquered a Liverpool side chasing quadruple glory.
The difference? This Newcastle team believed they belonged on that stage – a mentality shift engineered by Howe’s meticulous preparation and the owners’ strategic investments.
Shearer’s criticism of those 90s parades stung because it spoke to a deeper truth about the club’s psyche. Celebrating participation rather than achievement had become ingrained, a symptom of lowered expectations.
Now, with Saudi-backed ownership and a trophy secured, the benchmark has been recalibrated. Future Wembley appearances will be judged not by mere attendance, but by the color of medals around players’ necks.
As Newcastle build toward their next Wembley opportunity – whether in this season’s FA Cup or future campaigns – they do so unshackled from history’s weight.
The Carabao Cup victory didn’t just end a drought; it rewrote the club’s relationship with the national stadium. No longer a place of what-ifs, Wembley now stands as the stage where Newcastle’s new era was truly born.
For supporters who endured the Gullit and Shearer eras, this renaissance carries special meaning. The black-and-white scarves waved during March’s celebrations weren’t just celebrating one trophy – they marked the end of Newcastle’s inferiority complex on the big stage.
When the next Wembley occasion arrives, the Magpies will walk out not as hopeful underdogs, but as proven winners hungry for more.