'They need' - Former Newcastle United favourite weighs in on silverware debate after Bromley and Arsenal wins
A former Newcastle United star has given his take on the race for major silverware and Champions League football.
Former Newcastle United star Warren Barton believes the Magpies can push for Champions League football - but stressed the importance of ending the club’s long wait for major silverware.
Sunday’s 3-1 home win against League Two club Bromley allowed the Magpies to safely progress and they were immediately handed a visit to League One title favourites Birmingham City in the fourth round. Eddie Howe’s men have made serious progress in the Carabao Cup and have moved to within touching distance of a second final in three seasons after claiming a 2-0 advantage in the first leg of their semi-final clash with Arsenal. Progress in both competitions has lifted hopes the Magpies can claim their first piece of domestic silverware since 1955 and their first silverware since they lifted the Inter-City Fairs Cup with a win against Hungarian side Ujpest Dosza in 1969.
However, a return to the Champions League is also on the agenda after United embarked on a run of five consecutive league wins to lift themselves into fifth place in the table ahead of Wednesday night’s home clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Ending the season in the same position is likely to be enough to claim a return to European football’s top table - although Howe’s men now lie just five points adrift of second placed Arsenal and will have loftier ambitions if they can continue building momentum throughout the second half of the season.
For former Magpies defender Barton, who made over 190 appearances for the club during a seven-year stay at St James Park, securing European football ‘is a must’ - but the three-times capped England international has stressed landing major silverware is of equal importance for the club’s long-term plans.
“A bit of silverware would make everyone delighted up in Newcastle,” Barton told SportsBoom.com. “European football is a must for the club, whatever that may be, and then try and get a trophy. It would be great to replicate Eddie’s second season when we finished fourth [in the Premier League]. But it’s a long season. Aston Villa are finding it a bit of a challenge now they’re in the Champions League. However, there’s no reason Newcastle can’t push on and find that consistency we’re looking for. Hopefully they can have a word in Champions League football or European football next season, that would be great.”
The former Magpies star added: “They need to win a trophy, whether that’s the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup, it doesn’t matter, they want to win a trophy. Pep [Guardiola] went in straight away at City and did it, [Jose] Mourinho did it at Man Utd, winning a cup straight away. You want to try and do that. Eddie knows the craving of silverware in the North East dates back to when Bobby Moncur lifted something – and that’s a long, long time ago.”