The brave Newcastle United decision Eddie Howe must make to seal legacy

When ball No.5 emerged from the hat during the FA Cup fourth-round draw, Newcastle United supporters breathed a collective sigh of relief. For it was Norwich City or Bristol Rovers who would travel to Liverpool at the end of the month.

Such has been the enormity of Newcastle’s cup draws this season that fans were pessimistic despite still flying high with derby-day delight. A daunting - yet memorable - Champions League campaign plunged United into the deep end against European heavyweights AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund.

The Carabao Cup followed a similar pattern, with Eddie Howe’s side dumping both Manchester clubs out of the competition before losing to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on penalties. Following that with a first Tyne-Wear derby in eight years in the FA Cup led some to believe the footballing gods were winding the fan base up.

Who were the Magpies going to get in the fourth round, 1970s Brazil? As it happened, Newcastle drew Fulham away. A respectable, solid Premier League outfit but not a side Howe and Co should fear.

United have won five of their last six against Fulham - including their previous three outings at Craven Cottage. Fond memories of Rafa Benitez’s final game, Fabian Schar’s stylish spot-kick and Miguel Almiron’s Johan Cruyff-esque wondergoal last season are fond memories that spring to mind.

White attention turns to the Premier League, Howe will have Tyneside mortality on his mind. Chelsea vs Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City in other fourth-round draws means, if the Magpies progress, the Toon boss has a plausible chance of realising his Newcastle dream.

“My dream is to win something with Newcastle and that has not changed,” Howe said just over a year ago. “I don't know if 'burden' is the right word, I try to look at it the other way.

“As it's not been done for a long time, it’s a chance to create, maybe, some of our own history here, and leave a legacy of hopefully winning something. That should be a driver, not a pressure that's a negative on us.”

Nobody younger than 75 can likely remember Newcastle winning a domestic trophy, a brutal reality which blemishes the club’s recent history, gripping it firmly in an embarrassing, inescapable vice. They are English football’s greatest underachievers.

The Carabao Cup odyssey last year gave fans a flavour of success despite having to watch on as Manchester United players celebrated ending their own six-year trophy drought. Few Toon supporters, having watched their team lose for a record ninth consecutive time at Wembley, spared a moment for their woes.

Winning the FA Cup would immortalise Howe and should be the key focus from now until May. The fixtures are played on weekends, meaning fitness levels in the league should not be compromised. Luck and skill are needed in equal measure to lift the world’s oldest competition and, so far, Howe can be happy with his two ties. The Sunderland win earned him more much-needed credit in the bank while also streamlining the goals for 2023-24.

Win the FA Cup - a feat which guarantees another European adventure - and you can still claim the most successful Newcastle season in living memory.