Newcastle United players waited impatiently in the Etihad tunnel.
There were three minutes left before kick-off and the Carabao Cup holders were desperate to get going as a bemused Kieran Trippier looked around and wondered where his Manchester City counterparts were.
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There was no sign of Pep Guardiola’s team.
The hosts took their time exiting the dressing room, but they quickly left Newcastle dazed after take a 3-0 lead in the second leg of their semi-final.
On a day when CEO David Hopkinson doubled down on his claim that Newcastle will be competing for the biggest prizes by 2030, the naive visitors looked far away during that first half.
Head coach Eddie Howe certainly didn’t hold back in the away dressing room as he made a triple change at half-time.
“I was really annoyed,” he said.
Not for the first time.
Newcastle managed to rally after the break and pull one back through substitute Anthony Elanga as they went away with a 5-1 defeat on aggregate.
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It was a night where the 5,400 away fans repeatedly chanted “Eddie Howe’s Black and White Army”, in recognition of the head coach who ended the club’s seven-decade wait for a major domestic trophy in this very competition.
But it has been a difficult season for Newcastle and it shows no signs of letting up.
“The club is definitely in transition”
In truth, Newcastle are yet to catch fire six months into the campaign.
This may seem curious.
Newcastle have reached a third EFL Cup semi-final in four years.
Howe’s side remain favorites to overtake Qarabag and progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
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They could still return to Wembley via the FA Cup – although a tough fourth round match against Aston Villa awaits them next week.
But Newcastle are in 11th place in the Premier League.
The players had previously spoken among themselves about trying to make history once again by becoming the first Newcastle team to qualify for the Champions League in successive campaigns.
However, this travel-sick side have only won two away games in the top flight this season.
Howe’s men have picked up just 11 points from a possible 36 against the teams currently above them in the division.
They lost 16 points from the winning positions.
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It has felt like a season of transition, following the damaging departure of top scorer Alexander Isak, and Howe’s response was telling when asked if he could tolerate such a word this week.
“I can,” he said. “The transition within the team is obvious because we brought in players this summer and we lost some this summer.
“There was always going to be a change in the team. Now, change doesn’t have to be negative – it can be positive. We’re really trying to find that flow and rhythm that we’ve been looking for all season.
“As far as the club is concerned, it’s growing and changing all the time and I think that will continue in the coming years, probably at a rapid pace at some point. The club is definitely in transition – but in transition for the positive in my opinion.”
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Signatures always find their mark
There have certainly been glimpses of what this team could be in recent weeks.
There was a devastating first half against Chelsea, a lively hour at Paris St-Germain and a fine opening half an hour or so at Anfield.
But games are not won by bits.
It has been a frustration for the coaching staff to lack training time during a non-stop run of matches to really work on things and put everything back together like they have done in previous difficult periods.
Instead, players now rely on meeting rooms, analysis sessions and walkthroughs.
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This is of course the reality of life at clubs that aspire to compete on multiple fronts, but appearing in four competitions was an unprecedented feat for Newcastle in February.
The relentless nature of the schedule has had a knock-on effect on the team: Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Tino Livramento and Fabian Schar are all currently out, while Anthony Gordon limped off with a hamstring problem on Wednesday night.
It has also had an impact on the adaptation of Newcastle’s summer recruits who, apart from defender Malick Thiaw, are still finding their feet at the club.
Thiaw, Jacob Ramsey, Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa all joined in the last fortnight of a turbulent window, in which the club operated without a sporting director and missed out on numerous top targets.
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Newcastle, remarkably, are still looking for a settled combination in the final third despite spending £179 million on attackers.
Elanga enjoyed a lively second half at the Etihad, but Woltemade was substituted at half-time – having failed to score since December – while the rusty Wissa missed a host of good chances in both legs.
That leaves Newcastle with more questions than answers as they embark on a series of crucial fixtures.
“Where does that leave our season?” asked Howe. “We are still fighting on many fronts.
“The matches are coming at a fast pace. There is no respite for us. We have to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible. That’s the only thing that gives you new energy.”
