My "favourite" Newcastle player could be Liverpool's kryptonite - Ryan Taylor

Newcastle United cult hero Ryan Taylor has explained which Mag "won’t freeze" during the Carabao Cup final. 

The Toon Army head to Wembley on Sunday looking to finally bring their long standing domestic trophy drought to a definitive end with the tough task of beating Premier League leaders Liverpool ahead of them.

Eddie Howe will need his key men to perform on the day if Newcastle are to avoid a repeat of the heartbreak suffered against Manchester United in 2023, and one man in particular is being touted as the man for the big occasion.

Taylor backs Tonali for big role

Former Newcastle United full-back Ryan Taylor believes that Sandro Tonali could “run the game” against Liverpool in Newcastle’s quest to lift the Carabao Cup.

Tonali has excelled since dropping into that No.6 role, with his pace, energy, tenacity and composure making him Taylor's "favourite" Newcastle player and the key to our hopes of victory this weekend.

Speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle about our hopes of winning the final, Taylor picked out Tonali as the potential difference maker and explained why his big-game experience and energy could be vital:

"On the player front, signings like Sandro [Tonali] and one or two other players have not half brought the team on.

"He's my favourite player. He could run the game at Wembley. I don't think someone like him would freeze.

"We've got that experience of being there and knowing what it's all about now. We are in a better place than we were two years ago."

2025 final feels different to two years ago

Taylor added that the final in 2025 has a different feel about out to the ill-fated one of two years ago.

A cup tied Martin Dubravka and suspended Nick Pope saw Loris Karius make a rare Newcastle appearance, his only of that season in fact, which may have unsettled the back line. Lewis Hall, Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon may be unavailable, but their replacements are all more familiar with the squad.

Taylor said: "I think we got a little bit unsettled with goalkeeper situations and of no fault of [Loris] Karius, but if you've got someone like a Nick Pope or [Martin] Dubravka who knows the players inside out, it can make it a little bit easier.

"But we kind of went in hope rather than expectation (against Man Utd in 2023) because we hadn't been there in so long and we haven't won a trophy in so long.

"I think this year is a little bit different. We're going with more expectation now because we are mixing it with the bigger teams. So it's a little bit of a different feel to it this year. There's a lot of promise there that we can go there and lift the cup, which has been long overdue.”

Behind-the-scenes changes have been made to ensure focus is on the game rather than the occasion. Eddie Howe has delayed his pre-final press conference until Friday, while measures have been put in place to allow the players to give full focus to on-field matters in the approach to Wembley.