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Both <a href="worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/category/newcastle-united/">Newcastle United</a> and Tottenham fans will be dreaming of a potential trip to Wembley Stadium ahead of their teams’ League Cup quarter-final tonight. For viewers in the United States, the game is being shown live on <a href="http://www.beinsportsconnect.tv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beIN SPORTS Connect</a> at 2:45pm ET.
But the reality of modern life in the English Premier League means Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino&nbsp;and Newcastle manager Alan Pardew will field weakened sides at White Hart Lane.
Just one point separates the clubs in the league (Tottenham are 7th&nbsp;and Newcastle are 8th) and given the financial incentive for finishing in a higher position, cup competitions are not a priority for the two managers.
Pochettino was criticized for fielding a weakened Southampton side in the FA Cup 5th&nbsp;round last season, the Saints losing that match 1-0.
Ahead of the quarter-final with Newcastle, the Argentine manager was defending his squad rotation policy – he and Pardew have confirmed they’ll rest players, with league commitments to follow at the weekend.
Newcastle welcome Sunderland to St James’ Park on Sunday for the Tyne-Wear derby, consistently the club’s biggest match on the domestic calendar.
Pardew will prioritize that game, though he will also be acutely aware that he is within touching distance of becoming the man to end Newcastle’s long trophy drought.
If either side were to win this game and secure a semi-final place at Wembley, it would provide a huge psychological boost for the fans and players.
“For us it is a dream, (it is) unbelievable,” said Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini of the chance to win a trophy.
“It’s very important for us, the city and the club. Hopefully we can do it.”
What makes this cup tie so difficult for both teams however, is the timing of it. After difficult starts to the season, Tottenham and Newcastle are only beginning to build momentum in their respective campaigns.
Yet successful cup runs – as suggested by Coloccini – can also lead to improvement in the league. Indeed, Newcastle’s recent unbeaten run was galvanized in large part by a 2-0 away win over Manchester City in the League Cup.
This match provides the opportunity for fringe players to push for a place in the regular side and good form shown by them in the cup only increases the options available to their manager in the league.
“These are the only competitions where you can look at players with hope and ambition because in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/leagues-epl/">Premier League</a> it’s difficult,” Pardew said.
“We have played two Premier League teams in this competition but it has paid off massively for me and I feel very confident about the whole group.”
Pochettino was rather more blunt in his appraisal of squad rotation and cup commitments.
The former Argentina international is working his way through an awkward first season at Tottenham, during a period of consolidation and rebuilding for the club. Losing a first-team player in the cup and struggling in the league would be a disaster.
“When you are the coach, you have all the information [on fitness levels] and if you win, you are the best and if you don’t, you are a shit, who made the wrong decision,” Pochettino&nbsp;said ahead of the Newcastle match.
“When you sign a player, you have to have the belief in him and think that it is a possibility that he will play in some of the games.”
The difficulty for both managers in this match will be striking a balance between a team that is competitive yet sensible.
Whilst the League Cup is not valued as much as the Premier League by either club’s board, winning is a habit and the prospect of an iconic Wembley date will appeal greatly to Pardew and Pochettino.
Programming note: For viewers in the United States, <a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-3301630-11483567?sid=leaguecup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DishWorld</a>&nbsp;is streaming the Bournemouth-Liverpool&nbsp;live and in HD today at 2:45pm ET to soccer fans nationwide. You can view the game live on your computer, smartphone, tablet or Roku device. Setup just takes minutes, and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-3301630-11483567?sid=leaguecup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DishWorld</a>&nbsp;is incredibly easy to use, providing you with direct access to beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS Espańol and One World Sports, so you can watch games from the Capital One Cup, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue Un, African Cup of Nations, 2015 Copa America and much more. DishWorld is just $10/month and is completely legal. There’s no annual contract. It’s month to month.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-3301630-11483567?sid=leaguecup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up today at DishWorld</a>.

Spurs-Newcastle United Capital One Cup Quarter-final Preview

Spurs-Newcastle United Capital One Cup Quarter-final Preview - World Soccer Talk

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Two years ago, Fabricio Coloccini was named in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year after captaining Newcastle United to the cusp of a UEFA Champions League berth. In attack, Newcastle flaunted a fluid, exciting unit comprised of Demba Ba, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/10/04/papiss-cisses-performances-have-granted-alan-pardew-a-stay-of-execution/">Papiss Cisse</a> and Hatem Ben Arfa, with Yohan Cabaye the architect from midfield.
The same strengths upon which that Newcastle team built its unexpected success and led to the Geordies becoming one of the most popular English teams on the <a href="http://www.livefootballtickets.com">LiveFootballTickets.com website</a> have – in different ways – since developed into weaknesses that have left the club in a comatose state in the English Premier League.
Manager Alan Pardew has struggled under the weight of expectation generated by that stunning season, when he was voted by his peers as Premier League Manager of the Year. His relationship with fans has been strained by a combination of ill-advised PR moves and a regression in both results and the style of football being employed by his team.
The departures of Ba and Cabaye have hardly aided his cause however, with the latter’s big-money move to PSG sanctioned at the behest of owner Mike Ashley and his board. Newcastle’s tight wage policy and profits-first attitude has made replacing the world-class France midfielder a difficult task: the club has sorely missed his quality and presence.
Despite this, Pardew is not himself blameless. The dip in form of the aforementioned Coloccini and a public falling out with the temperamental but talented Ben Arfa (now on loan at Hull City) have at once affected this team’s defensive stability and potency going forward.
Worryingly for Newcastle, their situation has been mirrored by the likes of Steven Taylor, Cheick Tiote and Papiss Cisse, who have failed to recapture their promising form of two seasons ago. Even Netherlands goalkeeper Tim Krul fails to command the same presence he had behind a previously settled defence.
Pardew’s man management has understandably been questioned, though the former West Ham boss has managed to avoid the sack despite one very nervy flirt with relegation. His squad remains lampooned in a curious state, still possessing players of international class but failing to show signs of gelling as a unit or developing a cohesive style of football.
A persistence with a failing 4-2-3-1 formation and the failure to replace Cabaye and Ba – despite a raft of interesting signings – have been at the heart of Newcastle’s struggles. Recent rumours that Coloccini himself will succeed Pardew in a player-manager role perhaps best surmise the state the club finds itself in, having lost any direction and unity previously fostered by the English coach.
This season’s slow start has visibly eroded the confidence of Newcastle’s otherwise capable and talented footballers. Whether a new manager would be able to coax consistent performances out of Moussa Sissoko, Yoan Gouffran and Remy Cabella is a moot point, given the Newcastle board’s reluctance to show interest in creating a football legacy.
For the moment, owner Mike Ashley has indicated his willingness to simply take advantage of the generous financial windfalls that come with simply surviving in the Premier League.
The eight-year contract signed by Pardew in 2012 is arguably the predominant reason he has not been jettisoned by Ashley, who seems unwilling to sack the coach given the generous compensation fee his contract would demand.
So Pardew remains in his position almost by default, and must now instil a fighting quality (at the very least) in a team that seems set for another relegation battle this season.
Trips to Tottenham and Manchester City, follow the visits of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/10/10/steven-gerrard/">Liverpool</a> and Leicester City to St James’ Park after the international break, in what could be a defining month for the club and its beleaguered manager.
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Newcastle players and Alan Pardew must rally together

Newcastle players and Alan Pardew must rally together - World Soccer Talk

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Spurs-Newcastle United Capital One Cup Quarter-final Preview

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Newcastle players and Alan Pardew must rally together