We Are Newcastle United episode 2 recap: Tell Me Ma, Me Ma

We Are Newcastle United episode 2: a fan holds a scarf at the Wembley cup final
We Are Newcastle United episode 2 features the highs and lows of the club's visit to Wembley. (Image credit: Getty Images)

We Are Newcastle United episode 2 picks up after the huge news that the Magpies were through to the Carabao Cup final.

In We Are Newcastle United episode 1, we were introduced to the club's new owners and the city's reaction to the news, as well as all the big changes that were implemented. But the biggest news of all was getting through to the cup final.

This was monumental for the team and for the city, with players and fans alike ready to travel to London to see them take on Manchester United at Wembley. But, unfortunately, it was not plain sailing.

The second episode of Prime Video's documentary focuses on the highs and the lows of the big final, as well as some glimpses into board decisions and vox pops from players to take us further behind the scenes.

So what happened? Here's everything you need to know about We Are Newcastle United episode 2...

We're going to Wembley

Loris Karius playing for Newcastle United at Wembley

Third-choice goalkeeper Loris Karius played in the cup final at Wembley. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The second episode focuses on the anticipated Carabao Cup final between Newcastle and Manchester United, where fans were hopeful that they'd bring home a trophy for the first time in 54 years.

Fans were decorating the city with flags and even put a shirt on the famous Angel of the North landmark at Gateshead, and the atmosphere could not have been stronger. Everyone was convinced they were going to do it.

A week before the big game, there was a board meeting to discuss how to best develop the team, with Peter Silverstone on board to raise the club's commercial income.

With the final looming, they also had their hearts set on European football, so there's everything to play for. But disaster soon strikes for the club which changed everything.

Star goalkeeper Nick Pope got red-carded and wasn't able to attend Wembley, and Martin Dubravka couldn't play either due to the fact he was cup-tied since he was previously on loan to Manchester United.

This meant that Newcastle had to bring in their third-choice goalkeeper Loris Karius, and the pressure is on to perform well and bring home the coveted trophy. This was the first time he had played with the club.

However, it was heartbreak for Newcastle United fans as when the final whistle blew, it was 2 - 0 to Manchester United, and the Magpies had to return to the North East empty-handed.

But the fans still rallied behind the club and were determined to see improvements going forward.

The hunt for a sponsorship

Co-owner Amanda Staveley and manager Eddie Howe looking happy

Co-owner Amanda Staveley and manager Eddie Howe had big plans for the club going forward. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Following the defeat Newcastle was on the hunt for a new sponsor to help support the club further. But there were some disagreements surrounding this, with other clubs putting strict new regulations in place.

These regulations included that any deal should be deemed to represent market value and not over-inflate it.

Amanda Staveley reveals she has been in talks with different companies to reflect this, and was in the process of narrowing it down to find the best fit for the club.

Meanwhile, Eddie Howe was concerned about the club's performance and admitted they'd "stalled" and needed to keep meeting the standards that the fans had following the takeover.

Following a 2 - 0 defeat by Manchester City, Newcastle was pushed down the table to sixth place, meaning they'd lost the coveted top four spot which now saw Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur filling those places.

But Eddie was not discouraged and cited a "strong mentality" as being required to push through and develop the squad, revealing that he could be "ruthless" if that was needed.

After plenty of discussions, the Newcastle board agreed that Saudi Arabian sporting event, hospitality, and real estate company Sela would become the new shirt sponsor, and we were shown some early mock-ups of how that would look on the new kit.

Finally, a win against Wolves pushed them back up so Newcastle had finally won a game after five losses, moving them to fifth place. But could they keep this momentum going?

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Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Now she works for our sister site TechRadar in the same role. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress