A Martin Skrtel own goal from a deflected Gini Wijnaldum shot opened the scoring with our Dutch number five sealing the three points in stoppage time with a cool finish from a Moussa Sissoko through ball.
Much was made of Liverpool’s impressive form prior to the match and it’s fair to say that optimism was in short supply following two dismal results for United but you have to give credit where it’s due. Part of Liverpool’s upturn in form can be attributed to the increased work rate that Jurgen Klopp has instilled within his group and Steve McClaren said prior to the game that we’d have to beat that to win. True to his word we did cover more ground and ended up winning the game.
What was pleasing from our perspective was the increased sense of commitment from our players who actually looked like it mattered. And of course the crowd responded to each tackle in turn.
This win does not turn our season around but it has built some bridges and does show that we do have players able to get us out of this. We just have to do what we did today in a more regular basis.
Next Sunday we’re away at Tottenham where we can expect another tough day where we’re not going to be favourites again. But if we approach the game as we did today we can walk away with credit, even if we don’t get a result.
Newcastle: Rob Elliot, Paul Dummett, Chancel Mbemba, Fabricio Coloccini, Daryl Janmaat, Georginio Wijnaldum, Vurnon Anita, Jack Colback, Moussa Sissoko, Siem de Jong, Papiss Cisse
Subs: Karl Darlow, Jamie Sterry, Kevin Mbabu, Yoan Gouffran, Florian Thauvin, Ayoze Perez, Aleksandar Mitrovic
Liverpool: Simon Mignolet, Nathaniel Clyne, Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren, Alberto Moreno, Lucas, Joe Allen, James Milner, Jordan Ibe, Firmino, Christian Benteke
Subs: Adam Bogdan, Kolo Toure, Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana, Divock Origi, Cnnor Randall
Attendance: 51,273
When i think about it, most of the top club “rejects” go on to have decent careers. The failures are the exception rather than the rule. You look at Hernandez and Evra now. The exceptions are usually after injury (Alan Smith) or when they get old (Rio Ferdinand) and their squad players are usually good enough for mid-table first teams.
I suppose when you think of Townsend it depends on whether you think Spurs are a top team.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It is whether we think he is better than what we have.
Stuart79(Quote)
It is funny that this argument has gone on about a player we probably will not get because – Spurs will want too much for him and Villa and Mackems are more desperate and will guarantee first team football.
I suppose it did graduate to a more general discussion on player evaluation.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I was also thinking that Carr has gambled on Thauvin and getting in another winger would not look good even though Aarons and Obertan are injured.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Personally I think another Centre midfielder and centre half are bigger priorities
Stuart79(Quote)
I have to stop myself from falling into the trap of us having one good game and thinking we will be OK. We had 3 terrible games before that.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Not just 3
Stuart79(Quote)
If a player is playing for a top club into his early 20s, then it seems likely he’ll still be able to cut it in lower down PL clubs at least for the rest of his career, but very few of them go from being sold by a top club to being back into Europe even on a semi-regular basis. Being an ok squad player for us is one thing, I just don’t see Townsend being our next Ginola or even Robert. More likely he’ll be our next Routledge I think…
ToonDarnSarf(Quote)
And yes…when we currently only have Mbemba (young and 1st season in England), Colo (creaking and inconsistent) and Lascelles (young and 1st season in PL) as fit centre halves, I’d like to see that areas strengthened.
We have Sissoko, Gini, Thauvin, Perez and Aarons who can play out wide.
Admittedly, I’d be ok if we signed a winger and then moved Sissoko or Gini into the centre…but I’d still make a centre back higher priority. I think being solid at the back would allow us to have better structure to go forward too.
ToonDarnSarf(Quote)
Finally 😆
Stuart79(Quote)
This whole question of players leaving top 6 clubs not being what we should be going for is strange one. I like to think of a football team like a jigsaw, you have to have the right players to fit. Now it would seem to me that you don’t need a squad of top 6 players to have the finished jigsaw /team, just the right players/ pieces and if that means we take the odd reject from certain teams so be it. What may not fit at say Spuds could be just what we need to have us perform well as a team. Are Leicester that brilliant? you would say no on paper, but quite simply it works, round pegs in round holes if you like.
kimtoon(Quote)
I’m worried about G2. I just hope that long awaited win against Liverpool wasn’t to much excitement for him.
Stem(Quote)
I will probably be on my own here, but I reckon we should bring Ravel Morrison back from Lazio 😯
I know he comes with a lot of baggage, but he’s a really talented footballer, and I reckon we could get him at a decent price. Hopefully the opportunity to play PL football again might focus his mind on football.
Risky, but if it paid off I reckon he’s be a good buy.
Sharpy17(Quote)
For Begas & Aussie
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1739875906232276&id=1716427371910463
Troy Stavers(Quote)
Troy – I know that’s for the Aussies but had a listen – class 😆
Sharpy17(Quote)
LB, CB & CM priority
Id sign Townsend if the intention was moving Wijnaldum/Sissoko inside, Otherwise It would makes no sense. We might as well persist with Thauvin, Aarons or recall Cabella is Marseille are pissing about
If we’re looking at Spurs stiffs Tom Carroll, Ben Davies & Federico Fazio would be more useful to us
CC(Quote)
we have/had wide men in Aarons, Sammy Ameobi, Obertan, Thauvin, Ben Arfa, Cabella, Marveaux, …. can anyone see the glaring issues here ?
…. not good enough, a bit radged, constantly injured, barking up the wrong tree perhaps ?
Who recruited them, and how much money was wasted in doing so… ?
Munich Mag(Quote)
Troy@314 🙂 immense .. 🙂
Munich Mag(Quote)
munich @317 – i agree…
then they go out and sign mitrovic who needs the ball plonked on his noggin.
but because not one of them are capable of it – he looks like a lamp post looking for a street.
the money wasting recruiter should have been put out to grass long ago.
roy cropper(Quote)
I heard something yesterday that really worries me. On Sunday we only had one shot on target and that was the 2nd goal. Against Palace we only had one on target, against Leicester I don’t think we had one on target and against Bournemouth we had one on target. That’s quite a bit of consistency that.
Stuart79(Quote)
Anybody going to own up and admit they were on here saying it was ridiculous to pay £27m for Lakuku?
Stuart79(Quote)
Did anyone actually say that Stuart?
georgio(Quote)
Quite a few in here
Stuart79(Quote)
Scum losing v Watford 😀
kimtoon(Quote)
Anyone still remember Emmanuel Riviere ? 😆
What is happening to him? Still on road to recovery?
AngelOfDeath(Quote)
Who?
Stuart79(Quote)
Jesus Christ, Bournemouth!
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – I said that with an ageing squad, Everton could have probably used the £27m more wisely. Never questioned he was a class player, just thought a cash strapped club were investing a lot of money in one player.
He’s an excellent talent and I bet Chelsea regret it now. I do think that if he was to suffer a long term injury, Everton don’t have the depth in there squad to cope without him.
Sharpy17(Quote)
He’s proving they spent it wisely. An ageing squad with goals is ok, an ageing squad without goals is ******!!
Just makes us look even more fucking backward thinking and **** poor.
Stuart79(Quote)
Well, we don’t need this result!
Stuart79(Quote)
Newcastle United – Mickey Mouse club run by imbeciles…
The only good thing about the whole club are the backroom staff and the fans.
Munich Mag(Quote)
McClaren, Simpson, Carr, Moncur, Charnley…..
Reads like a real whos-who of footballing expertise …
Munich Mag(Quote)