Newcastle 2 Liverpool 3: Match Review

Never ones to let the side down, are we? Got to add to the classic clips reel, don’t we? The football river keeps rolling down the Tyne and the Mersey and a new generation is on the edge of their seat, shouting their heads off, and on the pitch.

Nothing about this fixture has ever been calm. And you’d hate us if you were them. We keep coming and we keep finding a way. We keep standing firm no matter what they do. We keep being what they’d love to be. Imagine being us.

There was loads of chat about a rivalry before this, about an “increasingly bitter” rivalry from people who should know better. From some right characters. Newcastle may view us as rivals, that is their prerogative, but we can’t be rivals with everyone in the league.

But we know that Newcastle United are going to be hard. They are going to be rough. They are going to kick first and ask questions later. The first half is brutal for thirty and then comic for twenty. They are not only physical but direct. They take possession of this game and lock us out. Then their edge fades.

There are some stars in red, still. Dominic Szoboszlai has taken up the reins at right back and is putting a shift in. Newcastle try to overload him, not unreasonably, but he largely withstands it all. And Ryan Gravenberch deserves his goal against the run of play on the 35th minute. He’s becoming our cornerstone midfielder, driving forward. It’s great to see. And then Newcastle spend the ten minutes either side of half time unable to look at a rake without fouling it.

It was so hot. Generating steam heat. All day so hot and the heat gets to Newcastle. They’d spent the week getting all revved up and ready to go. They are a shambles there for a period. Perhaps they felt they ought to be ahead. Perhaps they felt overwhelmed. Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk had shown tons of experience and then Anthony Gordon loses himself just after Dan Burn had lost himself and just before Bruno Guimaraes was going to lose himself.

In between all that Hugo Ekitike tells us that its not just Chiesa who is here to win, making it three in three. Superstar.

But Liverpool were not perfect. And ending up playing against 10 men can’t hide the looseness in the Reds right now. There is a lot to tighten up. Yet again as the hour mark approached Liverpool knocked off and then paid the price for it.

The truth is that this Liverpool team doesn’t know itself well. This is the lie the transfer market hullabaloo tells us: just buy the best players and all will be well. It’s just wrong. It takes hours and hours of play for even the best footballers to know and understand each other. We cannot afford to keep doing this and the team will know it. The manager will know it. You have to be able to defend against 10 men. You have to be able to shut games down. We have to play better. That’s the difference between good signings and a good team.

We’ve bought well, but this is going to take time. And we need to buy more. We need more options.

Liverpool’s defensive problems are still there though as well and Newcastle’s determination too. Bruno Guimaraes has been full of fury all game and spots the keeper and co napping and grabs a goal back. The set piece bombardment doesn’t stop. They’re forming in a straight line. All revved up and ready to go. William Osula epitomises it. And Newcastle just believe.

Ibou Konate is not right again. He looks lost at times, and Virgil Van Dijk looked frustrated. He says we cannot give away goals from set pieces and he is correct. We cannot do this anymore. The manager has to sort our defensive firmness. But van Dijk is a colossus. He is just the most perfect Liverpool captain for the moment.

There had been many incidents to this whole game though and so, so many delays, and as a result, the clock is still ticking. Arne Slot picks the 96th minute to bring on Harvey Elliot and Rio Ngumoha. A decision that changes everything in a pounding St James’ Park. 100 minutes sees Chiesa weigh a lovely pass to Mo Salah who slides it perfectly across goal. Dominic Szoboszlai does the most wonderful thing. Seeing 16 year old Rio behind him, he dummies the defender and steps over the ball letting a free Rio Ngumoha blast it into goal. Szoboszlai could take it himself. He trusts the kid. The kid delivers. Hello next generation.

This is football. You have faith in each other. Elliott wheels away before it leaves his foot. Faith in each other, faith you find a way. Being The Champions is, in itself an act of faith and you hear it from the terraces.

Mo Salah hadn’t imposed himself on the game until his incredible assist in the final minutes to seize the three points. Such a fabulous passage of play. Felt like it had everyone involved.

One for the ages, but he had had 99 minutes beforehand to make a difference. It sums him up in a way. He just stays present. They all stay present. They find their moment when the ball is in play, at their feet and they make it tell.

16 or 34, they make it tell. They make it work.

They aren’t perfect but they are the Champions. And they’ll do for me.

Hey. Ho. Let’s go.