Well seems my "white flag" approach worked!

Not a classic game. Expected Liverpool to dominate the ball and Newcastle to perhaps try and sneak something on the break and certainly expected more from them in attack. With a fit squad though I think we'd have had a tougher time.

I have to say I'm very satisfied with my team's showing but from Liverpool's point of view take it as a bad day at the office

Nice of Newcastle's defence to turn up.


Not a single shot on target from either team


Ooof! that hurts.

You're right to a degree. Based off recent performance we have been poor. But I just hope from Newcastle tonight was a showing of what we can do.. what we're capable of. Newcastle were fragile today and probably expected more from Liverpool going forward. And Liverpool probably expected Newcastle to turn keel over. We didn't.


As i said before, we're fragile but I think the neutrals got another taste how how good Newcastle can be. We're not a top team. We don't have a top team mentality. We have a losing mentality... sleeping giant kind of thing going on that the coaching staff at Newcastle are trying to put right. Newcastle have taken a lot of flack over the last few weeks and rightly so. Performances have been poor. From a Newcastle point of view I just hope it's not another false dawn.

Ibe was my MOTM, was one of the only real threats we had today. I wouldn't have taken him off. I'd also have played Henderson. If he had to come on from the bench then for one of Lucas/Allen (probably Lucas since he was poor today).

Moreno played alright though. He's an unlucky guy. Against Southampton he had that goal stolen from him from Origi and now the stupid linesman steals this one. He seems to like scoring great goals, yet twice in the space of a week he's been denied two of them.

TBH Ibe threatened but that's all, so many attacks broke down with him also. There was no flair today like we saw midweek. Passing was atrocious today, too short or too long and there were numerous players at fault. A very frustrating day

The real test of Newcastle and the crowd would have come HAD we scored first. However, we never looked at it and six changes from Wednesday's win was probably too many. Firmino hasn't really kicked on from the City game and was poor. Our passing was sloppy and lacklustre and we appeared to be in "It's only troubled Newcastle" mode which is never a good state of mind to enter a game in. Nrwcastle worked hard but we never tested their mental fragility. Nextel league game is breaking down a Pulis side - could be frustrating but let's hope today's bubble bursting has a positive effect and we prevail.

Klopp:

“We got this goal – it was something like a Christmas present or whatever. We made our goal, but because we weren’t good enough today, the linesman thought, ‘Don’t make world-class goals if you play this s***’."

http://www.thisisanfield.com/2015/12/jurgen-klopp/

Given that he manages you lot I really don't want to like him but I can't help it.

what you can do?

you didnt do much at all, you played a team that would be relegated if it played the final 23 games like it did today.
both teams today would have been beaten by the top 12, if thats all you can do you will likely just survive.

Yeah he certainly lights up the league. When he speaks you just want to listen.

When did he say that?

Not sure, on the post-match interview he didn't say it, but it's in quotes and a few places seem to have it so I'm guessing he did say it. This Is Anfield is a credible source.

I love Klopp.

result sux but not going overboard. We will be inconsistent and have bad days.

One thing though is Benteke will need to get with the pressing if he wants to remain. Pressing from the front is the trigger for other players to follow so its paramount the front player/players do this.

No need for knee jerk reactions. We won't play well every week and while it is hugely frustrating we will see performances like this through out the season.

Move on to next week and bounce back hard. Rest lots of players on Thursday for sure. No need to play best team in that game.

Can see sturridge starting vs WBA.

After match PC according to MOTD

After some recent results I saw people saying we were after 5 or 6 again V NUFC and confidently expecting it. Altho I was fairly confident we'd win that kind of talk worried me and hopefully what happened today has shown such people that no game is easy in the PL and if you are not on your game you could lose to anyone.

Talk of being title contenders looks a bit foolish now doesn't it - but the truth is so many teams are inconsistent too that a few good results and we will be saying it again .... and then we will get another bad result!! Sigh!!

I think we need to be honest - this squad is not good enough to finish top (or should not be) but hopefully with JK we can finish quite high (top 4 hopefully) and then after tweaks next summer we can improve next season and possibly then have a realistic tilt at the tile. It all depends who comes and goes.

NUFC were not that good today but did seem more up for it than us which is a bit hard to take. I felt maybe the2 least effective players today were Firmino and Benteke who were the ones who you are looking to for goals so that made us very impotent in attack. The longer we went without scoring the more NUFC believed in themselves. Ibe was lively but ultimately wasteful. I have come to really rate Lucas this season but today he made so many errors and was not the usual doing the right things quietly sort of presence that we have got used to from him and that weakened us too. I think Coutinho coming back will be key so lets hope it is soon - and maybe Hendo could start on Thursday even if he does not last the full game.

He has been the best thing to happen to the league since José first joined the league I would say.

We started off well, but at half time it was obvious it was one of those games that the first goal would nick it. Neither team played well, but once Newcastle scored they looked like a different team.

Personnel wise, Ibe was our best player. Moreno was probably the only other player to come out of the game with credit. Lucas, who has been outstanding so far under Klopp was poor, Benteke offered nothing and missed from 2 yards out, Firmino did nothing right all game.

Hopefully, it's a one off and Klopp can get us back to winning ways, I'm more confident under him than Rodgers, though the title talk definitely needs to be put on the back burner for now.

Klopp has indicated he's not going to splash out in the January transfer window, saying he wants to work with the players he has, so not good news for those hoping for improvements to the squad.

January is a difficult time to sign players anyway. Can maybe see a couple of deals happening. Not anything big though.

It's the same old story, we play well for a couple of matches and the slip up against opposition we should be getting a result from.

I hate playing teams at the bottom, it's as if we can only get up for the big matches and this has been going on for far too long.

Squad is decent with most positions having good options. Even the much maligned Lovren & Mignolet are playing well generally (both are a big improvement on their first season) - would be good to have Sakho back and Henderson, Coutinho and Sturridge fully fit/match fit. I'd say a dominant centre-half if one is available in January but happy otherwise.

Main problem Sunday was Firmino and Benteke didn't move the Newcastle defence around enough. Ibe tried but often seemed isolated or lacking in options when he found/created space. For continuity, we should have started with Lallana and Sturridge instead of Firmino and Benteke. Missed Can too.

It was seven wins out of eight competively so more than a couple of matches. If we'd got ahead against Newcastle, I'm sure they'd have deflated enough for a comfortable afternoon but we didn't and they grew in belief as the game went on.

I dont think we need another large turnover of players. Even in the summer I expect 2 or 3 rather than wholesale changes.

Benteke is a strange one as while he can score goals and can score some cracking goals does he fit this side. His stats from yesterday show 0 tackles and 0 interceptions, this is just not good enough for a side which wants to press from the front.

Klopp is a breath of fresh air. Liverpool were poor, and he didn't hide from it. Imagine a certain manager 200 miles south, who would have crucified the assistant, and protested that the best team lost.

I don't know if he's a dominant centre-half but I mentioned the other day a link to Subotic. He apparently wants to work with Klopp again and was with him at Mainz. I don't see us going on a £60 spending spree on Dortmund but if we are going to get some players from Dortmund then he could well be one of them.