Newcastle vs. Liverpool: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Newcastle United and Liverpool played out a dour encounter at St. James' Park on Saturday, with the hosts claiming a precious 1-0 victory to continue their good form.
Ayoze Perez netted after an Alberto Moreno defensive mistake in the second half to settle the score, and both Remy Cabella and Moussa Sissoko were denied late on as Simon Mignolet kept the Reds in the game.
Here, B/R picks its winners and losers from the game.
Loser: Brendan Rodgers' Tactics
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At times it looked like 4-2-3-1, and at times it looked like a 3-5-2. Raheem Sterling at wing-back, Glen Johnson at centre-back? Steven Gerrard in a double pivot?
Brendan Rodgers is making the same mistakes over and over again; it's frustrating for Liverpool fans to watch them occur every week. The team looked lost and confused tactically, and at no point did its game feature runners and off-the-ball movement.
It shouldn't be easy to contain this side.
Winner: Mehdi Abeid
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Mehdi Abeid made a surprise start midweek for Newcastle United against Manchester City and played superbly, thus winning a starting role for this weekend's clash against Liverpool.
The 22-year-old has waited a long, long time to make an impact at St. James' Park but has seized his chance, performing well against the Reds and helping his defence contain Raheem Sterling and Co.
Some timely interventions and sliding interceptions even gave his game a highlight-reel-esque feel at times.
Loser: Gabriel Obertan, Alan Pardew and the Newcastle Fitness Team
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Gabriel Obertan enjoyed something of a renaissance October, returning from the depths of the Newcastle United roster and becoming a key player.
Unfortunately, he and the fitness team badly mismanaged his condition this week, and after playing a good game on the counter against Manchester City midweek, he pulled up lame with a thigh injury just shy of half an hour into this contest.
It allows us to revert to the Raheem Sterling issue with tiredness; fast players with fast muscle fibres, like Obertan, need far more careful management. The player must also know his own limitations.
Winner: Ayoze Perez, Who Scored the Winner
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Ayoze Perez started from the bench this weekend—a fact slightly surprising given his winning impact last week.
Papiss Cisse looked rusty up front and was dogged by a knee injury, so Perez came on at half-time and gave Newcastle a little more attacking verve.
In a poor game, he provided a moment of opportunism in the penalty box, and in a situation where three strikers fight for every inch to play for Alan Pardew, Perez's winner counts as real kudos.
Loser: Glen Johnson, Who Cannot Stop Making Mistakes
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For reasons unknown, Glen Johnson seemed hell-bent on flunking a vital chance to usurp Javi Manquillo in the running for right-back.
He consistently gave the ball away and took risks throughout the game, worrying Liverpool's defensive line and forcing them into rescue action far too often for comfort.
Calls for the Manquillo to be inserted into the lineup against Real Madrid next week took on new legitimacy on Saturday afternoon; Johnson playing Perez and Cabella onside on a break at 1-0 down redefined poor defending.
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