Newcastle vs. Liverpool: Winners and Losers from Premier League
"What went wrong? Nearly everything. The start, the middle, the end," manager Jurgen Klopp bemoaned to reporters after Liverpool's 2-0 loss to Newcastle United on Sunday, per Nik Postinger.
After destroying Southampton 6-1 this past Wednesday in the Capital One Cup, the Reds followed up with a truly bleak performance at St. James' Park, falling to a Martin Skrtel own goal and a Georginio Wijnaldum strike.
Alberto Moreno did net a sumptuous goal at 1-0, which was wrongly flagged for offside, but overall Liverpool's performance was laboured, slow and uninspiring. Newcastle defended stoutly and took their chances in a bitty game.
Here, B/R picks its winners and losers from the game.
Winner: Joe Allen, Liverpool
1 of 5
Plus points from this game will be tough to glean for Jurgen Klopp after this performance, but one surprise impresser can be found in the form of midfielder Joe Allen.
"Played well, worked hard [and made] important interventions," B/R's Karl Matchett tweeted in praise of the Welshman, who was positively all over the pitch (in a good way!), sniffing out interceptions and creating turnovers.
His passing was perhaps a little sloppy in the opening 25 minutes, but he recovered to prove a more reliable ball player than anyone else in the midfield.
Loser: Christian Benteke, Liverpool
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Liverpool simply do not look comfortable playing with Christian Benteke as their starting No. 9. All the concerns expressed during the club’s courting of him during the summer have been proven warranted, and Sunday’s loss to Newcastle United exemplified them in front of the watching world.
Benteke's movement (or lack of) directly harms the Reds’ build-up play, and he doesn’t get himself into the box often enough. He doesn’t anticipate first-time passes or play on the front foot; he’s reactive, not proactive.
None of this was a problem at Aston Villa, where he set the style and tempo of play. But at Liverpool he resembles an exceptionally square peg in a gaping round hole, and it was no surprise to see him withdrawn in the 62nd minute.
Winner: Georginio Wijnaldum, Newcastle United
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Georginio Wijnaldum is developing a reputation for himself as a match-winner. He’s quickly emerged as the offensive spark Newcastle United look to to make the difference in games, and on Sunday against Liverpool, he delivered once again.
His barreling run and shot forced Martin Skrtel’s own goal to open the scoring. Then his lung-busting surge and calm finish in the dying moments iced the game and confirmed the three-point haul for his side.
His outrageous stamina levels make him a threat for 96 minutes or more, and he did a good job (along with Vurnon Anita) in closing down in midfield.
Loser: Jordon Ibe, Liverpool
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Jordon Ibe will have impressed some fans on Sunday due to his willingness to dribble at opponents, but his blatant lack of end product continues to frustrate those who are well acquainted with him.
Ibe’s decision-making process sabotages attacks, and his failure to release the ball on time ruined three or four potent-looking Liverpool moves. Many of his crosses were simply slammed into the defender’s legs after he’d run out of pitch, and the one shot he took was skied.
The 19-year-old is a promising player, no doubt, and his electric pace and width are useful assets. However, he needs to start delivering from good positions, else patience may just run out with him soon enough. He'll have better days on the field.
Winner: Steve McClaren, Newcastle United
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This win comes at a fantastic time for manager Steve McClaren, who has been under an immense amount of pressure. Per the Chronicle, he’s been given two games to save his job—the first of which has seen the club claim a three-point haul off in-form Liverpool.
He was perhaps fortunate to come up against a Reds side who put in their worst performances in recent memory. But the committed nature of their defending—in addition to the execution up top—suggests McClaren motivated his side for this one and made them believe a result was possible.
When you’re down the wrong end of the table, that can be tough to do—so fair play.
