The Isak problem and Howe's poor call - Five takeaways from Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle
Newcastle United lost 2-0 at Anfield on Wednesday night in a performance that was the personification of ‘meh’.
United barely got out of first gear and lost to a side who didn’t have to get out of second as they continue their way to the Premier League title thanks to soft goals from Dominik Szoboszlai Mac Allister either side of the break.
Here are our five key takeaways from the game:
- Beaten before a ball was kicked?
Pregame Eddie Howe said, ‘we have to be brave.’ Well, that game plan was, once again away at an ‘elite side’, anything but. There appears to be mentality issue with the team in either applying his instructions or they’re not listening to him, or the game plan Howe presents to the media pregame isn't entirely true.
Frankly any of those, admittedly speculative, reasons are deeply concerning as they all come with their own set of problems. Either the team is mentally weak, unable to follow instructions, or the kidology is an unadvised (and hence must stop) approach as it obviously fails our squads’ strengths and highlights our glaring weaknesses.
The loss of Isak pregame (more on that to come) also appeared to seal our fate as anytime the Swede misses a game (Bromley aside) we simply can’t get it going in attack. It’s also deeply unsettling that a team containing Bruno, Tonali and Gordon et. al appears to be morphing into a one-man team.
- No Isak = toothless attack
The entirety of Tyneside let out a collective groan when the team news came out at seven o’clock and Isak was missing via injury, but you simply wouldn’t have predicted just how toothless his absence would make us on the night.
United failed to register a shot on target with Willock, Wilson and Gordon practically anonymous all night and with nothing of note or fancied on the bench to change the insipid attacking output.
It’s a desperately sad indictment of competitive balance and league rules that our ability to invest in the squad over the last THREE windows has left the squad so thin. But Eddie Howe must take the blame too on the night as the apparent reluctance to make changes early enough to change the flow of the game, after a steady-ish start to the second half, resulted in United being 2-0 down (and the game all but over) before any subs were made.
- Aging defence but young star shines
Games like this one at Anfield once again highlight why Newcastle were so keen to sign a quicker, younger central defender in the summer. Liverpool’s gameplan pretty much boiled down to hoof it out to Salah and watch him use his pace up against Hall and Burn. It was largely ineffective but showed just how easy a strategy is needed to get in behind our aging central defenders and inexperienced fullbacks.
A central defender is the most needed signing in the summer hands down, and he must come in early enough in the window so that he has plenty of time to bed in.
Saying that, I thought Lewis Hall did a good job against Salah, all things considered. He was one of few positives, keeping tight to the world's most in-form winger and giving his good as he got. Considering his defensive frailties kept him out of the side last season, it was a promising performance from the 20-year-old after he shone in the final third last weekend.
- Dubravka is desperately unlucky
The Slovak must be sitting on the bench thinking to himself he could be in Saudi now earning millions, setting up generations of his family’s future, and getting in some UV rays too. Instead, he must sit on the bench in the pouring rain watching his goalkeeping unit compatriot stink up the place in his last two appearances.
Nick Pope was a car crash on the night. He was shaky with the ball at his feet, could barely get down to his left for Liverpool’s first goal and looked like Bambi’s mother in the hunter’s crosshairs on balls in behind and balls into the box all night. His nervousness, after he nearly gifted Salah a goal, then transferred to the defence as they know passing lanes and out balls that were available with Dubravka in the net are simply not available.
Eddie Howe hasn’t gotten much wrong in his time on Tyneside, but I think the decision to drop Dubravka after his contribution to the nine-game winning run, especially with Pope proving to be so, so poor on his return, is a honking decision. Does the gaffer feel he owes Pope after he missed the 2023 cup final? Maybe, but on the evidence of the last two games I’d put Dubravka back in nets ASAP. Hopefully, it’s a decision Howe will not come to regret.
- TNT Commentary
Was absolutely vomit-inducing. It was a Liverpool love-in, especially for the surprisingly quiet Salah, and a surprise they even remembered to take breaths.
Can you not simply commentate on what is happening in the game? The objective action on the pitch. I’ve made this comment before, but I will say it again – many football fans up and down the land pay thousands of pounds to watch this coverage, is it too much to ask for a bit of objectivity. I, once again, will not hold my breath.
Keep the faith. HWTL
