Post match comments v Newcastle

[Kilteragh]

Some good performances today, Lucas Gerrard & Babel etc

But how about that Sami Hyypia ? Another towering game

How lucky we are to have him, slowing down a tad maybe but an absolute star player for me.

A real legend.

Not meaning to be negative but Newcastle had no midfield today and that helped Sami an awful lot. He has been a legend for us in the past and he did everything asked of him today but he's not top of the table class anymore. We badly need class cover for Agger in January.

[Fan65]

The difference is Kuyt would NEVER miss that many chances in a game because he doesn't get into goalscoring positions often enough. This is the problem - it's better to have a striker missing chances than one who never looks like scoring. He scored today of course, but he could hardly miss and knew nothing about it. It just hit him!

Hopefully though, he needed a goal like that to kick-start his season again.

Unfair criticism, he was in position and he scored even if it was off his shin.

He worked harder than anyone today and played well, ok it was a fortunate goal but if he wasn't in position he wouldn't have scored, fair play to him.

He gets far to much stick on here whereas Kewell is revered as a returning superstar..if only he was cos he did very little today.

[bigfooty]

Kuyt looked a much better player after we started going at Newcastle and found some space in the second-half.

Unlike some I don't cringe when I see Kuyt on the teamsheet so long as its alongside Crouch or Torres. On his own or with Voronin is a recipe for disaster. Dirk could bag 10-15 league goals this season easy if he plays / played regularly enough with those two.

[FatTony]

Dirk had missed the chances Fernando did, what a place this would be......

Great performance, most of all the retention of possession was superb, Valencia under Rafa esqe.

Hate Allerdyce so lets all laugh at the geordies.

Nice to see Harry back and contributing.

Lastly Stevie was immense in his perfect position.

There is no way Kuyt would ever make half the chances that Torres made today, he just doesn't have the skill. That's the difference and that's why this post is pointless.

[Kilteragh]

There is no way Kuyt would ever make half the chances that Torres made today, he just doesn't have the skill. That's the difference and that's why this post is pointless.

Most, if not all the strikers we've ever had don't have Torres's skill. Rushie was the original fox-in-the-box. Give Kuyt some credit. Right place, right time.

[Sir Bob]

Players sre judged over the long term rather than individual games. Despite his misses today, Torres has proved he is a top class player in his short time with LFC.

Kuyton the other has shown he's a willing work horse with a decent all round game but short of that extra touch of class a no. 2 striker at LFC should have.

[-V-]

I jinxed Torres today by backing him on a hat trick - I NEVER back LFC games and won't be doing it again

I backed us heavily at evens

[Shanks]

Apologies if already posted but not long in from work.

How pissed off did the Newcastle players look coming out for the second half by the way.

13 Olé! passes for Babel's goal.

No Pennant, No Agger, No Alonso, No Crouch, No Riise, No Mascherano,
No Voronin, No Benayoun, No Aurelio actually starting today....

No wonder Big Tom is having kittens, he probably thinks this Premiership lark is a piece of piss.

Well done Rafa.

Could have got slated for starting with Momo and Kuyt and leaving Masch and Crouch on the bench.

Maybe he has, I just haven't looked through the match threads yet..

[FatTony]

Most, if not all the strikers we've ever had don't have Torres's skill. Rushie was the original fox-in-the-box. Give Kuyt some credit. Right place, right time.

Look, I'm not having a dig at Kuyt here, but the statement made in the post is pointless because we all know that Torres created some of those chances himself today. If Kuyt had had the ball and had the same amount of work left to do he wouldn't have even made a goal scoring opportunity.

[Craig_H]

Dirk had missed the chances Fernando did, what a place this would be.......

If dirk had previously done what torres had done for us, i'd have easily forgiven him, like i have with torres.

[Jayesh87]

Can someone give me a summary of the game please? I was at a wedding so missed it! Did Rafa talk about the rift with the owners?

[bigfooty]

I didn't expect Crouch to start today because of his mid-week exertions.

I do expect him to start against Porto though.

[thesilverfoxlfc]

http://liverpoollivesinme.blogspot.com/

[Shanks]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...em/7099694.stm


Gerrard, booed by Magpies fans for his part in England's Euro 2008 qualifying failure, answered the jeers by powering in a 30-yard shot for the Reds.

Fernando Torres hit the post after Newcastle keeper Shay Given escaped a red card for blocking his initial shot with his arm outside the area.

Dirk Kuyt bundled in a Reds second before Ryan Babel slid in the third.

The home fans turned on Magpies boss Sam Allardyce in the second half but had earlier vented their frustrations at England's Euro 2008 heartbreak by booing Gerrard with his every touch.

But the midfielder looked a different player on Liverpool duty and was helped by a lacklustre and injury-ravaged Newcastle side gifting the visitors the majority of possession.

Liverpool took their time in trying to prise a way through the Magpies defence and a swerving Gerrard strike forced Given into desperately punching the ball to safety.

The pressure built as Newcastle continued to be strangers to the ball, and Gerrard responded to the catcalls in emphatic fashion by breaking the deadlock.

He gave Given little chance of reaching his fiercely struck shot after Lucas Leiva, making his first Premier League start, rolled a free-kick to him.

Newcastle's solitary chance of the first half came when Alan Smith controlled a ball on his thigh and volleyed just wide of the far post with an effort across goal.

The Reds should have been two-up on the stroke of half-time and keeper Given dismissed for Newcastle.

He came storming out of his goal as Liverpool counter-attacked and, as Torres tried to curl a shot around him with the outside of his foot, blocked with his arm.

Torres should have side-footed into an empty net from 25 yards when the ball again broke to him but he hit the post, while referee Alan Wiley took no action against Given.


Kuyt and Hyypia combined for Liverpool's second at St James' Park

But the visitors wasted no time after the break to add a second with Sami Hyypia flicking on a header from a corner and Kuyt guided in with his shin from point-blank range.

Torres twice went wide as he struggled to make the most of regular opportunities coming his way as the home fans vented their frustrations on Allardyce.

They showed their discontent when Joey Barton came on instead of James Milner.

The fans then cheered when Milner finally came on but the jeers were back with the attack-minded Charles N'Zogbia being taken off to make way.

Liverpool showed little sympathy as Babel played a neat one-two with Gerrard and sidefooted in a shot.

The scoreline could have been worse for Newcastle but for Given as the supporters also made their anger with their team and manager clear at the end.

[ronan]

fantastic result today
torres alone could have had a bagful
gerrard was mom and back playing near his best form bursting forward from midfield
our 3rd goal was beautiful football.
its december ,were unbeaten in the league, 6 points off arsenal.
we roll on.