[PL] Newcastle Utd (A): Post Match

[redmike65]

To me the players today were expecting things from their team mates that just aren't going to happen. RF looks like he's missing Couts whilst Benteke is wondering why RF keeps trying to do that quick inter change when all Chris wants to do is knock it down and run on.

Which is why Benteke has to go really - there is a basic rule - buy players to suit the system, do not change the system to suit the players or in this case a player. There is no reason to change so that everyone else has to fit him - everyone else likely to score a goal can do the Klopp style football.

[Catrin]

it looked to me as though Newcastle's defending had hit rock bottom in their previous match against Palace and they'd been drilled all week on how to keep their shape and stop Collocini being isolated and exposed. We then couldn't break them down and lost to a flukey own goal and got hit on the break whilst chasing the game late on.

[Fosterbloke]

If our strongest XI had been beaten 2-0 I think I'd be very upset today but instead I feel good that we've discovered combinations that definitely don't work.

Someone like Texeira would have been better, surely he's a good replacement for Coutinho?

It's like when I do sales, getting rejected sucks but you learn why something didn't work and your prospects list gets a bit cleaner!

[breffniboy]

If there's one positive it's that it'll stem the rising tide of chatter about title challenges. Now I know we live in times where the masses like to gibber and froth, and media premature ejaculations are de rigeur. Like, for example, a young lad scores a few goals and there's a campaign to get him straight into the England team and a 20 million price tag "slapped on", or an English manager takes a team on a brief run and there's a clamour to give him the England job. But the nonsense about us challenging for the title was absolutely ridiculous, I know they need to fill the pages but Christ almighty!

Anyway, on the game itself, I was disgusted by Benteke's shadow boxing in the first half, even if he seemed to try a leg in the second it was too little too late. He has a lethargy about him that reminds me of Balotelli and a kind of pull-your-punches, apologetic way of going after the ball or in one-on-ones that reminds me of Heskey.
Firminho was almost as bad, shuffling through the motions.
Anyway, a reality check is no harm and Klopp will have learned a lot.

[Harv]

Absolute dog ****

Every single one of them should be hanging their heads in shame. Newcastle are utter cack and we let them build into the game and play it their way. Too many passengers thinking all we had to do was turn up.

How Milner stayed on that pitch i'll never know. A more uninspiring insipid performance I can't remember. His touch is atrocious and he has not creativity at all. He's meat and potatoes.

Benteke and Firmino just doesn't work as a partnership. Polar opposite wavelengths.

Studge was **** again.

Lucas looked leggy as **** and was misplacing passes left right and centre.

Ibe was running into blind alleys all game.

Skrtl was at his comedic best

Allen didn't really do anything abuse worthy apart from getting knocked on his ass several times by their bigger bodied mids.

Lallana was by far our most penetrating player and we actually looked a threat when he came on.

I hope Klopp tore strips off them after that. A massive opportunity to gain ground lost.

[danperkins]

It certainly was a bad day at the office for most, if not all our team. One to forget.

[Lecter]

He wasn't that bad, but he wasn't good either. He looks like someone's younger brother playing in an age group above, constantly barged over, trampled and bullied. He's too weak.

And this is one of the reasons I think he's ****e

[el matador]

I thought Allen was complete ****e

Out muscled constantly, gave ball away too much and when he did pass it was side to side and backwards

I just don't get what he offers to the side on a consistent basis. He doesn't won enough possession and he doesn't affect the play enough at the top end

He shouldn't start another Premier league game

He looks too lightweight to compete at this level. His passing isn't good enough but Lucas was also badly off form and having both of them off their game didn't help in an area which Newcastle flooded.

Our front 3 didn't work as a unit, benteke's lack of movement is really worrying and the link up between him and firmino was non existent. Ibe is still very raw to be considered a regular starter for us, but he was probably our best player yesterday.

Were still a work in progress and the best thing is for klopp to see the problems in the squad in matches so that they can be addressed in the transfer window/s.

First thing we should try and get Markovic back in January.

[gratziani]

When we play the six who started yesterday only person I see scoring is Benteke if we start putting balls in the box regularly,

Trying to build play with the mundane three in the middle and it is no surprise we did not create anything.

Also as previously said the front three our all new to playing together and that showed. They didn't stretch Newcastle at all, it was like they all stayed in their positions all game.

Sturridge comes on with Lallana and they show how to pull defenders about just by movement.

[Phoenix07]

Klopp, who tasted defeat for just the second time in his fledgling reign, was less than happy with his side’s performance, but questioned the decision to rule out Alberto Moreno’s strike, although the flag had gone up long before the full-back dispatched the ball.

Asked what had gone wrong, Klopp said: “Nearly everything, I would say. The start, the middle and the end. I don’t know.

“This was obviously not a really good football game, and that was 50 per cent because of Newcastle and 50 per cent because of Liverpool FC.

“It was an open game with no rhythm from our side. We were not creative enough, so we had no chances.

“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***’.

“The second goal I’m not interested in, it was a counter attack and that’s normal. So we have to take this game and think about why it happened. That’s not the biggest issue in the world.”

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

The Reds headed for St James’ Park in blistering form having powered their way into the Capital One Cup semi-finals with a 6-1 demolition of Southampton on Wednesday evening, but left on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline as the Magpies found their feet once again.

However, while pundits – and indeed, Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren – may have been talking up his team’s chances of getting involved in the title race, Klopp was adamant he had never even considered it.

The German said: “Everybody on your side of the table maybe [said that]. I didn’t hear anybody on this side of the table talking about it. I have no problem with anything you might talk about, but please don’t ask me now about this.

“I didn’t say before we were title contenders, so why I should say now that we’re not? So I’m sorry.

“We played this game today and at this moment I’m trying to understand why. We’ve got to try and understand why, but I won’t answer that question, because it’s not mine.

“If in professional football you don’t feel defeats, you don’t feel a loss, then something is really wrong. We feel this defeat. We know for today it’s deserved, but it hurts, like it should do.”

http://www.thisisanfield.com/2015/12...om-title-talk/

[S-RED]

I think Klopp found out a lot more about his players yesterday than any game we have won; I also think he will now know that he needs his best players in the league games week in week out, if we want top 4.

[Rich]

I think Klopp found out a lot more about his players yesterday than any game we have won; I also think he will now know that he needs his best players in the league games week in week out, if we want top 4.

Theoretically we had a near full strength side out there. We just didn't perform as we should have done. Too many stinkers and a bit of fatigue.

[S-RED]

No Can, Couts; Sturridge, Hendo, Lallana on the bench?

[Lecter]

No Can, Couts; Sturridge, Hendo, Lallana on the bench?

No Sakho

[DKdan]

If our strongest XI had been beaten 2-0 I think I'd be very upset today but instead I feel good that we've discovered combinations that definitely don't work.

Someone like Texeira would have been better, surely he's a good replacement for Coutinho?

It's like when I do sales, getting rejected sucks but you learn why something didn't work and your prospects list gets a bit cleaner!

I thought that as well. He must be proper **** in training, since he is not even on the bench. IMO there is nothing wrong with Lucas, Allen or Milner, they just need the right roles. And a midfield with all three of them has no creativity - as mentioned by a ton of posters. One of the three midfielders HAS to have creativity. Otherwise we are reliant on defensive cock-up and individual brilliance.

A defensive cock-up was very likely from Newcastle, but individual brilliance from our players wasn't. If Benteke plays, the midfield needs even more creativity to compensate.

I am a bit divided about Benteke. I really want him to succeed. Mostly so Tim Sherwood cant gloat, and because he would be labelled Andy Carroll II.
But he really needs to click with the rest of the team, and so far he hasn't. When he has been decent in other games it is because of his sheer qualities - not a result of teamwork. Now if he could adapt...
I wouldn't give up on him, but I would rather play Firmino (of course Studge when fit) up front until the big guy gets how its done.