Matchday: Liverpool v. Newcastle

Damn. Damn. I should have downed coffee at the half....damn

Excellent, eventually!  3 goals and the old gits leading the team to victory!   If it's not Maxi, it's Bellamy, and if it's not him, it's Gerrard - another fabulous goal from the captain from a Suarezesque angle.

A terrible start, lethargic, packed middle of the pitch, rubbish midfielders but for all the hype about Newcastle and their midfield, I couldn't believe how rubbish they were.  Annoying that Adam/Spearing/Hendo couldn't take over the territory.

If Newcastle can sit in 3rd/4th for nearly 4 months, we can definitely get there too.  
And our defence will keep us there.

Skyrtel's goal line clearance was the key moment of the game for me.  Newc keep getting back into games even when they concede so that was the difference today and    they seemed to not be bothered after that.  Amazing shot from Ba though.  Watch it again in slo mo to see how he gets the shot out, noone else will do that all season.

Thank goodness Carroll didn't get his head onto Bellamy's free kick, it would have stopped that goal!  

Loved his header later on though, perfect cross, from who else, Gerrard of course, smacked against the bar just to prove that it's still this season's liverpool.  Shame he didn't control Gerrard's other pinpoint ball to his feet.  That should have been a goal too.

Arsenal have QPR and Chelsea have Villa tomorrow, so our joint 4th/5th won't last unfortunately but that was an important 3 points for us, sorry, doesn't need saying really.  Especially as we have a crazy January starting with Tuesday when we go to the Etihad.  

Then 2 cup games (Oldham and Citeh) before we get Stoke mid month followed by Bolton and then Citeh for the THIRD time in the month to settle the Carling cup semi, before Wolves round out the month.

Anyhow, a good win in the end.  Good stuff.

on those two stevie-to-andy balls. andy choked on the (tricky) first ball, but i was pumped by the way he attacked that header. he was ready for it. i'm gonna choose to believe we'll see more of that awareness/aggression as the team gets used to having 8 back on the pitch.

Gerrard. scouse for raising the bar.

Okay I admit it, I had actually forgotten how good Steven Gerrard was, I feel stupid now saying things like yeah he's probably finished, he's too injured etc etc. It was a massive smack in the face accompanied with a cut glass halleujah of angels singing - that boy is fecking brilliant. I'm a mug, I feel ashamed

It's ok..it's not too late for you to realized that...LFC captain..

Wow, I'd almost forgotten what it was like to wait for match highlights the next day.

lol..same here xD

ohhhhhh yeah

3 goals!!

When Gerrard plays the whole team just lifts their gameplay! But one set of players Gerrard didn't need to influence is the defence who are so impressive! I CAN'T BELIEVE SKRTEL GOT THAT BALL! And the Skagger sandwich on Ba was amzing! I love it when Liverpool rampage and score goals but I love just as much when our defense just stops the opposing offence. GOOOO LIVERPOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was it Gerrard coming on or the fact that Adam came off that gave LFC some momentum for once? And make no mistake I'm glad both happened... I think less of Adam as a potential starter now then I did before the season.

Adam has his moments of brilliance but cannot drive this team. Decision making and work rate poor.

Stevie should always play.....Adam less so.

Can we steal years from charlie adam to give steven back his youth?

Let's start looking for the right shaman and make it happen.

Wow...the energy that Gerrard provides us is different class...I miss that all this year

One Martin Skrtel, there's only one Martin Skrtel. It's a fact! I've just googled and 54 pages in, there's not one other reference other than to him. He's sui generis!

lol

We switched to 4-3-3 with Gerrard. the change has been obvious and effective.

Random, but Lucas on Twitter during matches is priceless.

Let's bask in the heady heights of 5th for 5 minutes

I can't quite grasp the fact that we have scored 3 goals in a single match, at Anfield no less.

I'm still not happy yet. They have 20 goals to make up for, either tonight or next week.

Normal service is resumed

And a goal as well now! :)

FUCK YEAH, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC!!

OOOOOH YOOOOU BEAUTYYY!!!!!!!!

I'm sure Nate appreciates the shout out...

I see what you did there

Gerrard in ten minutes has provided better crosses than Downing has managed in half a season!

spot on

well sadly....have to agree with you...his crosses are top top top class

I choose you Skrtel!!!

lol

wow...gerrard crosses are really something different

and gerrard!!!!beautiful finish..different class..now we see a different liverpool

I knew we'd get one more woodwork shot before New Year. But in 2012 all those will go in.

another bar..you've got to be kidding me

I fucking adore this season's Skrtel.

and that was before the play of the season, right? it's like he's been practicing on FIFA '12

I love you bellamy..and fuck you carroll for missing that beautiful chance created by captain fantastic

BELLERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(for what it's worth, Newcastle have zero (0) shots on goal almost 70 minutes in.  Our defense is boss.

and i think at one point we had 3 goals on 7 shots-on...

red ffs

Henderson doing absolutely nothing in the 1st half. Adam still Adam, no creative. Spearing too busy staying behind.
Carroll very much alone.
Only our 2 wingers & Full backs doing alot, but creating very little

in few games he had played wee jay has better long passes than charlie imo

more importantly, for me, he has a MUCH better short and medium range ball.

(and for what it's worth, the ref's a twat. he was looking right at that 'clutch' cabaye put on jay's shin #refwasrubbish)

One thing I noticed is that we showed no desire to get a goal when we are not a goal down

So true. For the past games, when we go a goal down I have less stress that we'd level than when we've been trying to get a goal to win.

Yeah..we don't seem to have trouble scoring whenever we are a goal down..I don't understand why the same desire is not there when we are level

it's leadership.  You need the midfield to take up the guantlet.  

Adam needs space and time and Newcy were crowding the middle today, and Hendo is too young,
Jay is a worker more than a line leader.

that's why Gerrard stands out so much, he sees a game, and keeps the ball moving and drives the team forward.

The difficulty we have is all these new players haven't had a system to fit into esp with Gerrard out so they stand and wait for the wingers or Suarez to do their thing a bit.  

They have to create the system for themselves and know when to take responsibility.

that's why you typically don't buy so many players.  Buy 2 or 3 and integrate them into an existing system and they'll fit in very quickly.  Playing with Stevie will improve them all.

God I wish Lucas was fit for next week.

Spot on!

Newcastle don't seem to show desire to do anything. Holy shit. they are intentionally letargic, just holding on to get a break  for Ba. and that's exactly what happened.
 

the anfield effect maybe?  Ba is a bit isolated.

We seem to be having trouble with teams like this. Fuck, I hate teams that plays like this.

OK, didn't see that one coming, truly.

Hah..knew bellers would do maxi's job

Even before the goal, we are so poor and disjointed, you have to question what Kenny's philosophy is at the moment, because it certainly isn't pass and move. 

agreed. seems like kenny wants a pass-and-move machine but only has pass-the-hot-potato parts. aka, adam and hendo.

dunno whether to laff or cry

bellers got me smiling again

was gonna say that xD

Fuck this..as always

Newcastle is going for the goalie/striker formation Barcelona uses. 

This slowness is intentional. They are set out to be time-wasting. Everything they do. The coach told them to. 

Great first touch pass from Henderson. 

im worried, so we'll probably win!

Yeap..always lol

Joe Cole on commentary? what the fuck. We are paying him to commentate on his team's game. 

Really?

Ya, he was talking with Redknapp. Probably on Christmas break from Frenchyland. Nothing else to do but give a Neville impression. 

No Maxi? You've got to be kidding me. FFS he's the only player that looks likely to score for us right now...well got to count on Bellers now.

.... Unless he's actually playing in the middle and Downing's on the right and Bellamy on the left, not up front. Only time will tell.

No no no no no no no no I don't like Henderson playing on the right!

... from the club site:

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Enrique, Skrtel, Agger, Adam, Henderson, Spearing, Downing, Carroll, Bellamy. Subs: Doni, Maxi, Kuyt, Gerrard, Carragher, Shelvey

Hendo Downing Adam and Carroll all play - defiant by KK

Team sheet released - I'm scared

they're being a bit tardy with the team sheets....

DON'T WORRY GUYS.... Tim Krul will make a save which should be physically impossible in the 98th minute ensuring that THE MIGHTY REDS hold out for an AWE-INSPIRING 0-0 draw.

DEMBA BA TO TERRORISE THE LIVERPOOL DEFENCE!!

HAH..MORE LIKE BEING TERRORISED!!

Rock on, man. We do have the best defensive record, though. Think he can handle a Dagger to the knee? 

You mean an Agger to the knee?

You mean an arrow to the knee?

My joke is officially ruined. 

Nope. He is the Dagger. The Aniel Dagger!

One goal from Downing, one from Carroll, and one from Henderson, and we can simultaneously win a match and shut up ESPN for naming them all in their All-Disappointment team article. 

For real? 

They have an All-Disappointment team? 

What an honor it is for us to bestow 3 of our finest upon it. 

They name Carroll and Downing to the team, but throw a few insults Henderson's way, as well. It's not a pleasant read, which is why I was a few whiskeys in before clicking it

Essentially the same way I found this blog. 

and you're still here!  Must be good whiskey....

Carroll hat trick

at the wrong end.Then we will take him back for 1mill

I'm down if he's down...just saying.

Lets go Liverpool. Suarez to score 3... oh... wait...