Five things we learnt from the encounter at Anfield last night
One of Brendan Rodgers’ greatest strengths as a manager is his tactical flexibility, his ability to change formations and approaches to solve problems on the pitch. Liverpool’s long run of success this season came when they were outmanoeuvring their opponents with an unusual 3-4-2-1 system, but the evidence of the last few weeks has suggested that particular plan has run out of steam. Last night, then, looking for a new solution, and with no Martin Skrtel, Rodgers switched to a reconfigured 4-3-3, with Philippe Coutinho dropping deep as a false nine while Raheem Sterling and Jordon Ibe provided the pace and incision either side of him.
The system posed questions of Newcastle in the first half which they could not answer and Liverpool, having rediscovered their attacking style and intensity, could and should have killed the game early on. Sterling, cutting in from the left wing, took the first goal brilliantly. He skipped his way through two challenges before clipping the ball perfectly beyond Tim Krul into the far top corner of the net.
But then, in the second half, with an almost open goal, he skewed the ball wide, and again with six minutes left. He is a fantastic player but, combined with last night’s other news, Liverpool’s reluctance to meet Sterling’s self-valuation is understandable. problems with his movement, giving Dejan Lovren an evening so difficult that it was immediately clear why this season has gone so badly for the big Croat.
Perez should certainly have had a penalty when he was cut down by Lovren, while he also tested Krul with a far-post header while always keeping Liverpool on their toes with his movement. The problem, though, for Newcastle, is whether they are good enough to keep him. This was not the worst Newcastle United display under John Carver. They were within one goal of Liverpool for the first 70 minutes and, thanks to Perez, they retained a threat at the other end. It was never implausible that they might get something. But they never once did the first requirement of a team in their position which is to make life difficult for the opposition.
They defended poorly and haphazardly and only some generously poor finishing from the hosts stopped them from running away with this game. There was a lack of the bravery, spirit and discipline required for good defensive football. If they had more points on the board, or more goals in their side, it might be no problem. But Newcastle’s inability to master the ugly side of the game might yet be the end of them.