Liverpool v Newcastle match preview

Posted on December 29th, 2011 | 18 Comments |

Liverpool vs Newcastle December 2011
Will we finish the year on a high?
Newcastle United bounced back from a poor run with a win away at Bolton on Boxing Day. The question is: can that recovery continue with our trip to Anfield in what is undoubtedly a much trickier fixture altogether?

Venue: Anfield.
Date: Fri 30th January, 2011.
Kick-Off: 19:45.
Referee: Lee Probert.

Liverpool are just one point and one place above us in the Premier League which makes this one of those so-called ‘six pointers’ that are revered and worshipped in the land of punditry. Liverpool have not lost at home this season but neither have they dominated, having chalked up just 3 wins from their 9 games at Anfield. Newcastle, on the other hand, have 4 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats both home and away this season.

History

This fixture always attracts a lot of media attention and is usually televised thanks to a couple of 4-3 results back in the 90’s, the first of which often tops polls as the greatest Premier League game of all time.

Alas our last game against Liverpool was a less exciting affair and we lost 3-0 to goals from Maxi, Kuyt and Suarez at Anfield back in early May this year. We had a better time of things at home to Liverpool last season where we came out 3-1 winners back in December 2010 with goals from Nolan, Barton and Carroll for us and a Dirk Kuyt strike took a deflection off Steven Taylor for their goal.

  Played Newcastle Wins Liverpool Wins Draws
All Premier League 34 8 20 6
At Anfield 17 1 14 2

One shocking statistic is that we haven’t won at Anfield since our first Premier League game there in 1994, which we won 2-0 with goals from Rob Lee and Andy Cole.

Recent Stats

Liverpool come into the game on the back of draws away to Wigan and at home to Blackburn, which must be seen as poor results for a side with European ambitions.

Of course we come into it having just ended a fairly dismal run. We perhaps couldn’t have been expected to take much from the Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea games – and maybe the one point we got was all we could expect – but taking only 1 point from our home games against Swansea and West Brom was poor. Things are looking up though and a late surge at Bolton saw us come away winners from what was an otherwise fairly bland game.

Last 6 Games             Pts
Liverpool D L W W D D 9/18
Newcastle D L L D L W 5/18

Team News

LIVERPOOL

Luis Suarez won’t be available as he’s serving a one match ban, which means Andy Carroll will probably get a start against us. Steven Gerrard is getting back to match fitness and put in a substitute appearance on Boxing Day, so he could be in contention for start.

Liverpool (from): Reina, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique, Kuyt, Adam, Henderson, Downing, Carroll, Bellamy, Doni, Kelly, Carragher, Coates, Shelvey, Gerrard, Spearing, Rodriguez.

NEWCASTLE

Davide Santon, who has been suffering from a minor knee problem, may be back in contention and Dan Gosling will available after serving a 3 match ban. Danny Guthrie and Peter Lovenkrands are expected to be out for a further 2-3 weeks with groin and shin injuries respectively, and Taylor and Marveaux will be crocked for a long while yet.

Apparently Demba Ba suffered a knee-knock – or possibly a knocked knee – against Bolton but will be fine for the match at Anfield.

Newcastle (from): Krul, Elliot, Harper, Simpson, R Taylor, Santon, Ferguson, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Kadar, Tiote, Cabaye, Obertan, Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Sammy Ameobi, Gosling, Abeid, Vuckic, Smith, Ba, Best, Shola Ameobi.

Personally, I suspect we’ll start with exactly the same side we used at Bolton.

What The Managers Say

Kenny Dalglish had this to say: “I think Newcastle have done very well this season. They collected a lot of points early doors, and I know it’s tailed off a wee bit now, but that’s because they probably have a harder run of fixtures than they did at the start of the season. But they are up there and have done fantastically well.“

Whilst Alan Pardew had this to say: “We are looking forward to going to Anfield, and go into the game in high spirits and full of confidence. Liverpool have invested a lot of money, and when you look at them they are a very good side. I suspect that they will probably have a stronger second half to the season than they did the first.“

Howay The Lads!

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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18 Responses

  2. I suspect we’ll start with exactly the same side we used at Bolton – afraid so Hugh, inspireing isn’t it.

  3. We need a pacy goal scoring striker, not a Donkey like Carroll. We don’t want to revert to long balls all of the time like last season.

  4. “a knee-knock – or possibly a knocked knee” just to clarify Hugh, if he had nee knocked knee he would be fit to play!

  5. we appear to be allowed to spend money on a defender cos Saylor can’t play for the rest of the season. Well Shola & Best couldn’t play last season & certainly can’t play this season – so can we have cash for two attackers as well please?

  7. Knee ,body, nose.
    Like the Ship ‘ANNA’ when hailed by the old North Shields hailing station, when asked “What Ship”?
    Replied “Anna”!
    Which in return was told, “Ah Kna ye Kna, but ah diven kna” !

  8. OK, to be serious, we do need at least 1 decent defender. But the diference between a good reason and an average season is going to be goals scored.
    If there is one thing Pardew can do right it appears to be our defence.
    But he appears to have a block when it comes to attack – we have scored 25 goals, which is not bad, but for the want of 6 goals in our 6 draws we have let 12 points slip away – a good team does not to this.
    Fair enough some “results” eg manu are hard won, but not all 6 – 3 draws less would put us on 36 points, above chelski in 4th.
    A good manager spots this and works to convert draws to wins cos its what separates the top 6 teams from the next 6 also rans.
    Which do we want to be? We have made very good progress, but the next step is within reach – to achieve it we need another decent regular goal scorer.
    If (as I have read) we are no longer looking for one then it is a damning indication of managerial competance and club ambitions!

  9. Chuck mate, I worked with customs in North Shields in the ’60s and spent many a miserable cold wet night at the end of the fish quay hailing “where ya from?” to any boat that appeared out of the mist! Happy memories? Not lightly! But the sausage sarnies at the fisherman’s mission warmed ya up a treat!

  10. Great points, Super. Looking a little more closely at those draws as well-we should be able to assume we’ll beat QPR and Swansea. The former gave us a hell of a time but against Swansea we just couldn’t score and with Villa we handed them a goal and were then held to a draw by Given. Those 4 points alone would have us in 5th.

    If AP doesn’t see a glaring need for another forward in this squad, he isn’t fit to manage a pub league team. Personally, I think his “official” position on this is supplied by someone else…

  13. PMT begining to kick-in – 0-1 ? yeh, why not, with AC sent off for 2 yellows!

    AC to return – no chance, but a donkey? – no, a traditional no.9? – yes. A Judas? – no, not after the revelations of Llambias’ drunken rant! Give him the respect due to an ex-newcastle favourite!

    HWTL

  14. Anyone got Stardust’s legendary Mike Ashley Red Bus story?….just want to see if his vision of the big man upstairs has resulted in the Red Bus ever getting on the road or out of the depot for that matter?

    I am sure a guy on twitter is him as he has his tool wedged firmly inbetween Mike’s flabby bum cheeks-I asked him if he was Ashley’s bitch “Stardust” but he denied it.

    :lol:

  16. I think personaly Ben arfa will start.. I like best but I think he wastes too many chances I think it is a good time to start benny and after Bests last two performances pardew will know this. The Liverpool defence will thrive on Bests fumbles but I think benny might be a good match for the ageing Liverpool central defence. It only takes one slip from carragher for benny to exploit this. Personaly I would forget about shola in the 4-3-3 we seem to play in the last the minutes and bring Vuckic on for a crack at goal. Obetan will be in Enrique pocket all night. Personaly if Carroll plays Liverpool might test our defence with long balls but I expect maxi rodriqez and bellemy. I think dogleesh will exploit the hatred bellemy has for Newcastle to spur some goals. I think Carroll is more hurting than hating and imo would be less effective than bellemy fueled. And as for Carroll on his way back to toon. At the drop of a hat. As long as he doesn’t try to be the hardman with Steven Taylor I don’t mind. Anything that disrupts the thought process of our defence will have drastic consequences we could live without. but a loan deal might be in our best interests. who knows the way Carroll is playing a swap deal for shola and best looks a good deal.

  18. That Carroll goal against Liverpool last year was an absolute cracker. Hope he doesn’t get the chance to hit one like that tonight.