They came into the game needing thirteen goals; they only got two, and conceded one. But Liverpool's last game of a hugely impressive season ended with a victory that demonstrated both their admirable ability to find goals, even when not playing terribly well, and their complete inability to defend. Newcastle also demonstrated their best and their worst, containing the home team for long periods before finishing with nine men.
Before the game, Brendan Rodgers had mused on what might happen if Liverpool got off to a fast start; whether a cascade of goals down the road might make things interesting. Apparently he forgot to tell his players. Going forward, Liverpool looked nothing like the vivacious, incisive team that was still just about in the title race; their passing was wayward, their movement was slow, and the crowd was muted. Their one outstanding moment came when Luis Suarez, spotting Tim Krul off his line, bent in a forty-yard free kick from the near the touchline, but the referee ordered a retake on the grounds he hadn't been paying attention.
Otherwise, their best opportunities came when Newcastle's defenders, who kept a decent shape throughout, neglected their marking duties. First Daniel Agger, isolated from five yards, planted a header from a corner straight at Krul, then Daniel Sturridge, from a similar distance and under even less pressure, failed to make any proper contact with the ball. Rodgers was already celebrating as the ball slid past the post.
Things were more familiar at the other end, where their defensive weaknesses were again laid bare. Newcastle, widely expected to turn up and melt obligingly away, instead took the lead on 20 minutes. Haidara and Gouffran exchanged passes down the left, and the latter Frenchman, having left Steven Gerrard behind him, clipped a cross into the six yard box. Ameobi was lurking, but before the ball could reach him Martin Skrtel swung an obliging leg and sliced the ball beyond Simon Mignolet for his fourth own goal of the season. Newcastle's fans were delighted: "How shit must you be, we're winning one-nil."
It could and probably should have been two a few minutes later. Ameobi, who roamed impressively all game, bent a perfectly judged ball round the back of Liverpool's flat defence and into the stride of Yoann ??? Gouffran. His control was good, but Mignolet was quickly out and well-spread, and was able to block a fairly insipid shot.
The second half began in similar fashion. Newcastle coped comfortably with Liverpool's forward ventures, keeping their shape when they didn't have the ball, and passing it around comfortably when they did; indeed, at one point Newcastle's fans broke out the olés for one sustained period of possession, which isn't something that the Anfield crowd have heard much of this season. Liverpool, however, were winning set pieces in numbers. Gerrard sent a free-kick from the left across the box, but nobody could get a touch; Suarez slipped as he shot, chipping a tame effort into Krul's hands; and Coutinho sent a couple of corners onto unfriendly heads.
Then, just after the hour, they stopped wasting them. In the space of two minutes, on both occasions after Suarez was tripped, Gerrard sent deep crosses in from the right. First Daniel Agger and then Daniel Sturridge escaped their markers and tapped the ball into the net; Newcastle, having looked more-or-less unbothered when in the lead, were suddenly behind, and the collapse was compounded when Shola Ameobi was booked for dissent while standing over the second restart. Twice.
Understandably, the game petered out. Newcastle's fans turned their attention to Mike Ashley, while Liverpool's players strolled around in the sunshine in the manner of men that wouldn't mind another goal if one happened along, but were otherwise content to conserve their energy and their shinbones ahead of either the World Cup or a well-earned holiday. Raheem Sterling had a goal correctly ruled out for offside, before Paul Dummett, having only been on the field a few minutes, was issued with a straight red card for a foul on Luis Suarez.
This was a less correct decision -- indeed, it was barely a foul -- though it was a relief to all watching that the Uruguayan, who had been screaming with pain and clutching his leg as though it was about to detach itself from his body, turned out to be unhurt. It was the last event of note, and Liverpool ended their campaign feeling fantastic having scored 101 goals, yet wondering what might have been had they not conceded 50. Newcastle ended it in a state of ill-tempered farce.
Liverpool: Mignolet; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Flanagan (Cissokho 45'); Gerrard, Henderson, Allen (Coutinho 58'); Sterling, Suarez, Sturridge (Lucas 79')
Goals: Agger 63', Sturridge 65'
Newcastle: Krul; Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Taylor (De Jong 73'), Haidara; Sissoko, Anita, Tiote (Dummett 81'), Gouffran (Sa Ameobi 77'); Sh Ameobi
Goals: Skrtel (og) 20'
Before the game, Brendan Rodgers had mused on what might happen if Liverpool got off to a fast start; whether a cascade of goals down the road might make things interesting. Apparently he forgot to tell his players. Going forward, Liverpool looked nothing like the vivacious, incisive team that was still just about in the title race; their passing was wayward, their movement was slow, and the crowd was muted. Their one outstanding moment came when Luis Suarez, spotting Tim Krul off his line, bent in a forty-yard free kick from the near the touchline, but the referee ordered a retake on the grounds he hadn't been paying attention.
Otherwise, their best opportunities came when Newcastle's defenders, who kept a decent shape throughout, neglected their marking duties. First Daniel Agger, isolated from five yards, planted a header from a corner straight at Krul, then Daniel Sturridge, from a similar distance and under even less pressure, failed to make any proper contact with the ball. Rodgers was already celebrating as the ball slid past the post.
Things were more familiar at the other end, where their defensive weaknesses were again laid bare. Newcastle, widely expected to turn up and melt obligingly away, instead took the lead on 20 minutes. Haidara and Gouffran exchanged passes down the left, and the latter Frenchman, having left Steven Gerrard behind him, clipped a cross into the six yard box. Ameobi was lurking, but before the ball could reach him Martin Skrtel swung an obliging leg and sliced the ball beyond Simon Mignolet for his fourth own goal of the season. Newcastle's fans were delighted: "How shit must you be, we're winning one-nil."
It could and probably should have been two a few minutes later. Ameobi, who roamed impressively all game, bent a perfectly judged ball round the back of Liverpool's flat defence and into the stride of Yoann ??? Gouffran. His control was good, but Mignolet was quickly out and well-spread, and was able to block a fairly insipid shot.
The second half began in similar fashion. Newcastle coped comfortably with Liverpool's forward ventures, keeping their shape when they didn't have the ball, and passing it around comfortably when they did; indeed, at one point Newcastle's fans broke out the olés for one sustained period of possession, which isn't something that the Anfield crowd have heard much of this season. Liverpool, however, were winning set pieces in numbers. Gerrard sent a free-kick from the left across the box, but nobody could get a touch; Suarez slipped as he shot, chipping a tame effort into Krul's hands; and Coutinho sent a couple of corners onto unfriendly heads.
Then, just after the hour, they stopped wasting them. In the space of two minutes, on both occasions after Suarez was tripped, Gerrard sent deep crosses in from the right. First Daniel Agger and then Daniel Sturridge escaped their markers and tapped the ball into the net; Newcastle, having looked more-or-less unbothered when in the lead, were suddenly behind, and the collapse was compounded when Shola Ameobi was booked for dissent while standing over the second restart. Twice.
Understandably, the game petered out. Newcastle's fans turned their attention to Mike Ashley, while Liverpool's players strolled around in the sunshine in the manner of men that wouldn't mind another goal if one happened along, but were otherwise content to conserve their energy and their shinbones ahead of either the World Cup or a well-earned holiday. Raheem Sterling had a goal correctly ruled out for offside, before Paul Dummett, having only been on the field a few minutes, was issued with a straight red card for a foul on Luis Suarez.
This was a less correct decision -- indeed, it was barely a foul -- though it was a relief to all watching that the Uruguayan, who had been screaming with pain and clutching his leg as though it was about to detach itself from his body, turned out to be unhurt. It was the last event of note, and Liverpool ended their campaign feeling fantastic having scored 101 goals, yet wondering what might have been had they not conceded 50. Newcastle ended it in a state of ill-tempered farce.
Liverpool: Mignolet; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Flanagan (Cissokho 45'); Gerrard, Henderson, Allen (Coutinho 58'); Sterling, Suarez, Sturridge (Lucas 79')
Goals: Agger 63', Sturridge 65'
Newcastle: Krul; Debuchy, Williamson, Coloccini, Taylor (De Jong 73'), Haidara; Sissoko, Anita, Tiote (Dummett 81'), Gouffran (Sa Ameobi 77'); Sh Ameobi
Goals: Skrtel (og) 20'
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