On a day that saw both clubs paying tribute to Kevin Keegan it seems he had his influence in yet another match between Liverpool and Newcastle which produced drama, cards, goals and maybe in a show of mutual support a sharing of the points.
So now that the anxiousness of the seeing how the Reds would fare under new head coach Andoni Iraola has met its first actual game that matters leaving hints of promise but also reinforced concerns over the squad he has at his disposal, we’ll dig a little deeper
into the mixed bag of a 2-2 draw we all just witnessed.
Winners and Losers
Kevin Keegan Tribute: On the positive side of the ledger, it was a wonderful display of love and respect to start things off for a sadly departed legend of a player and manager, and a man who had graced both clubs with his passionate personality. We’ve got nothing more to add to it but rest in peace, Kevin, and You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Dominik Szoboslai: Moving on to the actual football, we had Dom stepping up to take a penalty in a hostile and point saving moment deep into stoppage time after Victor Muñoz won a kick from the spot with what might have been the final touch of the match if it had gone another way.
The Newcastle players seemed to be trying to intimidate Alexander Isak ahead of it, as they probably assumed he would take the spot kick. Yet it was a calm, focused Dom who stepped up and hammered the ball top right corner. As he ran off celebrating he made talking gestures with his hands towards the crowd in defiance to the passionate supporters of Newcastle and maybe even a response to the stick they’d been giving Isak all game. That’s our vice captain!
Jeremy Jacquet: It wasn’t perfect but this kid is special and he showed his qualities again with some good footwork, forward passing vision and a calmness, especially in his first real game as a Liverpool player in front of a loud Newcastle crowd who were up for this game. Jacquet has a smooth style yet can produce some grit when needed and the strength to hold players off while protecting the ball.
Lewis Hall: The Newcastle left back had an exceptional game with successfully shutting down that side of the pitch and preventing Rio Ngumoha from basically achieving much of an impact on the game. Unfortunately (for him not us) his good work was undone when he made a clumsy challenge on Victor Munoz in the penalty area which allowed the Reds to have one last chance of grabbing a point.
Rio Ngumoha: On the flip side, and I am certainly not going to enjoy this, it was not the best of days for young Rio. The 17-year-old is a great young player with bags of promise, and he’s also tasked with covering the Mo Salah sized hole on the right wing (yeah thanks for that and good work in the transfer market, Richard Hughes).
Rio always gives everything when he plays, but this season it’s going to be quite the step up for him not just being counted on to play a much larger role but to do it on the right where he looks far less comfortable. It actually feels a little unfair for this writer to add him in as a loser, but I think in the context of the game he struggled to find any answer to beating young Lewis Hall.
If he is going to make it on the right, Rio definitely needs to work on more footwork skills rather than relying on the step-over he always does. I have faith he will and as the team gels and become fully comfortable with Iraola’s style I hope we will be singing his praises far more than not, but today right wing was a weak point for the Reds.
Fullbacks: It’s a loosely used term as both Milos Kerkez and Jeremy Frimpong are happier at the attacking end of the pitch than defending. Some of this I put down to the style which is about the fullbacks doing overlapping runs and helping pressure the opposition backwards. That’s great when we’re in control on the front foot but today’s game showed yet again that if the players aren’t in control our weaknesses will be exploited which is exactly what Newcastle did, and mostly down Kerkez’ side.
Florian Wirtz: There’s a lot of hope that Wirtz will begin to build on the flashes of class he has shown on a consistent basis, especially as Iraola sees him as our chance creator for Iask and other attacking players. He didn’t really show much of that today but, as with Rio, this writer still believes he will start to shine once the players are more settled into the patterns and demands from new head coach Iraola. It’s a lot that is asked of him as both a midfielder and creator but he should be up to the task as he gets more fitness.
Talking Tactics
This area will take more time to fully understand, but something which seems to keep rearing up is how hollow our midfield becomes when we are attacking, which is something that was illustrated by both counter attack goals by Newcastle.
This is where the call for a real defensive midfielder comes from, especially when deploying two fullbacks who seem less than defensively sound, yet this writer is not convinced Iraola’s style has room for a pure destroyer. Our midfield of Wirtz, Dom, and Ryan Gravenberch with Wirtz more of a false nine left only two dedicated players for the middle, and neither one of them seemed interested in sitting deep to provide a screen for the defence. My gut feeling is that, depending on which side of the pitch the ball is, one of the wingers is supposed to come inside and the fullbacks asked to supply the width.
It’s going to take time for the players and us to take all the nuances in yet one major tactic which didn’t seem to materialize was the aggressive press. I will probably need to rewatch the game but I just don’t remember any notable phases of it and that is a foundational part of Iraola’s style
Dissecting the Narrative
Both clubs have lost significant players this summer and former head coaches as well sharing in the history of Kevin Keegan’s footballing career so how was it all going to go? It probably ended in the fairest way while offering up the usual friction and passion that a match between these two clubs does.
As touched upon with the tactics there was the expectation of the Reds producing a relentless pressing and high intensity style yet what seemed to be served up was an opponent who where lifted up into an extra gear by their loud and passionate supporters. Newcastle played as if a point to prove because it was the general consensus amongst the pundits that Liverpool were going to be too much for them and that the Reds would take home all three points.
What Happens Next
There is no doubt going to be a lot of analysis between Iraola and the players as this is the first real game that mattered. Hopefully this week will bring with it some news of new players arriving (get working, Richard) and that will boost the mood and help strengthen what is a very solid core to the squad as well work on the areas that certainly fell short. Either way, Nottingham Forest are up next Saturday at Anfield.
