Newcastle v Liverpool: Match Thread

I was actually very angry at half time

In the end though, I thought our performance was awesome. Lucas was very good. Nice passing and good tackling and a brilliant assist for Gerrard's second goal.

Gerrard has hit form again after a good performance against Bolton he followed it up today with 2 goals and a top notch display.

Really nice to hit 5 goals without our two best strikers

no he did get one last year in the 3-0 victory at st james', read this:

Equally capable of overcoming Newcastle with his physical and his footballing qualities, Gerrard's eventual tally included two goals and two assists. He was too good for Newcastle and, for a second successive season at St James' Park, a section of their support granted him a standing ovation.

source: espn soccernet

I thought he got booed last season from some English Geordy fans, maybe I have got it wrong or that might have been a previous year!

I thought he got booed last season from some English Geordy fans, maybe I have got it wrong or that might have been a previous year!

your right kk,he was booed last season,up there (after england failed to make euros) but,fairplay to them clapping him off today

your right kk,he was booed last season,up there (after england failed to make euros) but,fairplay to them clapping him off today

I thought so as we had plenty to say on the forum about it, but their gesture today was moving!

Shay Given man of the match for me

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/soccer/wires/12/28/2050.ap.soc.english.rdp.0435/index.html

LONDON (AP) -Liverpool took a three-point lead in the Premier League on Sunday, routing Newcastle 5-1 while Chelsea was held to a 2-2 tie at Fulham.

Fulham's Clint Dempsey, of the U.S. national team, scored on a header for his second goal of the game with a minute remaining to stun Chelsea.
Steven Gerrard scored twice and set up another at Newcastle to give Liverpool 45 points after 20 matches while Chelsea has 42. Manchester United, which has played three games fewer, is next with 35 and hosts Middlesbrough on Monday.

"We need to work hard again and start again,'' Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "The championship is not finished today. It will be finished in the last two or three games. It is normal in England. The Premier League is difficult.''

Liverpool provided further evidence that its 19-year wait for the league title may be drawing to a close. The victory came two days after a 3-0 win over Bolton and while star striker Fernando Torres continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

"This is a very strong, very focused, very determined bunch of players, and the joy from my point of view is that they are all willing to work hard and improve on their game,'' assistant manager Sammy Lee said. "That as a coach and a manager is all you can ask from players.

Newcastle's loss came as owner Mike Ashley announced he was taking the club off the market after failing to attract a buyer.
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Mancs are 10 Points behind with three games in hand. 3 games I hope they lose. Am I asking for too much?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/soccer/wires/12/28/2050.ap.soc.english.rdp.0435/index.html



Mancs are 10 Points behind with three games in hand. 3 games I hope they lose. Am I asking for too much?

No mate, I wouldn't mind that Ronaldo and Rooney got injured for the rest of the season that would be just right!

Still absolutely speechless. Today has just gone so well for us.

A turning point in the League?

I thought so as we had plenty to say on the forum about it, but their gesture today was moving!

I was mentioning about the applause he got from the newcastle fans last season in the 3-0 match where gerrard hit a screamer of a free kick and not the England game in the first place. Think I misunderstood the geordies one.

Still buzzing myself. Absolutely made up!

How random was it to see Carra, Skrtel, Hyypia and Agger on the pitch all at the same time?

I'm gutted our next league game is in two weeks, so we can't continue this momentum we've gathered.

How random was it to see Carra, Skrtel, Hyypia and Agger on the pitch all at the same time?

i loved it.

I loved it.

It was great wasn't it mate! All quality players the four of them and I'm pretty sure we wont see all four on the pitch at the same time much this season.

Shay Given man of the match for me

it could have been 7 or 8 only for Given he kept them in the game. 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/soccer/wires/12/28/2050.ap.soc.english.rdp.0435/index.html

LONDON (AP) -Liverpool took a three-point lead in the Premier League on Sunday, routing Newcastle 5-1 while Chelsea was held to a 2-2 tie at Fulham.

Fulham's Clint Dempsey, of the U.S. national team, scored on a header for his second goal of the game with a minute remaining to stun Chelsea.
Steven Gerrard scored twice and set up another at Newcastle to give Liverpool 45 points after 20 matches while Chelsea has 42. Manchester United, which has played three games fewer, is next with 35 and hosts Middlesbrough on Monday.

"We need to work hard again and start again,'' Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "The championship is not finished today. It will be finished in the last two or three games. It is normal in England. The Premier League is difficult.''

Liverpool provided further evidence that its 19-year wait for the league title may be drawing to a close. The victory came two days after a 3-0 win over Bolton and while star striker Fernando Torres continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

"This is a very strong, very focused, very determined bunch of players, and the joy from my point of view is that they are all willing to work hard and improve on their game,'' assistant manager Sammy Lee said. "That as a coach and a manager is all you can ask from players.

Newcastle's loss came as owner Mike Ashley announced he was taking the club off the market after failing to attract a buyer.
________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ _____________

Mancs are 10 Points behind with three games in hand. 3 games I hope they lose. Am I asking for too much?

are you shi*te,its a lot of ground to make up and as I said in an earlier post manure are not equipped to do it as they have been in the past.

That was easily our most commanding and dominant 90 minutes this season in any competition. Rafa's team selection had me scratching my head and I was dissapointed to see Xabi, Keane and Riera all dropped to the bench. I thought we were in for a tough game when I saw Lucas's name on that team sheet. But how very wrong was I Lucas put in a brilliant performance and excelled in all areas I and some others on this forum criticised him for. Was clearly our MOTM for me and was unlucky not to score. In terms of the actual match it was absolutely breathtaking right from the word go to the final whistle the lads were sharp and hungry. Everyobody impressed, not to rain on our parade I did think that there were a few niggling negatives such as the goal we conceded reminescent of last seasons poor zonal marking and at a time when we should have fully concentrated. Well in I am well chuffed that we are 3 points clear have played some fascinating footy and finished the year with a win, in style and on top.

Well I for one was considering not going, it was hard to get out of bed this morning....
How glad am I? what a spectacle!
MOTM, with out doubt Given World class! bye a short nose
But there was one other world class player on the pitch and that was Stevie, he was absolutely f***in awesome! (and I can be his biggest critic at times)
Anyone who compares Stevie to Lampard hasn't got a f***in clue, Lampard isn't fit to lace his boots
Our passing can at times be, sloppy at best!
But today the team were technically near perfect, and we had the killer instinct of a meat clever!
God I wish we were playing the mancs today! We'd have destroyed them
We must maintain this standard and momentum!
WALK ON LADS
IRWT

I agree Neil.  Our passing has vastly improved recently - we looked a few leagues above Newcastle yesterday.

Bet you had a cracking time up there. Jealous as F**k I am.

I thought that our supporters at St. James' were awesome, they seemed much more vocal than the last few games. That might just be because we were thrashing them, but it was a great away atmosphere.

First off I just want to say Crouchinho...WTF were you doing sleeping during one of our games? It was the early kick off and it was on at 11pm downunder.....that's not like you mate  :


Now to the important stuff......what a result, what a win....I predicted 4-1..thought I had gone 5-1..was well chuffed with myself until I checked.

Great game from all the lads today....Have to make a special mention of Lucas...I've bagged him since he came to the club but that was deffo his best game wearing the Liverpool colours...what a sublime pass to set Stevie on his way for his second goal.

Top of the tree at the turn of the year...bring on 2009...what a year this is shaping up to be. GO YOU REDS.

Just got back from holiday and I was in the car and heard the result,i could not stop myself from shouting, ( near deafened the missus ,good job she is used to me ) I hope to watch the match tomorrow.Well done to RAFA ,Sammy and the MIGHTY REDS for giving us our best finish to the year for a very long time.

Kinnear tipped Liverpool for the Barclays Premier League title after seeing his side torn apart at St James' Park on Sunday. 
The Reds recorded a 5-1 win in the north-east after goals from Steven Gerrard (2), Ryan Babel, Sami Hyypia and Xabi Alonso.
 
"I think we have just seen the title winners," said Kinnear. "And I think we've seen the best performance from a single player for a long time in Gerrard, he was magnificent.
 
"Without a shadow of a doubt they are the best team we've played this season. They were head and shoulders above us. They are an exceptionally good side.
 
"It was such a one-sided game because they are a world-class team. You have to take your hat off to Liverpool.
 
"Without Shay Given it would have been even worse. The only positive from the game is that he has proven he is the best goalkeeper in the league by a mile."
 

Well what a b***ard! I've had a virus of sorts and haven't been able to get on site for four days. Just got it sorted by microsoft and now all the excitement is over. What a performance and what a win. I know the bar codes were a bit weakened by injuries, but even so. Still fielded a good lot of experienced prem players and were absolutely roasted. As you've all said, it could have been 7 or 8 by half time. At one point I was thinking it was going to be one of those games and we'd never score, but buy 60 mins I was starting to feel sorry for Chey Given. Hats off to him, what a performance. I was worried our run of draws would cost us but now we've hit this sort of form, if we can keep this going. No 19 on the way. Last few seasons we have improved over the second half, seems like it's on again, COME ON YOUY MIGHTY REDS.......   (Now we need Southgate to do us a favour tonight)