Liverpool (a) Premiership
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Date: Wednesday 1st January 2003, 7.45pm. Live on Sky Sports Venue: St. James' Park Conditions: Rain
showers - pitch in desperate need of replacement after recent poor
weather.
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| Newcastle United | 1 - 0 | Liverpool |
| Half time: | 1 - 0 | |
| Score Sheet: | ||
Robert (17) |
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| Teams | ||
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Given Bernard O'Brien Griffin Hughes Acuņa Kerr Jenas Robert Shearer Bellamy |
Kirkland Carragher Henchoz Hyypia Riise Biscan Gerrard Diao Cheyrou Baros Diouf | |
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| Substitutes: | ||
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(73) Elliott for Acuna (73) Ameobi for Kerr |
Mellor for Baros (55) Smicer for Cheyrou (58) Vignal for Diuof (79) | |
| Subs not used: | ||
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Harper LuaLua Dabizas |
Arphexad Traore |
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| Bookings: | ||
Jenas (foul)
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Gerrard
Diao Diouf Cheyrou | |
| Sendings off: | ||
| None |
Diao 
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| Referee:
Dermott Gallagher (Banbury). Having been less than wonderful to us in his
previous visit to SJP (our only home Premiership loss of the season, to Leeds)
Gallagher was much-improved and not in the mood for the roughhouse tactics of
Liverpool. The visitors were rightly punished for their transgressions and it's hard to remember a game when so many decisions were made in our favour. Liverpool may reflect on the fact they ended the game a man short - on another day at least one more (Diouf) could have had no complaints had he joined Diao for an early bath. |
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| Attendance: 52,147.
That's about as close as we get these days to the supposed capacity of
52,600, although 34 more squeezed in for the mackem game. The noise was better from the off than against Spurs and hardly anyone left before the end (no metro or bus to catch!), with fans staying to applaud the lads off the pitch - let's hope that's a new year resolution for 2003 that people stick to. Despite the lack of public transport, TV coverage and an evening start the support to the away side was good and plentiful. United hero was Supermac (1971-76) who got the expected excellent reception. |
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Goal |
13 mins After
Alan Shearer went down under a none-too-heavy challenge, Laurent Robert hit
the resultant free-kick from the Leazes/East stand corner of the Liverpool
area.
The three-man wall broke and the ball took a heavy deflection off Milan Baros to deceive
Chris Kirkland, although the visiting 'keeper still got a hand to it. 1-0
Half time: Newcastle 1 Liverpool 0
Full time: Newcastle 1 Liverpool 0
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We Said |
Sir Bobby said:
"It was never an easy game when they lost a player. We had to defend quite desperately at times to hold on to our lead. It wasn't an easy win as Liverpool made us work hard.
"I don't think we will win the league. I think Arsenal or Manchester United will win the league. We're not quite where they are. We're not very far behind and they've both got to come here and Chelsea have to come here.
"But we'll
threaten it and we'll make it difficult for other teams to win the league.
I said that this time last year, and I feel the same this year.
"Clarence Acuna was
magnificent and Brian Kerr fully appreciated his role on the right.
"Their contribution was immense and by the time they came off we'd forgotten all about the fact that we had five recognised midfielders out."
On Robert:
"Laurent has been
complaining about some of the criticism which has been coming his way but
I told him there was only one way to respond.
"There's only one way you can
stop journalists criticising your performance and that's by playing in
such a way that you prove them wrong.
"That's why he played so well against Spurs - because he wanted to rub the paper in the respective journalist's face. In the end he didn't use the paper but there was a bit of pushing.
"Tonight he did
his talking on the pitch but I've told him to target a journalist every
week - it gets rid of them and ensures we get the best out of
Laurent!"
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They Said |
Gerrard Houllier chose an unfortunate phrase when he said:
"It will be difficult to catch up with Arsenal now, but I don't like to commit suicide early and we will never give in. We were beaten by a team superior to ours on the day.
"I think they were more ready to adapt to the conditions and were better than us. In English football you have to be prepared to win the battle before you win the game.
"This was the kind of game you had in England 20 years ago. We knew what to expect because we saw the pitch here when they played Tottenham last weekend. It was like a marsh or a bog.
"Some of the players had the desire. I don't think that was a problem, but they lacked experience of the orthodox English game which is a battle and a fight.
"Our team showed inexperience while the experience and leadership of Alan Shearer was outstanding. He was the difference between the teams, although I thought Sami Hyypia and Stephane Henchoz were good for us.
"We are in a learning curve and this is now an ideal opportunity to sharpen the commitment. Some players are responding but some are not at the moment. I knew this could happen. You never want it to but you can never be on a high all the time.
"There's a
trend now of the phone-ins and the internet where a lot of what's said can
be very hurtful. I've got to tell the players to forget about it.
"We need
to stick together to resist what is written. I know it's not going to be
good and people are entitled to do that. But now we need to sharpen up our
values."
On the Diao decision:
"I have no complaints about the sending-off."
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Stats |
Stats v Liverpool (home and
away) P146, W43, D36, L67, F185, A246.
This was our 65th home Premiership game under Robson, and our
42nd victory (11 draws, 12 defeats).
United notched up their ninth successive home league win, which is Bobby's best run
since he joined the club. However we did remain unbeaten in his first nine
home games in charge (including three draws) before a 0-1 reverse at the
hands of Chelsea.
The first season since our Premiership debut (1993-94) in which
we've avoided defeat against Liverpool in both league fixtures
and only the fourth time we've beaten them on Tyneside in the Premiership.
1993/94: Won 3-0 Cole 3
1994/95: Drew 1-1 Lee
1995/96: Won 2-1 Ferdinand, Watson
1996/97: Drew 1-1 Shearer
1997/98: Lost 1-2 Watson
1998/99: Lost 1-4 Guivarc'h
1999/00: Drew 2-2 Shearer, Ferguson
2000/01: Won 2-1 Solano, Dyer
2001/02: Lost 0-2 no scorer
2002/03: Won 1-0 Robert
The last time we kept a clean sheet on Tyneside against Liverpool
was also in that debut season, 93-94.
First start and first senior home appearance for Brian Kerr in any
competition for Newcastle, after four sub appearances.
His first (and only) taste of Premiership action came away at Coventry in
the league in September 2000, followed by two FA Cup sub appearances last
season (Peterborough & Arsenal). This season he was a second half
replacement for Solano at home to Zeljeznicar in the Champs
League.
Earlier this season he made two starts and one sub appearance in Nationwide Division One while on loan at Coventry, plus one League Cup start. His first start for Coventry (away at Leicester) remains the only time he's completed a full senior match.
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Waffle |
This could almost be a re-write of the Spurs report, but with extra
added guts and gumption, if that were possible.
True, there was slightly less incident in this game than the Spurs one -
no player/journalist face-offs that we know of and no own goals unless the
Premier Panel convene in a profoundly anti-French mode.
On a pitch that appeared to be self-destructing during the course of the
game, Newcastle gave themselves the best possible start to 2003 with a
thoroughly deserved victory over a side who were still considered
championship challengers when the clocks changed.
And coming hard on the heels of the tumbling of Spurs, it's worth noting
that we've now won three successive home games against teams who we
couldn't beat on our own patch last season.
While sceptics may point at the absences from the Fulham, Tottenham and
Liverpool sides of first-choice players, a look at the midfield line-ups
that Newcastle finished the Spurs game with and began this match show that
we're also somewhat understaffed.
But again those called in to deputise coped with the task admirably.
Kerr made his first Premiership start in an unfavoured wide right role,
occupancy of which had contributed to his premature return from Coventry.
However, the Scottish youngster who first came to the attention of United
when playing as a full back had a vital role to play in stifling the
forward bursts of Riise.
The Norwegian, at 22 a shade over 12 months older than Kerr, had
spearheaded the Liverpool victory on this ground last season with his
surging runs. However on this occasion he was very quiet and contributed
comparatively little.
Alongside Kerr was the equally unfamiliar figure of Acuna, starting his
first league game for the Toon since Ipswich in March 2002. While the Scot
and the Chilean were to be replaced in the closing stages, by then they'd
put in grafting shifts in the engine room, with Clarence emulating Speed
to the extent of even sniffing around upfield in search of a goal.
The third midfield replacement was the slightly more familiar figure of
Jermaine Jenas, still finding his way at the top level (this was his 17th
Premiership start) but showing the determination of someone more
experienced.
Again his work rate and stamina was eye-catching, and appreciated by his
team mates. As with all but the most prodigiously-talented 19 year olds
there are weaknesses in his game, but things like occasional
indecisiveness on the ball will come as he gets more games like this under
his belt.
With Bernard managing to string two good performances together for the
first time this season at left back, and another confident display from
Andy O'Brien, suddenly the nightmares of recent seasons involving Owen,
Dabizas and others seem a little further away.
That's not to say that we'll not be punished by Owen in years to come or
that our defence is perfect - too often Liverpool players were afforded
space down on flank when attention was diverted elsewhere. Astute passes
at certain times would certainly have improved Liverpool's shooting tally
and pressed the under-used Given into service.
All over the field there were displays worthy of note, with Shearer
indulging in what was even by his standards classic late-doors corner
dawdling, much to the annoyance of the visitors. Bellamy also took up a
right wing role as the game wore on, and kept the reds on their toes
without having quite the impact he did against Spurs. Still, two games in
three days for the injury-hit lad is praiseworthy in it's own right.
Having had a metaphorical kick in the derriere via the media, Robert
scored early on to liven things up and at times he looked like the player
we rightly praised last season. But there were also those occasions when
he opted not to involve himself in unfolding situations, preferring to
remain a bystander. There again, the half time guest in this game was
never renowned for his tracking back was he?
Unlike those well-spoken non-Scouse Liverpool "fans" who pollute
the 606 radio programme, we've got no intention of waffling on about perceived weaknesses and
problems within the red ranks - that's their problem.
It's hard to remember a more unimpressive Liverpool side who seemed
less inclined to make a game of it and showed such little collective
spirit (seemingly having been replaced with spite). When a home-grown
player like Stevie Gerrard makes his first contribution to proceedings by
launching himself at Bernard, one has to wonder what on earth is going on.
Some misinterpretation of the term "boot room" perhaps?
No doubt University degrees will soon be offered on Merseyside studying
the current plight of the men from Anfield - all we can say is that too
many players who rose to fame on sunny summer pitches didn't fancy it on a
mucky Tyneside night.
On a day when many of those watching were recovering from an excess of
spirits, Newcastle showed that they have plenty of that commodity to go
around at present.
Now we have the comparative distraction of the FA Cup to contend with,
then a succession of "easier" Premiership games building up to a
Tyneside summit meeting with the Gunners. After having failed to beat them
on three occasions in 2002, a victory over Wenger's boys would be
much-prized.
However, it's important not to get carried away - the same number of
points are up for grabs against West Ham, Manchester City and Bolton.
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