Topic: MATCH PREVIEW - Liverpool FC vs Newcastle United Monday, Jan. 1 2024 8PM

[Crimson_Tank]

Liverpool FC vs Newcastle United
Premier League: Round 20
Venue: Anfield



Officials:
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn.

Fourth official: Andy Madley.

VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes.

Managers:
Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp
Newcastle United: Eddie Howe

Team Selection:

Liverpool: TBD
Newcastle United: TBD

I am tired. Not as tired as our lads and nowhere near as exhausted as the lads playing for Newcastle.

It is the first day of the New Year and I am tired. Life has been coming pretty fast as of late, which is one of the reasons why I have taken a rather large step back from RAWK. However, I am here now, and my love of the Reds has not diminished in then the slightest. It is the new year, and that is supposed to mean newly renewed energy and anticipation of great things ahead as we enter 2024. In regards to football however, it is nearing the end of the festive period in which the Reds played ten times in last 32 days days, a rate of about one game ever three days. A grueling schedule to be sure. Our record over the past month has been quite good, two draws, seven wins, one loss and one to play still. Scoring 21 goals in all comps and conceding 8, and securing our place in each competition we were in at the start of the season.  In contrast things have not been so merry and bright for the Barcodes who have also had a grueling holiday schedule, playing ten times but with vastly different results than the boys in Red. Two wins, two draws (one became a loss in the League Cup, being knocked out on pens to the London Plastics), and six losses (not counting the League Cup Loss). Eddie Howes boys have scored 9 goals but have conceded as whopping 15, and have since been knocked out of the Champions League and the League Cup, leaving them just competing in the league and the FA Cup.

Earlier this season we had some rough luck at St. James, our captain was sent off and we played down a man for 70+ minutes. Enter our hero for the day, Darwin Nunez, coming off the bench and smashing two near identical strikes and securing us the win. I know Darwin divides opinion of even our own supporters, and I am aware that he has had a decently long stretch without scoring (I would have hated be around some of the doubters when Crouchie was having his drought...) but that is all behind us now. He netted our first against Burnley on Boxing Day, and there will be more to come, much more.



What does all of this mean for the league, for this season and beyond? Well the rise of the state owned clubs had left many questions unanswered about stability in football, ethics, and breaking/bending rules. Putting that aside can be difficult, so I wont, I have not forgotten nor shall I in the future. Watching these slip down the table after their meteoric rise last season has been great to observe. What the future holds regarding these state owned clubs, their ethics, and the total future of the sport remains to be seen. We can only just play whats in front of us, and win what we can.

When the call for match write ups went out, I had long been away from RAWK, but I decided to lend my hand yet again at writing a bit for the site and in support of the club I love. I opted for this match for a few reasons, not least of which was the fact that we have a long history with these and I love beating them, especially at home. One of the other reasons I chose this one is I have an old mate who is a massive 'Toon fan, he has been bigging his boys up for a long while now. Loads of talk about them finishing above us last year, being in the CL and we are not, having money to spend, being on the up, Liverpool being old... and so on. Words can not adequately express the joy I had when our number 9 smashed that brace into the back of the net at their place. Bliss. Seeing them fall apart over the past weeks, knocked out of both the Champions League and League Cup, injuries stacking up... (we have our own I know, I a proper devastated that Kostas is out for a long while now. What a player he has been!).

Lets just say that the WhatsApp has been quite as of late, especially after Luton.

I am relishing the opportunity to send more that a few jibes his direction post match.

Jurgan, Redmen, don't let me down. Bring on these and lets smash them and take these points.

[John C]

Bump, great stuff CT

[4pool]

Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn.
Fourth official: Andy Madley.
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes.

[killer-heels]

We need to win and we should win. I think they are a good side and their numbers suggest that, but they are physically shot now and have a terrible away record.

[Fromola]

Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn.
Fourth official: Andy Madley.
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes.

A Manchester referee, I for one am shocked.

Thought it'd be Oliver with Ant and Dec assistants and Jimmy Nail on VAR.

[4pool]

A Manchester referee, I for one am shocked.

Thought it'd be Oliver with Ant and Dec assistants and Jimmy Nail on VAR.

We just bounce from one dream team set of officials to another. 

[DelTrotter]

Can't be fucking up any more home games now, full god mode press and they won't be able to cope.

Curtis and Dom back in. Hopefully we avoid injuries, it'll get very nasty if we are well ahead by 60 or something.

[Borderred]

 it’s not a 3:00kick off   

[newterp]

it’s not a 3:00kick off   

Maybe they were looking at the US timings (east coast).

[The G in Gerrard]

Konate, Dom, Jones back in. Worth giving Jota 60 minutes from the start?

[Crimson_Tank]

Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn.
Fourth official: Andy Madley.
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes.

Cheers for that, when I started writing it they had not been assigned, clearly I didn't check again before finishing.

[Crimson_Tank]

Maybe they were looking at the US timings (east coast).

it’s not a 3:00kick off

Is correct, I am working on EST as Chez Crimson_Tank is on East Coast time.

Perhaps I can for forgiving for this error this once.

[RogerTheRed]

Come on Redmen!!
Thought provoking op CT thanks, as you say the big picture around state ownership is hard to ignore and we must enjoy our role as the fly in their ointment.
Certainly PGMOL seem on the state gravy train! Taylor is actually the best of the worst I reckon!
These seem fucked and devoid of confidence. Think we win fairly routinely as they will not enjoy the press and Harry. Mo to sign off with a goal.

[MD1990]

wonder what minute Newcastle will get a penalty?

We will be up against 12 against the Saudi's

I think Jota won't be risked starting. He made a big difference off the bench when Nunez scored 2.

Kick off is at 8pm

[Tokyoite]

Nothing short of embarrassing these would satisfy me 

Hope we smash them!

[shank94]

wonder what minute Newcastle will get a penalty?

We will be up against 12 against the Saudi's

I think Jota won't be risked starting. He made a big difference off the bench when Nunez scored 2.

Kick off is at 8pm

Jota should start this. He will have had 5 days and enough sessions under his belt. I don't see Newcastle missing too many starters? Pope and Barnes the only names that stand out I guess.

[mullyred94]

Jota should start this. He will have had 5 days and enough sessions under his belt. I don't see Newcastle missing too many starters? Pope and Barnes the only names that stand out I guess.

Bit too soon for Jota, his coming back from a hamstring. Give him 30 off the bench then start the cup game.

[Dougle]

Bit too soon for Jota, his coming back from a hamstring. Give him 30 off the bench then start the cup game.

Cheers Crimson, glad to hear your barcode mate has gone to ground. As with the other "mega-rich" dollar pumped mongrels nothing they ever do will really mean much anyway. I'd love a poll here to see how many people here have logged on to see any of Roman's or Abu Dhabi's triumphs (excluding when we were involved). Single digits at most. I have not watched any and no-one I know mentions them. No-one cares.

I don't think there's a cat in hell's chance of Jota starting the game.

The Saudi's at Anfield last year managed to both initially outplay us and then tactically retreat only to shoot themselves in both feet with a magnificent display of shit housery, time wasting, injury feigning to the point that they conceded a 97th minute winner to the delight of an angry packed Anfield. I reckon they'll go for the same this year. Packed defence and quick breaks. Well, we should be ready for them and secondly we are far better this season while they are on a rotten run. I'll take a 2-0 with no injuries. I'd love to stuff them though.

[BigCDump]

Wrong thread.

[Hazell]

Thanks for the OP CT Glad to see you back.

I don't have any Newcastle supporting mates (or any mates, for that matter) but like you I love beating Newcastle, particularly this since they got taken over and since Eddie Howe became their manager. Last season's victory at Anfield was one if the most satisfying results in an awful season.

[Hestoic]

I have a feeling that they are going to do their shithouse tactics like last season when they came to Anfield. Rolling around on the floor, faking head injuries, wasting as much time as possible, having 10 players behind the ball constantly.

And it will make beating them all the sweeter.

[Bread]

Battered by Spurs, battered by Everton, lost to Luton, lost to Forest, out of Europe, out of the Carabao. All in the space of about 3 weeks.

If we don't beat this Newcastle team, I'll be furious.

[newterp]

Thanks for the OP CT Glad to see you back.

I don't have any Newcastle supporting mates (or any mates, for that matter) but like you I love beating Newcastle, particularly this since they got taken over and since Eddie Howe became their manager. Last season's victory at Anfield was one if the most satisfying results in an awful season.

We can all be your friends. Except Al666. He's an AI.

And Effes who isn't into human friendships.

[YNWA.A]

Hope we batter them but more importantly pick up 3 points.

Jota, Nunez and Mo up front for me with Endo, Szobo, and Curtis in midfield. Konate back in at the back.

Looking forward to it, hopefully Macca makes the bench, his return is really important with Endo leaving next month.

[Red Eyed]

If all of our legitimate goals stand and their defenders aren't allowed to play basketball in the box then we'll win.

[Tokyoite]

I have a feeling that they are going to do their shithouse tactics like last season when they came to Anfield. Rolling around on the floor, faking head injuries, wasting as much time as possible, having 10 players behind the ball constantly.

And it will make beating them all the sweeter.

They will most definitely do this. Hopefully we can get a goal early to calm the nerves.

[Crimson_Tank]

We can all be your friends. Except Al666. He's an AI.

And Effes who isn't into human friendships.

 

[Hazell]

We can all be your friends. Except Al666. He's an AI.

And Effes who isn't into human friendships.

[Irishred1]

Taylor and Atwell. The dream Saudi team.

[Ghost Town]

Flippin 'eck CT, I almost bought a train ticket (I'm away at a New Year's do) thinking this was a 3pm going by the thread title! Had it all queued up on the app ready to buy and thought "I'll just read the thread a bit". Serves me right for not checking the fixtures list properly. 

I'll have to cadge a lift with a mate in a van 

Bloody trains!

[na fir dearg]

they had their fun at their ground and still ended up losing - confident we will smash these, Forest just smashed them at their place

I hope Jota is held back until about 60/70, don't want to rush him back too quickly, I wonder will Quansah keep his place ??

[classycarra]

I hope Jota is held back until about 60/70, don't want to rush him back too quickly, I wonder will Quansah keep his place ??

think you're right on Jota, and my guess on Quansah (and others) is that we're still firmly in the managing minutes stage of the christmas fixtures.

So i'd imagine Konate comes back in for him. the rest of the back four as expected (maybe Bradley can get some minutes late in the game, although maybe not as he'll probably start at Arsenal).

Jones and Szoboslai back to start in midfield, probably alongside Endo - although he's been leaned on so heavily, probably more than any other player this winter, and fatigue looked like it was setting in late in his last game (so there's an off chance he doesn't start (so Jones goes deepest and Grav starts), or is scheduled to come off 55-65 minutes. or maybe we'll keep riding him til he goes off and leave japan to consider his rest.

up front i think diaz nunez and salah start. considering the burnely subs, there's an off chance it'll be gakpo starting for nunez, with nunez coming off the bench against tired legs (plus Jota). but personally think nunez gets the start

[newterp]

Don't let Isak get going here - make sure we leave marks on Guimares and Anthony.

[Eeyore]

Taylor and Atwell. The dream Saudi team.

Plus Gary Beswick as assistant who is from County Durham.

[disgraced cake]

Literally the perfect time to play them. It's all going wrong for Newcastle at the minute and while it was the same for United I can't see this being quite as frustrating.

Alisson
Trent   Konate   VVD   Gomez
Endo
Szoboszlai   Jones
Salah   Nunez   Gakpo

I reckon Jota probably can play most of the game, in which case start with him, but if he can only do a half pointless starting with him. Endo and Salah's last match with us for a good month I'd imagine, disappointing 

[kop306]

Literally the perfect time to play them. It's all going wrong for Newcastle at the minute and while it was the same for United I can't see this being quite as frustrating.

Alisson
Trent   Konate   VVD   Gomez
Endo
Szoboszlai   Jones
Salah   Nunez   Gakpo

I reckon Jota probably can play most of the game, in which case start with him, but if he can only do a half pointless starting with him. Endo and Salah's last match with us for a good month I'd imagine, disappointing 

jota on the bench ease him back in

[newterp]

Literally the perfect time to play them. It's all going wrong for Newcastle at the minute and while it was the same for United I can't see this being quite as frustrating.

Alisson
Trent   Konate   VVD   Gomez
Endo
Szoboszlai   Jones
Salah   Nunez   Gakpo

I reckon Jota probably can play most of the game, in which case start with him, but if he can only do a half pointless starting with him. Endo and Salah's last match with us for a good month I'd imagine, disappointing 

I think it's a terrible time to play them as all I see is flashbacks of ManU.

Wounded animal and all.

[So… Howard Philips]

I think it's a terrible time to play them as all I see is flashbacks of ManU.

Wounded animal and all.

United weren’t just a wounded animal they played possum all match.

[kop306]

I think it's a terrible time to play them as all I see is flashbacks of ManU.

Wounded animal and all.

our players will have had a good rest after the burnley game

dont forget its mo's last game before afcon aswell

[disgraced cake]

I think it's a terrible time to play them as all I see is flashbacks of ManU.

Wounded animal and all.

We beat ourselves that day. And we didn't even lose!