Newcastle VS Liverpool : Match Review

Final Score:
Newcastle 3 - 1 Liverpool

Another lousy and disgusting away loss by the Reds
and as the match proceeds, my anger was so hot that I
on the brink of smashing the TV. Fortunately, I never do
so but I just got to vent my anger with the team and
manager's performance at 4am now.

This is by far one of worst performance by the team
in the league with the 3-0 loss to Man City being the worst
in my view. Hodgson and his staffs and the team should have already
watched the video recordings of how Newcastle played again
other teams in the league. They should and must know that
the focus of the team is Andy Caroll and Kelvin Nolan.
I was expecting that the Liverpool's defense will be tight
on the play-maker and goal-scorer and I feel that it is not
shameful to even double man-mark the dangerous players
in the opponent team. Somehow, the defense and marking
on the 2 players was very lax which lead to 2 goals scored
by this 2 danger men.

Andy Caroll is a tough man to mark even with the injured
Carragher is around, but I feel that Skrtel and Kyrgiakos
did a really bad job in this match. The first and second goal
from Newcastle can be avoided and are really too soft a goal
to let in. The third goal by Caroll is an individual brilliance but
the defenders simply back off and back off and was inviting
Caroll to have a crack at Reina's goal which was duly punished
by a well-taken left-bottom shot. Lucas was the closest player
at that time, but he take no initiative to close down Caroll which
sum-up his below par performance.

I was expecting that Hodgson will start Babel with Torres infront
but I was disappointed to see Ngog got to start the match. Babel
should have start the game given his great form lately but Hodgson
choose to start with a safe option rather than taking a risk AGAIN.
Kuyt continued to be full of running and he scored the goal for the team
in this match but I feel that the fans will agree that he can't be the leading
player for the Reds for long. His pace is non-existence although his
hardworking attitude is admirable. He need to be replace with another
right winger and be "downgraded" to the squad or be sold away since
he still got some value in his price tag. As a player, he is without doubt the
most hardworking players in the Reds but he has past his prime
and it is time to let him go in January.

Lucas and Meireles are ok in the midfield section but still not good
enough. Gerrald should return for the home game against Hodgson's
former club, Fulham and he should be partner with Meireles for
the match. Maxi is only alive in the first half and is chasing shadows
in the 2nd half and was rightfully substituted by Babel. The fans should
noticed a significant improvement in the team's attack when Babel
came on. He created chances after chances but his efforts were
wasted by his teammates. Torres had an lousy match in his standard
and one wonders what will happen to the end-result if he put away
the goal when he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper when the score
was 1-1 Liverpool may have won the match in the best-case scenario.

There is another one thing that I really need to get off my mind and
that is regarding the manager, Roy Hodgson. In my view, he HAS
TO GO in the January transfer window. He has a bad away games
record even when he was still in Fulham last season and he is always
hopping for miracles when the team is not doing well and was pinned
down by the opponent. He took his own sweet time to make substitutions
and change of tactic (if any) in the match proceedings. I know that
Liverpool has a good record of not sacking any manager in the
mid-season but Hodgson really GOT TO GO! He is like a jinx and/or
curse to the teams he managed which caused the team to have
a very bad away game record. There are plenty of astute managers
out there who must have better away games record than him,
so bring the axe out!

Liverpool is like a ferocious tiger in the home matches and become
a fragile weaklings in away match, this has to stop to prevent any
more points erosion due to failure to win in away match even if it
is a much weaker team. If the team can only play with " You Will
Never Walk Alone" singing in the background, then the team is
in a dire state.

Liverpool will face FC Utrecht this Thursday followed by Fulham on
Saturday which is a must-win home match. Gerrald will be back
to lead the team again so I expect nothing other than 3 points in
the bag this weekend.

You Will Never Walk Alone!
(December 12, 4:40am)