Leap of faith pays off for Steve McClaren and Newcastle
Jurgen Klopp’s team had scored 13 goals in their last three away games, but forced Newcastle keeper Rob Elliot to make a solitary save — and that didn’t come until the final minutes of a match which slipped away from Liverpool after Martin Skrtel deflected Georginio Wijnaldum’s shot past his own goalkeeper in the second half.
Wijnaldum added United’s second in stoppage time to secure a win that lifted them above Sunderland, but leaves them still in the relegation zone.
Liverpool will claim with justification that the result might have been different if a 79th minute goal from Alberto Moreno had not been wrongly disallowed.
Klopp, who accepted that Liverpool deserved their defeat, said:“We got a goal that was like a Christmas present. It was a world-class goal, but we were not good enough, so the linesman made his decision.”
It was a sweet outcome for McClaren, who surely began the game envying the strength in depth at Klopp’s disposal.
The Liverpool manager was able to leave out six of the side that overwhelmed Southampton in the Capital One Cup midweek.
Among the absentees was Divock Origi, who scored half of their six cup goals and was on the bench alongside international talent such as Daniel Sturridge, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Kolo Toure.
Klopp said:”We had to make changes, but not because of the game at Southampton. We have to rotate and change players and sometimes it works perfectly, sometimes not.”
In contrast, McClaren, expected to drastically reshape his formation and personnel after conceding eight goals in two heavy defeats, made just one change as Siem de Jong’s patient wait for a first team chance ended as he replaced Ayoze Perez.
The Newcastle manager, also resisting the temptation to tinker with his tactical approach, was quickly given a hint that he might pay a price for his caution — a hint that proved to be false.
Liverpool forced three corners in the opening 70 seconds and, while they failed to make any of them count, the warning signs were there for Newcastle.
The fact that Liverpool full-back Nathaniel Clyne was soon allowed to make a powerful 70-yard run to the fringes of the Newcastle area without facing a significant challenge was another worrying sight for McClaren.
And Liverpool’s early impetus should have produced a goal in the 21st minute when another corner was headed down to Christian Benteke by Dejan Lovren, but the striker could only help the ball over the bar from three yards and from then on, Liverpool’s initial threat vanished.
By this stage, Newcastle had discovered some badly-needed composure and, with Vurnon Anita and Jack Colback scuffling for the ball in midfield, finally developed some attacks.
Papiss Cisse and Chancel Mbemba failed to accept opportunities and an evenly-matched half ended with Jordon Ibe’s first contribution as he curled a 25-yard effort over the bar, the final act of 45 minutes when neither side had put a shot on target.
The sights of both teams remained askew after the break as four attempts — two from each side — went high and wide before Klopp decided it was time to add the more accurate instincts of Sturridge and Lallana in the 62nd minute.
But, when the goal finally arrived in the 69th minute, it was scored by Newcastle as a result of yet another off-target effort. Wijnaldum did well to swerve away from two defenders before unleashing a shot that was going narrowly wide before Skrtel diverted it past Mignolet.
Wijnaldum was unhappy to be told the goal had been credited to Skrtel.
“I don’t think so,” he said. ”My shot was on goal, so I think it’s mine.”
With Origi quickly added to Liverpool’s attacking mix, McClaren’s side lived dangerously for the final 20 minutes as Sturridge wasted two good opportunities to add to the six goals he has scored against Newcastle, more than against any other Premier League club.
Elliot, fortunate when Moreno’s goal was disallowed, finally had to make a save when Lovren steered a weak header straight at him.
The fact that it happened in the 89th minute said everything about toothless Liverpool, who were punished again in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Sissoko created it with a shrewd through ball to Wijnaldum, who calmly clipped the ball over the onrushing Mignolet.
This time, nobody was going to take the credit away from the Dutchman, who said:”I was very happy because we have worked hard and trained hard to get this result.
Elliot 6; Janmaat 7, Mbemba 6, Coloccini 6, Dummett 6; Anita 8, Colback 7 (Gouffran 77,5); Sissoko 6, de Jong 5 (Perez 68,5); Wijnaldum 8; Cisse 6 (Thauvin 82,5).
Darlow, Sterry, Mbabu, Mitrovic.
Mignolet 6; Clyne 7, Skrtel 6, Lovren 6, Moreno 5; Lucas 6, Allen 6; Ibe 5 (Origi 75,5), Firmino 5 (Sturridge 62,5), Milner 6; Benteke 5 (Lallana 62,5).
Bogdan, Toure, Henderson, Randall.
Andre Marriner 5
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