Newcastle 1, Liverpool 1: First Thoughts

Newcastle 1 Joselu 36’, Liverpool 1 Coutinho 28’,

• Pre-match thought: Sturridge is starting!!! Jonjo Shelvey is there!! There’s so much! Who knew Javier Manquillo played for Newcastle now??
• And we’re off!
• Who is surprised there’s no booing for Gini? So used to hearing it from Southampton, you’d think that’s how all fans act when facing a former player.
• One moment of counter attack from the Reds early on but fell apart just as Mo Salah gets shut down in the final third.
• Not a whole lot to talk about in these first fifteen minutes. Some encouraging possession but as we all know... possession doesn’t win games.
• You could say we’re controlling the game, but Newcastle is doing their job in shutting us down as soon as we get anywhere near the goal.
• AGONY, as Gini Wijnaldum has his shot from a corner deflected and no one could get a proper touch on it to put it away. Absolutely the worst. The most excitement we’ve had all match, though.
• Oh my god and we’re only 27 minutes in.
• GOAL! Coutinho with his specialty - a little juke to the side and a rocket from outside the box - his 17th of his career.
• WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT. Joselu scored practically on accident, as Matip’s clearance hits his shin and just rolls into goal. The worst. Entirely unlucky and yet isn’t that the story of Liverpool lately.
• HALFTIME: Well that was.... a half. Dragging like crazy, with very little to be excited about. Let’s hope the break changes things in our favor.
• And we’re back! No changes for the teams so... more of the same, I guess.
• I didn’t even realize Emre Can was on the bench.
• This has just not been a very good match.
• Liverpool win a free kick in Coutinho’s magic zone and it doesn’t get around the wall, unfortunately. The Reds have had plenty of chances today but no real finishing edge to any of them. (I know, tell us something we don’t know).
• Seriously, how is it that every other team we’ve played so far has had the best defensive games of the season?
• 68 minutes in - There’s over twenty minutes left of this bullshit???
• 73 minutes and Jürgen Klopp makes two changes: Roberto Firmino comes on for Daniel Sturridge and Dominic Solanke for Sadio Mané, the first changes of the match.
• Here’s hoping Bobby can get some energy into this thing, as Liverpool are literally dragging along.
• Or not. The boss chooses to bring on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for Mohamed Salah to... I don’t know at this point.
• UNUCKY. Solanke gets a head on a beautiful pass from Coutinho but it just barely misses. Like beating a dead horse now.
• I don’t know what good things to focus on out of this match. Honestly. More of the same. Forever passing and possessing and not doing anything with it.
• ALMOST! Just as I write that, Moreno hooks the ball to save it and Chamberlain gets his own head on it and has it saved by Newcastle’s ‘keeper. SO CLOSE.
• Final. That was poor. All around. No way to say it any better. Just poor. Another draw. Another toothless attack.

We'll be back shortly to take an in-depth look at everything that happened in today's game with the full recap. Until then, let us know your take on the ups and downs of the match in the comments, and if you haven't already, join the community on the Liverpool Offside, where we'll have full coverage and lively in-game discussion for every match this season.