If Newcastle United wanted one other harsh reminder of the truth at Anfield, this sport delivered it with theatrical brutality. Soccer has its dangerous days and its down days, and there’s a distinctive psychological vortex that Newcastle discover themselves in each time they cross the white line at Liverpool’s historic house.
This night time was alleged to lastly be the crack in that report. For 40 minutes, Newcastle weren’t simply aggressive. They have been on the higher aspect. They ran Liverpool in tatters, approaching with conviction, combating again with goal and commanding with most credit score by means of Anthony Gordon. After which, as they’d completed so many occasions earlier than, they unraveled. The self-destruction was sudden, dramatic, and utterly predictable.
Newcastle’s troubled report right here stretches again to 1994 – a really astonishing reality. Greater than 30 years of failure left scars on the equipment and as soon as once more, nearly ritually, their hopes vanished below the Anfield lights.
Hope interrupted once more
For a lot of the primary half, Newcastle offered a lovely show of management. Liverpool could not get out. Eddie Howe’s gameplan, a compact construction that put energetic strain on Liverpool’s improvised backline, was working. Anthony Gordon’s purpose appeared to spark a efficiency worthy of lastly ending the curse.
But when Anfield is Liverpool’s cathedral, Newcastle is the best visiting preacher of human frailty. Simply earlier than half-time, they have been circled within the blink of an eye fixed twice.
Mo Salah’s deflected shot fell awkwardly into the trail of Ryan Gravenbirch, who pushed it into Florian Wirtz. Three Newcastle defenders rallied collectively, however one way or the other nobody intervened. Wirtz slipped the ball to Hugo Ekitike, who tapped it in. There was a second of hesitation and a tangle of legs, and the rating was tied.
Howe’s response mentioned all of it. Usually a person of exemplary calm, he grew to become enraged, flailing his arms, spewing expletives at Jason Tyndall and gesturing to ghosts that solely he might see. That was the face of the supervisor who had seen this film many occasions.
Two minutes of insanity that modified every thing
At 1-1 with seconds earlier than half-time, Newcastle wanted composure. They wanted to go to the altering room. Fairly, it brought on confusion.
Newcastle’s customary nook fizzled out and Milos Kerkes’ lengthy hopeful punt from upfield caught Ekitike close to midway. Sandro Tonali was in pursuit and Malik Thiau had the tempo and positioning to cowl. There was no actual risk.
And Tiau simply…stopped. I slowed all the way down to a jog. I dared to run Ekitike. Then he ran and curled previous Nick Pope with a spectacular out-of-the-boots transfer, leaving Tiaw embarrassingly flat-footed.
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At that second, Thiau seemed like he was making an attempt to emulate the good Virgil van Dijk. He incessantly used what seemed to be an informal strategy in one-on-one conditions to steer the attacker within the course he needed, earlier than addressing the hazard. Nicely, everybody at Newcastle will hope Thiau has realized his lesson. He isn’t the Virgil van Dijk he’s now, a lot much less again to his heyday when he was Liverpool captain.
In these unforgivable 5 seconds, Newcastle not solely misplaced their lead, they gave up the complete emotional blueprint of the match. Howe stood on the touchline with the look of a person who had seen victory flip into defeat and was unable to do something about it. Mouth is open. Eyes are empty. Disbelief provides strategy to a fatalistic acceptance that solely comes at Anfield.
Just a few seconds later, the digicam caught him crouched on the grass, staring on the floor as if considering his life selections. Anybody who has watched Newcastle dance on this stadium for 30 years knew the reality. Meaning the sport is over.
an unavoidable shock
Newcastle supporters within the media joked earlier than kick-off {that a} 4-1 defeat was inevitable. It had turn out to be a type of gallows humor, a approach of dealing with what had turn out to be an annual trauma.
And naturally, it ended 4-1.
Thiau’s mistake within the build-up to Liverpool’s third purpose was as careless as his jog for the second. After which got here the fourth. The normally dependable Nick Pope dropped the best of crosses. Ibrahima Konate swung his shin on the bouncing ball. It bounced off Dan Byrne’s again and rolled apologetically into the online.
If I have been to script a slapstick purpose to represent 32 years of distress, this might be it.
Liverpool did not simply beat Newcastle. they punished them. Chosen for his or her confidence. uncovered their insecurities. The early benefit turned to mud. It wasn’t a rivalry. It was a rebroadcast of a long-running tragicomedy.
Supervisor missing solutions
Eddie Howe isn’t any naive man. He understands psychology, preparation and construction. However one thing at Anfield shatters Newcastle’s resolve, turning skilled professionals into panicked amateurs. Mr. Howe has had many alternatives over the previous 4 years to interrupt that spell, however like his predecessors, he appears perplexed.
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Since 1994, 16 everlasting managers have tried the identical job and 16 have failed. Twelve totally different Newcastle captains have tried to interrupt the curse. They have been all lacking. The one factor they’ve in widespread shouldn’t be the system, personnel or techniques, however the mentality that appears to be collapsing on this stadium.
Howe’s Newcastle usually are not an inherently fragile crew. They’ve outperformed the highest groups in Europe, achieved nice outcomes, punched above their weight and proven outstanding enchancment. However Anfield units them again, dismantles them and disintegrates them.
Why this defeat hurts greater than others
Newcastle have misplaced at Anfield earlier than. Many occasions. However this cuts even deeper.
As a result of they performed effectively. They took an early benefit. They’ve bent Liverpool into an disagreeable form. They took the lead. They have been invaders, not survivors. This wasn’t a disagreement, it was a meltdown.
Newcastle had that rarest of presents: perception. And so they blew it.
The protection was lax. The transition was sloppy. Choice-making evaporated below strain. The calm that had characterised the primary 40 minutes was changed by panic, despondency and confusion. This wasn’t only a loss, it was self-destruction.
This was a reminder that for all of the progress Newcastle have made below Howe, they nonetheless have an Achilles heel that surfaces below the brightest of lights.
