liverpool continues winless campaign against Newcastle

Liverpool were playing against a promoted side. They had all their attacking stars lined up. The opponents were set up to defend. There must have been a time when these things put together would have meant an easy victory for Liverpool.

If such times existed, they are becoming extremely difficult for the Reds’ fans to recall. What the recent history tells them is that a draw is the best outcome when those things are put together.

Yes, Liverpool were playing a promoted side  but it is a side coached by Rafa Benitez, who happens to be one of the masters of defensive solidity in the Premier League. Yes, they had all their attackers lined up, but Rafa set up his Newcastle United to defend against exactly those attackers. As a result, and as Liverpool fans are getting accustomed to (and fed up of), the Reds dropped two points at St. James’ Park and the Magpies stole a point.

To be fair to Liverpool, this result is better than their last two visits to Newcastle, but it is still one that rankles. With the quality in their side and with the charismatic Klopp in the manager’s seat, they should have won such a game. That they did not is getting uncomfortably familiar and equally harder to digest.

One win in seven matches, that is what Liverpool have earned for their toils through September and the first day of October. In those seven games, they have conceded 14 goals and scored and scored only eight. This run of form is indeed very worrisome for Klopp and he will be hoping that his players can return in a different frame of mind when they come back from the international break. He desperately needs his side’s form to turn, otherwise their troubles will mount further, as much larger challenges (Man United, Tottenham) await the Reds in October.