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Opinion

3 Positives and 3 Negatives from Newcastle 0 Liverpool 0

3 years ago
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Wednesday night ended Newcastle 0 Liverpool 0.

Ahead of each match we ask one of our writers to come up with 3 positives and 3 negatives following the game.

This time it is David Punton.

POSITIVES

We didn’t lose the game

Oh for small mercies, right?

But the football has been so poor of late that any slight improvement has to be welcomed with open arms.

Newcastle United at Xmas is traditionally a tale of woe in recent years, so to hold on for a point against a team as good as Liverpool was a welcome night’s work.

Karl Darlow

The goalkeepers often don’t get the praise but how good was Karl Darlow tonight?

He’s having a brilliant season and has made a vital intervention tonight to help his team secure the draw.

As a back up custodian he’s a safe pair of hands and he’s going beyond that now, how does Dubravka get back in?

Darlow is not getting enough credit from the pundits either because he’s not at a fashionable club.

On a separate note, it was still pleasing to see Dubravka back on the bench tonight.

Much better defending this evening

A lot tighter.

That’s the benchmark they have to aim for now.

Everyone has played their part in that back line and it is always better to have Matt Ritchie around when the chips are down.

NEGATIVES

Looking after the ball

We need to be better with the ball and look after it more.

To see just 27% possession at home is not where I want to see us.

Hayden and Matty Longstaff less wasteful than Messrs Shelvey and Sean Longstaff.

Taking advantage?

Liverpool were without their recognised centre-backs tonight.

Maybe, just maybe, we ought to have cashed in a bit more on that.

We still look a bit toothless in attack and not enough attempts are on target for the home side.

Steve Bruce

And finally…Steve Bruce.

He remains a negative for me. Sorry Steve.

We should be playing a lot better tactically with this group than what Bruce, Agnew and Clemence are coming up with at the training ground.

The next few games still look horrific and even after that I suspect it will be tricky, especially if the ASM absence carries on. We remain fragile, in my view.

Stats from BBC Sport:

Newcastle 0 Liverpool 0 – Wednesday 30 December 8pm

Goals:

Newcastle:

Liverpool:

Possession was Liverpool 73%  Newcastle 27%

Total shots were Liverpool 11 Newcastle 8

Shots on target Liverpool 4 Newcastle 2

Corners were Liverpool 12 Newcastle 5

Referee: Paul Tierney

Newcastle United:

Darlow, Yedlin, Fernandez, Schar, Clark, Matty Longstaff, Hayden, Ritchie (Lewis 86), Murphy (Almiron 67), Joelinton, Wilson

Unused Subs:

Dubravka, Shelvey, Carroll, Krafth, Gayle, Hendrick, Sean Longstaff

Crowd: 00,000

(Newcastle 0 Liverpool 0 – Instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to Wednesday’s draw – Read HERE)

You can follow the author on Twitter @DavePunton

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