Newcastle United vs Liverpool: Reds' title bandwagon bogged down by lack of depth

That hissing sound you can hear? That’s the sound of Liverpool’s red balloon. Deflating.

“Title contenders,” Steve McClaren, among others, had called them and with a 6-1 demolition of Southampton in midweek fresher in the mind than a laboured victory over Swansea at Anfield last Sunday, we were inclined to agree.

After all, Liverpool had won four in a row and this is one open league. After all, in their previous two away league games they had won 4-1 at Manchester City and 3-1 at Chelsea. After all, look at the state of Newcastle United.

But not even Jürgen Klopp’s smile could add personality to this performance. Vague, watery, unconvincing, Liverpool failed to score against a defence that had just conceded eight goals to Leicester City and Crystal Palace.

Well, arguably they did score, only Alberto Moreno’s 80th-minute volley which looped over Rob Elliott was disallowed by a rogue linesman’s flag and when discussing the game afterwards, this was the moment when Klopp used the word “shit”. But you sensed he used the word over and over again during the match.

“We made our goal,” Klopp said sarcastically, “but because we weren’t good enough today the linesman thought: ‘Don’t make world-class goals if you play this shit.’”

It was a verdict that covered both the linesman and Liverpool’s overall play. This was an afternoon when the first question Klopp received afterwards was: What went wrong? “Nearly everything – the start, the middle, the end,” he replied. The German mentioned a lack of creativity, “and our midfield pressing was not good enough. And I couldn’t see our attacking pressing.”

As he deconstructed only the second game under him in which Liverpool have failed to score – the first was his first, the 0-0 draw at Tottenham – the names of Philippe Coutinho and Emre Can went unsaid, but neither were here and both were missed. Countinho had a hamstring to consider, Can a suspension.

With Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge on the bench alongside Jordan Henderson, Klopp was testing the strength of his squad. It will give him pause for thought, but he chose to criticise – in a baffled-man kind of way - the absence of a winter break in England rather than say he needs new recruits in January.

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“I’m getting messages from Germany,” Klopp said. They are from former colleagues who will soon start a winter break. “In that time there will be 10 games here.”

He has a point. Klopp has been in charge for 12 games. Outside the international break, he has not yet had a full week to prepare for a match. The Europa League is part of that – and Liverpool have FC Sion away on Thursday – as is the League Cup.

Wednesday’s progress in it looked to have affected Liverpool, both in the personnel selected and omitted and how the team malfunctioned.

And yet when Liverpool won three corners in the first 70 seconds, it appeared as if this would be a continuation of the fluid Southampton display, but that too turned out to be inflated expectation.

Nothing came of the corners and when Christian Benteke kneed over a later corner, Liverpool’s best first-half moment had gone. Benteke offered little bar a couple of neat headers and was replaced in the 62nd minute when the ball flew out of play close to the Newcastle dugout. Lucas Leiva had kicked it directly there from midfield, one of a series of either over-hit or misplaced Red passes.

McClaren had spoken of Liverpool’s gathering momentum but that scattergun passing meant the visitors could engender none at St James’. Newcastle did not have much either, but perseverance is not a quality McClaren’s team have exhibited in abundance. They were glad to witness some yesterday. “We were nervous at the beginning,” said McClaren. “There was no rhythm from our side,” said Klopp. That combination made for a scrappy half, which suited Newcastle more.

“This was obviously not a really good football game,” Klopp added, “and that was 50 per cent because of Newcastle and 50 per cent because of Liverpool FC. I think in the situation that Newcastle are in, you can say it’s absolutely OK for them to play like that.”

But not Liverpool, not if they want to be contenders. Had Moreno’s goal stood, had Sturridge shown more composure when released by a lovely Lallana pass, Klopp might have been speaking differently, but it turned out those three early corners were as misleading as six goals at Southampton.

Klopp repeated how his mentality is to be emotional during a game and analytical after it but he was angry, visibly, only when Roberto Firmino clearly did not fancy a 50/50 challenge with Paul Dummett.

Disputing the notion that this was a “reality check”, Klopp also asked for clarification of the word “contenders”. He is not alone. This result came at the end of a weekend when only one of England’s four Champions League clubs – Arsenal – won, and when Leicester once again moved top of the Premier League.

After 15 games last season Chelsea were top and eight points clear of third place. Now it’s Leicester and 10 points separate the top 10. The division may not be overloaded with quality; there is excitement in unpredictability.