Liverpool beaten by lowly Newcastle

As said in our predicted XI, this game had the trap door feel.

However, while pundits – and indeed, Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren – may have been talking up his team’s chances of getting involved in the title race, Klopp was adamant he had never even considered it.

“One shot on target in the 89th minute – that’s not going to win you a game anywhere”, Whelan concluded. Anybody can beat anybody.

The moment Firmino pulled out of a challenge, prompting Klopp to beckon him to the sidelines for admonishment, epitomised Liverpool’s strangely tentative mood.

In something of a hit-and-miss display from Moreno, the Spaniard contributed strongly in attack, with a number of fine deliveries from the left flank and from corners, but was consistently caught out of position in defence.

The midfield were useless and off ball movement was reluctant.

It was a poor performance overall, but Lovren was Klopp’s standout player on the night.

Had Alberto Moreno’s goal wasn’t incorrectly called back, things may have been different. ‘To be prepared for a game you have to know as much about the actual situation because everything can be motivation.

Chancel Mbemba headed over from Cisse’s flick-on on the stroke of half-time and the unsafe Jordon Ibe blasted inches too high seconds later to suggest there might be more to come after the break.

Newcastle started the second half on the front, which the crowd reacted to and made for the best atmosphere inside St James’ Park for a long time.

The right-back was typically solid, but could not provide the decisive end product in the final third. Got forward well and was robbed of what would have been a brilliant equaliser by an incorrect offside decision from the linesman.

Dejan Lovren 5 – Spent as much time on his backside as he did on his feet at times and still does not look the real deal.

The Reds were a shadow of the enterprising unit which dispatched Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton on the road in recent weeks as a Georginio Wijnaldum-inspired Newcastle ended Klopp’s run of seven wins in eight matches.

Allen was forgotten other than when he was catching studs on his Achilles. It is a reasonable request but Benteke has yet to deliver an overall performance that suggests his style is suited to what the Liverpool manager demands from this team. He attacked well and looked most likely to create for the reds.

Christian Benteke could have changed the outcome in the 21st minute, but he inexplicably shot over the crossbar from just three yards out, typifying his disappointing outing. Philippe Coutinho’s continued absence with a hamstring problem, Emre Can’s one-match suspension and the need to manage Sturridge’s return from injury impacted on Klopp’s creative options.