Newcastle 1-0 Liverpool: 7 Biggest Factors In Unexpected Victory

7. Coloccini As "Sweeper"

It isn't true to say that Fabricio Coloccini played an old-fashioned sweeper role, but his roaming defensive style - which works a lot better next to Steven Taylor than it does Mike Williamson - was a lot like that role. With Taylor sitting deeper, and protecting the edge of the box or winning headers when the ball came forward in the air (not surprisingly quite rarely given Liverpool's style), Coloccini could move out from his position, putting pressure on Mario Balotelli and stopping him having the kind of impact he would have sought. The result was the Italian having just one touch in the Newcastle area, and cutting a frustrated figure on the edge of the box. He was already cut off of service, and the one time he dropped deep to do a bit of damage, he was turned upside down by Daryl Janmaat for what was clearly perceived to be over aggression on Mehdi Abeid.