It wasn't just Raheem Sterling who struggled to make any kind of impact against Paul Dummett: Newcastle closed the door on Liverpool running around them to get behind the defence, which became increasingly important as the game went on. Robbed of the space to run through the middle, Liverpool tried hard to come down their right with Sterling, but found that way blocked, and Sammy Ameobi (and before him briefly Gabriel Obertan) stopped anything coming down the left with the ineffectual Moreno. As Rodgers sensed the game was slopping away from him, he brought Borini on, and then when even that didn't work, he also brought Rickie Lambert on to play 4-2-4 to try and overwhelm Newcastle's defence with 4 1v1's that should have allowed them to get around the sides. Again, Newcastle held firm, and though Liverpool had a lot of the ball they made few chances and Tim Krul spent most of the game watching along with the fans. Do you think Alan Pardew deserves credit for overcoming Liverpool? Share your thoughts below.
