The Liverpool victory was three points well fought for and three points well won for Newcastle United, but they couldn't have done it without the assistance of their opponents. It isn't just a question of what Newcastle did right against Liverpool, or indeed Man City or Spurs, because the whole idea of the reductive system that Pardew has set up is for patient play that will only look to profit when the opposition leaves a gap, or over-commits, or makes a mistake. It's about limiting how well they can play, and then countering with pace and direct running - a step up from the infuriating long ball football we've seen before - that means we don't actually need a creative central midfield passer like Yohan Cabaye as much as players who will run. Of course, none of it would work if there wasn't a mistake or an over-commital to profit from, and Newcastle need to fundamentally make their opponents not play in order to play themselves. It's a risky strategy, as it can mean not profiting against lesser teams who simply sit back themselves and attempt to absorb pressure, but against bigger teams in particular, it can yield good results. So in many ways, Liverpool had to lose the game themselves yesterday in order for Newcastle to win. They were sloppy in possession, poor in attack and unclinical, and their passing was utterly appalling for a team that cost so much. Only Steven Gerrard and Simon Mignolet really emerged with much credit - Fabio Borini gave it a bit of a go when he came on - with everyone else making errors, putting in poor passing rates, and just not looking like the same team who almost won the league last year. They threw away a chance to win with their own sloppiness. But then, that's sort of the point. Alan Pardew actually deserves credit for making a system that should never work - which is incredibly difficult to judge or predict the outcome of - profitable in terms of points. He might not be in control of the mistakes that Liverpool or Spurs or City made, but in setting up his team the right way for the system, with deep defensive players and man-markers to nullify specific threats, he frustrated them enough to make those mistakes far more likely. It's far from a genius tactic by any means - by definition it is the behaviour of a small team, because it requires an acceptance that you will have less possession, break fewer times and create less - but when it works, it looks like a master-stroke. Sadly, it can't be the only way Newcastle set themselves up this season; once confidence grows a bit more, they should attack "lesser" teams more openly, playing a higher line with more confidence, rather than defending with 8 men in two banks. But when we're talking siege mentality, and taking scalps - as Pardew likes doing - it is the perfect tactical system for playing more expansive attacking teams who can be tempted into over-committing. It is the ultimate rope a dope, and while it can't last by definition (we've seen it before), there are few other ways Pardew could have embarked on this unlikely, but not entirely unworthy run. All that remains now is to see whether Newcastle's fans will all take to the style, because there are those who inevitably prefer style and attacking intent - that almighty "ambition" that crops up so much - to winning ugly. For Pardew, just winning is what matters.
