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Just the tonic for LFC

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Liverpool FC celebrateCONTROVERSY and drama are two words which have been synonymous with Liverpool Football Club throughout their illustrious history, whether you’re talking about coming back from the dead to win a fifth European Cup on penalties, losing the league title in the last minute of the last game of the season, or Robbie Fowler’s infamous by-line celebration.

Against Chelsea at Anfield, the late drama of Luis Suarez’s 97th minute equaliser was, to put it mildly, overshadowed somewhat by the more controversial side of Suarez’s character and the subsequent 10 match ban that followed.

The hysteria and faux moral outcry generated by what’s become known as “bitegate” was absurd, another example of the sheer state of dizziness in which Britain has found itself in recent years. The punishment from the FA was equally illogical and nothing if not arbitrary in nature, but with the FA’s dictatorial powers allowing them to hand out supplementary bans at their whim, an appeal was never going to be likely.

So, with Liverpool fans’ collective sense of injustice having had time to recede only slightly and the rest of the country just about assured that the entire moral fabric of the nation wasn’t in danger of unravelling completely, it was time to get back to the football. For Liverpool, that meant a trip to St. James’s Park and the beginning of a quarter of a Premier League season without Suarez, undoubtedly the Reds most influential and potent player.

It often happens in football, particularly where Liverpool are concerned, that when a star striker or talismanic figure is removed from a team, the remaining players (and the players drafted in) take a step up and perform at a higher level to make up for the absentee (an obvious exception to this rule being Tottenham in the absence Gareth Bale).

Indeed, when Suarez was absent through suspension at West Ham earlier in the season, the Reds dug deep – coming from behind to take all three points at Upton Park. For this reason, and the fact that St. James’s has been a very happy hunting ground for the Reds over the years, my frame of mind was optimistic.

Thankfully my optimism was not misplaced; in fact it was perhaps shown to be a little understated given what unfolded. Liverpool were breathtaking, right from the first minute. Newcastle have almost exclusively garnered their points at home this season, but were left reeling after Daniel Agger’s third minute header.

1-0 after three minutes became 2-0 at half-time and, in the second half, 2 became 3, 4, 5 and finally 6-0 before the Reds eased off with around ten minutes remaining. The result was obviously fantastic, the manner of it was even more pleasing and, after a tumultuous week, both were just what the players, management, fans and everybody connected with the club needed. The message: a show of support for Luis Suarez, and a defiant statement to those who revel in labelling Liverpool a “one man team”.
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The way in which the Reds gutted Newcastle with cunning, cleverness, patience and ruthlessness was a joy to behold, and the names of those elbows deep in the butchery, a testament to Liverpool’s steady improvement on the pitch this season. Philippe Coutinho was the star turn again, his pace, trickery and willingness to harry and work hard visibly upsetting the opposition. If his energy upset them, his vision and passing ability eviscerated them as the Brazilian, just two months into his Anfield career, dictated the pace and flow of the game like veteran of the Premier League.

Coutinho, as I’ve written many times, looks a brilliantly shrewd signing; his ability is rare, his workrate impressive, his passing absolutely deadly and he’s improving with every game.

Daniel Sturridge also played a starring role in the Newcastle’s devastation. The former Chelsea man, who’s blown hot and cold since his arrival (largely due to niggling injuries) was in superb form, showing his pace and willingness to stretch the play, run at defenders and, of course, some deadly finishing. Sturridge bagged two, thanks to assists from Coutinho and Henderson, and notched his own assist in setting up Henderson for his first. He looks worth every penny of his £12m transfer fee.

Jordan Henderson – what a season he’s had! From being surplus to requirements at Anfield, the England U-21 captain has now achieved full redemption in the eyes of most Kopites. A real candidate for Man of the Match, Henderson’s performance was tireless and displayed more than a few flashes of class. The scorer of two goals, Henderson was involved in almost everything good that Liverpool produced – including his assist for Sturridge’s second and his sublime “eye of the needle” pass which the England striker should’ve done much better with.

After receiving some stick for his recent displays, Lucas chose a fine time for his return to form. A tour de force from LFC’s other Brazilian ensured that Newcastle had very few opportunities to build successful moves, or put any kind of pressure on Liverpool’s back four. When the back four were tested, Johnson, Agger, Carragher and particularly Enrique were more than equal to the task.

Last but by no means least, I’d like to single out Stewart Downing for praise on his return to the North East. As ever, Downing kept his position well and offered an outlet, but it was his final product that was on the money on Saturday. His glorious first-time cross to set up Agger for the Reds’ first was vitally important, and his presence of mind (so often lacking) later in the game to pick out Fabio Borini was, hopefully, an indication of things to come from the England winger. Fabio Borini finding the back of the net with his third touch was the icing on the cake, and his clever movement and sharp finish bode well for what he’ll add to the team going forward.

All in all a fantastic day to be a Liverpool fan. The team let their football do the talking and consequently, we can all get back to talking about football. Just the tonic the doctor ordered!

You can catch up with Neil on Twitter @Neil1980 and on his blog http://itsallinthegameblog.wordpress.com/
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