The press box at St James’ Park might not be the best vantage point to watch the tactical side of games but, situated just behind the dugouts, it is the perfect spot to gauge the emotions of the two managers, with hacks sometimes watching the bosses more than the match itself.
That was the case on a rainy late-summer afternoon, when 10-man Liverpool somehow came from a goal down to beat Newcastle. Jurgen Klopp went through a rainbow of emotions that day and even the poker-faced Eddie Howe lost his cool as his side capitulated.
Klopp’s album of facial expressions started with frustration as his side conceded a cheap goal to Anthony Gordon, then anger as Virgil van Dijk was sent off three minutes later. By the end, though, the German looked in disbelief as substitute Darwin Nunez scored a brace.
Liverpool had no right to win that match. But as Klopp and his players strolled over and craned their necks to 3,000 travelling Reds partying up high in the away end, repeating a visceral thump of ‘Nunez, Nunez, Nunez’, it felt like a turning point, the start of something special.
Many in the club talk of uncertainty as to their ambitions for this season before a ball was kicked.
Jurgen Klopp said his side’s victory against Newcastle at St James’ Park was ‘special’ and a ‘very important’ one for their title charge this season
Darwin Nunez scored a brace of goals late in the match to help the Reds come back to win
Liverpool have since gone on to rise to the top of the Premier League and are now 13 points clear of Eddie Howe’s side
They had lost 1,776 worth of Premier League appearances with some high-profile exits and had, in effect, completely rebuilt the midfield with four signings in that position.
Liverpool’s predicted team to play Newcastle
LFC: Alisson; TAA, Konate, VVD, Gomez; Endo, Szoboszlai, Jones; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
With this a new iteration of Klopp’s side – ‘Liverpool Reloaded’ or ‘Liverpool 2.0’ as he calls it – the main goal was to qualify for the Champions League again. A title tilt was probably too early for a team in transition.
But that Newcastle result changed everything, according to Klopp.
‘I am not sure what it had to turn that day but it was an important day,’ he said.
‘We got the red card against Bournemouth the week before (Alexis Mac Allister) and then the second red card in a week, both very important.
‘We realised pretty quickly what we can do if we really stick together. It is obvious we have a lot of offensive-minded players in the team but in the moments we play with 10 men, no one thinks about, “what is my actual position?” Everybody buys 100 per cent into defending.
‘What we made then of that was absolutely exceptional.
‘I said after the game, “If we can defend with 10 like this, who has a problem to do it with 11?” That is the basis for everything.
‘If we do that, then the offensive potential will come out.
‘It was a special day and a very important one.’
The win on Tyneside was clearly a moment in which Klopp and Co switched their ambitions for the season, and those should now be no less than a title push.
Going into Monday night’s reverse fixture, Liverpool have lost just one game and are 13 points clear of Newcastle.
After negotiating the ‘toughest period in football,’ as Klopp refers to the festive season, Liverpool must now address the hurdle of a January largely without top scorer Mohamed Salah or ever-improving midfield shield Wataru Endo.
The pair will jet off after this match to captain Egypt and Japan respectively at international tournaments, Africa Cup of Nations and Asia Cup.
Liverpool will also be without a recognised left back after injuries to Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas.
Despite their form, Reds will have to navigate January without their top scorer Mohamed Salah
Jurgen Klopp has also added that Joe Gomez is ready to step up amid injuries to left backs Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas
But Klopp has insisted that versatile Joe Gomez is more than capable of stepping up and filling the void. The 26-year-old is nearing his 200th appearance at the club and is the only survivor from when Klopp first arrived on these shores.
‘Joe is absolutely at home here,’ said Klopp on Gomez, who has played at right back, centre back and left back this season. ‘Joe had the problem of too many injuries in his time here – I’m not sure exactly the number but he’s been here for nine plus years.
‘But in our most successful seasons he played centre half next to Virgil, very often. He can play all the positions at the back and that is very important. He didn’t have a good year last year but he is absolutely back to his best – or maybe at his best at the moment.
‘He is still a young man – it is crazy to think that – he is just for us a super important player. He never came to my office and asked, “Can I go?” No, never. It was always sorted before it could get to that point. Him and his wife really feel he is Liverpool through and through.’
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