move this to front page mod Liverpool vs. Newcastle United:
Premier League Clash Features
Troubled Clubs
By Ryan Rudnansky on November 2, 2012
While the matchup between Liverpool
and Newcastle United may seem
insignificant given their place in the
Premier League standings this season,
this is the kind of game that can build
momentum.
Newcastle is 10th in the EPL standings
with 13 points, while Liverpool is 12th
with 10 points. They have combined for
eight draws and seven losses this season.
Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul said
before Sunday's clash, via ESPN:
The next four or five fixtures are
coming up and we definitely fancy
our chances of getting a few points
from them. The lads put in a proper
shift against West Brom. We had
spoken about out-working teams in
the build-up and we need to do that
again at Liverpool.
These are exactly the kind of words you
would expect from a club trying to get
back on top while looking for every
opportunity to make strides in a long
league season. Krul's words about out-
working teams are also significant, given
it generally takes a gradual climb for
teams like Newcastle and Liverpool to
compete with the Manchester Uniteds of
the world.
While Newcastle has won just once in its
last four EPL matches, it is that 2-1 victory
over West Bromwich that is resonating
within the club. It is this kind of positive
attitude that can lift clubs out of the
darkness.
Clive Clive Brunskill Brunskill/ /Getty Getty Images Images
Of course, challenging your club works
sometimes, too.
Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Jones said
after the 3-1 loss to Swansea in Capital
One Cup play, via the Liverpool Echo:
We are disappointed as we wanted
to progress. The feeling we got last
season with going to Wembley and
lifting the trophy was a fantastic day.
It was something we wanted to
replicate. But on the night it took us
45 minutes to get going. By then it
was too late.
Joe Cole was one of the Liverpool players
criticized in the loss on Wednesday. He
was lifted from the match after playing
subpar football in the first half against
Swansea. Manager Brendan Rodgers was
hoping to rest Steven Gerrard and Luis
Suarez, but he was forced to put them in
during the second half given the club's
poor start.
A club can collectively choose to lay down
and give up on a season, but it is the
clubs who persevere through tough
times that ultimately find ways to get
back into contention.
While Newcastle and Liverpool currently
aren't in the same stratosphere as the
leaders of the Premier League, this match
will show who is truly serious about
improving and who will remain mired in
mediocrity