Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle: Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson revel in roles
Tuesday 14 April 2015 09:09, UK
After back-to-back defeats, Liverpool got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle at Anfield on Monday Night Football.
Raheem Sterling opened the scoring for Brendan Rodgers’ side early on before Joe Allen wrapped things up in the second half against a Newcastle team that had Moussa Sissoko sent off late on.
Philippe Coutinho was named man of the match but Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville reserved praise for Allen and Jordan Henderson as well.
With Liverpool switching to a back-four and playing Lucas Leiva as a holding midfielder, the duo were able to get forward to good effect and Neville feels both men are better suited to playing in a more advanced position.
“They played well,” Neville told Sky Sports. “They’ve been asked in the last couple of months to do something slightly different.
“They’ve both been used as holding midfielders in the 3-4-3 but I actually think that having Lucas behind them, or a player behind them and them both moving into those left and right channels, it just enables them to get touches higher up the pitch and influence the game.
“I think they’re better when they’re moving forward. I don’t think that when they’re holding players they can influence the game as much higher up the field.
Role suits them
“I think Henderson is better when he’s moving into that right channel and I think Allen is a little bit better when he’s freer and he can manoeuvre into that left channel. So I think it suits them having that little bit of protection.”
Henderson’s quality further forward was evident when he played a raking ball to find Sterling for the opener. The England midfielder has now assisted eight goals in the Premier League this season, his best ever total in the competition.
“It’s a really good pass from Jordan Henderson,” added Neville. “It’s come from the fact that he’s in the game. Being there you might get fewer touches but you can influence the game more. That diagonal to Sterling is a really good one.”
Allen had his moment too, seizing upon a loose ball in the box to score his first Premier League goal at Anfield – in front of the Kop end too.
“It was obviously great to get the goal,” he told Sky Sports afterwards. “It wasn’t my best game but I got the goal to help the team and that’s a win for the guys, which is obviously important after the two defeats.”
Praise for Allen
While Allen was self-deprecating in regard to his own contribution, Carragher, his former Liverpool team-mate, was rather more effusive in his praise.
“He’s someone who never gets many plaudits and when things aren’t going well he’s one of the ones who gets a bit of criticism,” said Carragher.
“But he was the first player that I ever spoke to Brendan Rodgers about. He wanted him at his club. He knew him from Swansea and I was speaking to him when he came in, before he signed anyone, and he was saying that ‘I have to get Joe Allen, he’s the guy who makes it tick at Swansea’.
“I don’t think he’s had quite the influence at Liverpool, but he’s a player that Brendan Rodgers always goes to and always finds a place for him.
“He’s the type of player who people who play with him appreciate him at times more than the crowd and maybe the media. He’s a great lad and for his first goal, what a finish.”
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