Liverpool's Late Drama Masks Structural Issues Against Newcastle
Liverpool snatched a point in the 99th minute at St James’ Park, but the late drama could not disguise the warning signs for Andoni Iraola’s new era.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s thunderous penalty, slammed high into the net deep into stoppage time, salvaged a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United and spared Liverpool from opening their Premier League campaign with defeat. It felt like a robbery on the night. It also felt like a loud alarm.
For long stretches, Liverpool were sliced open on the counter and punished for naive defending and a flimsy midfield screen. The issues were obvious, and Newcastle wasted no time exposing them.
Chaos from the first whistle
Anthony Elanga needed just five minutes to put Newcastle ahead on Tyneside. One sweeping break, one incisive move, and Liverpool were behind. The visitors’ midfield shape disintegrated, their defensive line left exposed, and Elanga did the rest.
Cody Gakpo briefly dragged Liverpool back into it with a superb long-range strike, a clean hit that flew beyond the goalkeeper and seemed to steady Iraola’s side. Any sense of control vanished almost immediately.
Within two minutes, Joe Willock had restored Newcastle’s lead. Another counter, another punishment. Liverpool were stretched, slow to react and second-best in transition. The pattern was impossible to ignore.
Iraola turned to his bench late on, and one of those changes proved crucial. Substitute Victor Munoz drove into the box in stoppage time and drew a clumsy foul from Lewis Hall. The contact was rash, the timing disastrous for Newcastle. Szoboszlai stepped up and detonated his spot-kick, smashing Liverpool level with virtually the final act.
The rescue job was spectacular. The performance was anything but. This is a team that still looks several signings short of being truly competitive.
Right-back: an upgrade urgently needed
Jeremie Frimpong has been at Liverpool for a year now, and his strengths and weaknesses are no secret. He offers pace, energy and attacking intent. Defensively, he remains a problem.
At St James’ Park, his delivery from wide areas was poor and his positioning without the ball left Liverpool vulnerable. When the game becomes stretched, his lack of defensive reliability is brutally exposed.
At Anfield, against deep-lying opponents, Frimpong can be a useful weapon either as a right-back or as a more advanced option. Away from home, in hostile environments against teams who counter at speed, he looks a liability.
With Conor Bradley sidelined for months and Joe Gomez frequently unavailable, Liverpool cannot simply hope this balances out. They need a higher-level right-back who can defend first and still contribute going forward. This position is no longer a luxury issue. It is a priority.
Left-back: Kerkez under pressure, Tsimikas not the answer
There was a quiet belief that Iraola’s arrival might unlock Milos Kerkez, turning raw potential into consistent output. On this evidence, that is a gamble Liverpool cannot afford to leave unchallenged.
Kerkez struggled, and if this is a sign of what is to come across a long season, left-back becomes a glaring concern. The safety net is Kostas Tsimikas, but he has never truly convinced as a long-term starter. He is a solid deputy, not a defender to build a title-chasing back line around.
If Liverpool want genuine competition and protection on that flank, they may have to be ruthless. Selling Tsimikas and bringing in a more experienced, calmer left-back who can genuinely push Kerkez would give Iraola both security and flexibility.
Letting Andy Robertson leave already looks like a decision that has raised the stakes in this area. The margin for error at left-back is now thin.
Midfield anchor: the missing piece
A two-man pivot of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai carries obvious risk. Newcastle exposed it within minutes.
Both players prefer to step forward, to influence the game in advanced areas. When Elanga struck early, it was telling that Gravenberch and Szoboszlai were the two furthest Liverpool players up the pitch as Newcastle broke. The space behind them was enormous. Newcastle didn’t hesitate.
Szoboszlai presses with enthusiasm, but he lacks the positional discipline required to sit in a pivot and constantly plug gaps. Gravenberch, meanwhile, struggles with his off-the-ball positioning and his passing under pressure. Together, they leave Liverpool’s back line badly exposed when possession is lost.
Without a midfielder who can cover ground, sense danger and win the ball back consistently, Liverpool will continue to concede on the break. That profile simply does not exist in their current squad.
Brentford’s Ibrahim Sangare would have fit that brief perfectly, but he has slipped away. Monaco’s Lamine Camara offers an alternative route into that kind of player: athletic, destructive, able to close space and shield a defence. Whoever it is, Liverpool need someone of that mould before the window closes, or these counter-attacking wounds will keep reopening.
Right wing: Ngumoha out of position, gap still open
Rio Ngumoha is a serious talent. That much is clear. What is just as clear: he is not a right-sided winger.
Used from the right at St James’ Park, the teenager struggled to affect the game. He did not complete a single dribble, managed only one touch in the Newcastle box and saw his only shot blocked. None of that reflects his ceiling; it reflects how poorly the role suits him.
Ngumoha’s best work comes when he starts on the left, cuts inside and attacks his man on his stronger right foot. From there, he looks dangerous and direct. On the right, he looked blunted.
Liverpool need something very different on that flank: a left-footed attacker who can drive inside, threaten goal and stretch defences in the final third. Yankuba Minteh fits that description and is attainable before the deadline, but injury means he would not be available until at least October.
That leaves Liverpool with a choice. Do they move aggressively now for a right-winger who fits the profile, or risk another stretch of the season with square pegs in round holes?
A point at Newcastle felt huge in the moment. In the cold light of day, it only sharpened the question: will Liverpool fix these structural faults in the final days of the window, or spend another season chasing their own weaknesses?
