Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool: Early Days, But There Are Already Warning Signs

There has to be some context. St James’ Park is always one of the hardest away grounds in the league, and going there on the opening day is hardly the ideal setting to judge a new-look side. Newcastle have their own issues with squad depth, but the atmosphere, intensity and physicality of that fixture make it a difficult test for anyone.

Even with that caveat, though, there were things that concerned me.

The biggest issue was how open Liverpool looked in transition. Too often, one Newcastle pass seemed capable of taking out half the midfield and leaving the defence exposed. At a hostile away ground, particularly so early in the season, there has to be more game management. I hope this is teething issues to a new system.

For Newcastle’s second goal, someone simply has to stop the move. Whether it is Wirtz, Szoboszlai or Gravenberch, one of them needs to recognise the danger and take the tactical yellow. It sounds basic, but Liverpool used to have midfielders who instinctively understood those moments.

That is where I think the team misses the mentality of players like Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and James Milner. They were not always glamorous, but they understood when to slow a game down, when to foul, when to protect the back four and when a match needed calming. The engine room that very much kept the Midfield ticking - Not to forget Fabinho who shielded the defence, started attacks and was known as 'The Lighthouse' by former assistant Pep Ljinders because of his ability to screen the game so well.

I feel that Liverpool either need a genuine defensive midfielder or they need to find a way of creating more security through an inverted full-back. At the moment there is simply too much space when possession turns over.

The full-back situation also worries me. Frimpong and Kerkez both looked questionable in possession, with poor retention, inconsistent passing and crossing, while positionally the back line often looked stretched. Both players will need time to settle, but surely Liverpool need at least one more reliable, defensively solid full-back option in the squad.

That becomes even more important when you consider how aggressive the rest of the team wants to be.

There are questions further forward as well. Bradley Barcola could be season defining but I feel he needs to be signed, alongside another winger. If Liverpool sell Gakpo to Spurs and effectively replace him with Minteh on the other wing, that feels like an enormous risk, particularly when Minteh is already injured. Gakpo gives you goals, experience and reliability. Despite sometimes being frustrating- especially last season. Losing that and replacing it with potential would leave the attack looking vulnerable especially in the backup ST department with Ekitike's long term injury.

Big Seasons Ahead for Wirtz and Isak

There is also going to be a huge amount of pressure on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak this season simply because of the money Liverpool have invested in them.

Both are elite-level talents, but at Liverpool the expectation is not just to be good — they have to become decisive.

For years, Mohamed Salah carried such a massive share of the goals, assists and responsibility in the biggest moments. If Liverpool want to get back to consistently competing for Premier League titles and Champions League trophies, Wirtz and Isak have to start replacing his numbers and decisiveness.

That does not mean they need to produce Salah numbers immediately, but Liverpool need more match-winners across the pitch. Wirtz has to become the player who controls and decides big games, while Isak has to deliver the goals that justify Liverpool building so much of the attack around him.

This season could tell us a lot about whether Liverpool’s new-look attack is genuinely ready to take the next step.

None of this means the season is doomed.

It is one game, away at Newcastle, and I do not think St James’ Park on opening day is remotely a fair place to make definitive conclusions about this Liverpool team. New players need time, relationships need to develop and Iraola needs the opportunity to shape the side in his vision.

But you can acknowledge all of that while still recognising the warning signs.

The midfield looks too easy to play through. The full-backs look vulnerable. The squad still feels one or two defensive-minded players short, and the attacking depth could become a real concern depending on departures.

Liverpool have plenty of quality. What they need now is balance.

And the sooner they address it, the better.