Liverpool and Newcastle United comparisons are valid | OneFootball

Liverpool and Newcastle United with very different starts to the season.

Arne Slot and his players winning their first seven matches, in all competitions.

Eddie Howe and his team winning one of their first six matches, in all competitions.

Obviously, the mood surrounding Liverpool and Newcastle United and their respective fanbases very different.

However, I was also thinking that the way the media were covering the two clubs was lazy and very misleading.

With Newcastle United, it wasn’t that I thought Eddie Howe’s side had deserved to win all six of their opening matches, far from it.

Instead, I thought that the overall performances had deserved wins over Villa, Liverpool and Wolves, then draws against Leeds, Bournemouth and Barcelona. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen though, the luck and fine margins going against you, especially when you don’t take your chances.

Eddie Howe has been massively hampered by what happened during the summer and then had concussions, suspensions and injuries on top of that after the season kicked off.

The media though of course simply feast on the results with Newcastle United so far. As I say, I think those in the media have misrepresented how United have generally played, not that NUFC have played like world beaters, just not quite clicking and really reaching the high levels they could and should do. The two games that have followed, saw Newcastle then easily beat Bradford 4-1 (though again, they didn’t take many of their numerous chances and it should have been double the scoreline), then almost see out a win against the best team we have played this season Arsenal. A bit unlucky I think that Eddie Howe didn’t have a more winnable fixture to get some momentum going to build on the Bradford victory.

As a sideshow to what we have seen and experienced with Newcastle United, I have been intrigued at how the media have covered Liverpool this season. I have found it bizarre, simply refusing to point out the reality.

I watched their opening game of the season, Bournemouth were by far the better team at Anfield, 2-2 though going into the final stages, only to steal a win when taking the lead on 88 minutes.

Against ten men Newcastle, Liverpool second best but fluking a win in the tenth minute of added time. At home to Arsenal, a very mediocre Liverpool performance and they won it 1-0 with a long range free-kick with seven minutes remaining.

Away at Burnley, Liverpool really poor. Then the home side get somebody sent off and Liverpool win 1-0 with a penalty five minutes into added time.

The scousers then go 2-0 up in six minutes in the Champions League, only for then Atletico Madrid to boss the rest of the match and come back to 2-2 and look the most likely winners. Then out of nowhere in the second minute of added time, Liverpool get the winner.

Against Everton, Liverpool go 2-0 up but once the away side start playing a bit, the home team second best, Everton pull a goal back and Liverpool lucky to hold on to a 2-1 victory.

Against lower league opposition in the Carabao Cup, Liverpool second best to Southampton in the opening half but somehow they survive and score just before the break. The Saints though carry on from their first half display and deservedly equalise, then with the game heading to penalties…Liverpool find a winner with five minutes to go.

I found the media reaction quite incredible when covering these opening seven Liverpool matches, seven wins.

It was crystal clear that they were carrying ridiculous luck that was never going to continue, that the luck and late winners match after match was unsustainable.

However, rather than point out how extremely lucky Liverpool had been, the media went with the line of this just shows how brilliant they are. That Liverpool are so good they can win match after match when not even hitting the heights they are capable of, so that when they do automatically start doing so, then they will be unbeatable.

Things like Newcastle United dominating Liverpool despite a man down, have simply been forgotten about. Even Jamie Redknapp at the time, admitted that the game at St James’ Park was ridiculous, that he had never seen a team that deserved to win so much, then end up losing, whilst the opposite with Liverpool, a side winning that never deserved to.

These last two matches have laid bare where Liverpool are really at.

Palace absolutely battered them on Saturday and should have won by any number of goals, Liverpool so lucky to escape with a 2-1 defeat.

Then last night Galatasaray did the same, only a 1-0 win but they should have defeated Liverpool by three or four.

I don’t think the slavish media coverage of Liverpool has done them any favours, giving them and their fans the idea that they were deserving all these lucky wins.

From what I have seen, the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona look so much better than Liverpool and I think we will see that now confirmed with results throughout the season.