Nearly a year to the day that Rio Ngumoha scored a 100th-minute winner at St James’s Park, Liverpool fans were again toasting a last-second goal as they descended the many steps down from the away end up in the skies.
Last August, they were singing and dancing as they left the stadium. They were doing the same here but with a nagging worry in the backs of their minds.
When the pulses and emotions lowered as they trudged back down the A1(M), everyone connected to Liverpool would know that, despite the drama and joy that came from the last-gasp equaliser, there are a lot more issues than this time last year.
Back then, remember, the Reds were the reigning champions and had started the defence on fire. Many observers, like they do now with Arsenal, expected this team to win the league at a canter. Now, there are hints of optimism but that is overridden by uncertainty.
Twelve months on and a change of manager later, this opening performance prompted more questions than answers. The issues that ultimately led to Arne Slot losing his job were still evident and, despite the late celebrations, fans might be worried for the season ahead.
The chief problem for new boss Andoni Iraola was the midfield – or lack thereof. Both goals were accomplished counter-attacks from Newcastle but both were highly preventable as Liverpool were cut through at ease.
Dominik Szoboszlai salvaged a point for Liverpool at Newcastle with a last-gasp penalty
Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz and late hero Dominik Szoboszlai are all incredibly talented footballers. But do they work as a midfield three? They are all more naturally inclined to be attack-minded and the back door is left ajar to let teams punish them.
This summer has been all about replacing Mohamed Salah, who scored on his Trabzonspor league debut on Sunday, but why has there been no attempts to sign a midfielder?
It is not like this is a new problem. Alexis Mac Allister and Gravenberch were both poor for the entirety of last season and Liverpool have needed a deep-lying player since Fabinho left in the summer of 2023.
‘The team needs a defensive midfielder, we have been talking about this at Liverpool for three years,’ said Daniel Sturridge on Sky Sports. ‘Gravenberch changed that philosophy but if you analyse the midfield, they are all naturally more attacking players.
‘You look at Mamadou Sangare at Brentford, the stats jump off the page, he was only £39million which is not a load of money.’
Both of Newcastle’s goals came from Gravenberch having possession on the edge of the home penalty area. Before they knew it, Liverpool were chasing back, there was no midfield enforcer to stop the counter-attack, the defence was stretched and they conceded.
Think of some of the great Premier League teams, they have always had someone happy to sit in and break up the play: Claude Makelele, Ngolo Kante, Rodri, Fernandinho, some of the greats at Manchester United.
Gravenberch was adept in 2024-25, when Liverpool won the title, but has not reached that same level since. Mac Allister likewise. Szoboszlai is a mercurial footballer but better further forward, as is Wirtz who was anonymous again here at the start of a defining season for him.
Ryan Gravenberch was at fault for both of Newcastle’s goal and Liverpool should focus on signing a No6
Dominik Szoboszlai is far too attacking of a midfielder to fill the need deeper in the middle
Liverpool remain hopeful of signing Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola this week and are weighing up whether to make a third bid for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh. Those will be crucial additions, given the wide options are limited at present.
But signing a deep-lying midfielder is just as important. They could have the best front three in the world yet they will win no trophies if they are so vulnerable and exposed to the counter-attack like they were here.
Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta took the headlines in Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona super-team, but No 6 Sergio Busquets was the most important cog in that machine.
Iraola thought Liverpool were the better team here but might be delighted with the point given, for most of the match, they looked likely to leave with nothing.
At Bournemouth, he played with an energetic and dynamic double-pivot of Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook. So far, the Basque boss seems unsure about the make-up of his top-heavy midfield. How to get the best of Wirtz and Szoboszlai but also keep the team solid?
It is now over to those upstairs to ensure the impressive Iraola has the tools to thrive this season, as the bench looked weak.
A winger or two would be great but a new holding midfielder should join the wide forwards at the top of that shopping list.
Isak’s day to forget
We cannot repeat the words used by Newcastle fans but you can have a good guess at the sentiments expressed towards Alexander Isak, once of this parish.
Most words were four letters long and let us just say that they were not kind.
Isak, all £125m of him, saw his every touch jeered and booed by the hostile, raucous crowd at St James’.
This was a day to forget for the Swede, who has looked sharp in pre-season but failed to translate that form to when it really matters.
He had a couple of chances but fluffed his lines, much to the delight of the home fans. If Liverpool are to succeed this season, they need a lot more from Isak and Wirtz.
A returning Alexander Isak was booed with every touch and struggled against his former side
Lack of depth in attack is a real worry
Lewis Koumas has been impressive in pre-season, is a talented player who can play across the front three and the manager has taken a shine to the Welshman in training.
But the sight of him coming on as a substitute to try to salvage a point might worry some Liverpool fans.
Koumas, son of former Premier League midfielder Jason, spent the second half of last season at Hull City – and was an unused substitute in the play-off final despite scoring some important goals on the way to promotion for the Tigers.
He has deserved his top-flight debut but fans are right to ask why Iraola was left to rely on a player who has spent the last few years in the second tier, with loans also at Birmingham and Stoke.
The other wingers had mixed afternoons. Victor Munoz looked bright off the bench, asking constant questions and winning the foul that led to the decisive penalty.
Cody Gakpo took his goal incredibly well with a fine hit from distance and was Liverpool’s most effective attacker – yet he has question-marks over his future given Tottenham have shown interest in signing him this summer.
Ngumoha is an exciting talent and has all the tools to be a future world-beater but failed to make a serious impression here, with just 21 touches. The 17-year-old is better on the left flank and was largely ineffective on the right flank.
All this came as, 2,000 miles south-east, Salah was scoring on his Turkish Superlig debut for Trabzonspor. With little over a week left of the window to go, the Egyptian King has still not been replaced.
