Location – Anfield   Kick Off – 20.00pm   Date – Wednesday 20th September 2006
Tickets - On General Sale   Coverage – BBC Radio Newcastle 95.4FM & BBC 5Live 909 & 693AM
Referee - Mark Halsey

Our second away day in three days see’s us travel to the 2008 European capital of culture, the Utopia that is Liverpool (Okay stop laughing). Awaiting our arrival is the rather calm and relaxed Rafa Benitez after he saw his side more than match Chelsea on Sunday, but his day was spoilt with a spectacular strike from Drogba. Liverpool like Arsenal have had an indifferent start to the season with only one win out of their first four games. This it seems hasn’t dampened the spirits of most of the Anfield faithful with another classic Newcastle United - Liverpool encounter planned. I cant help but think that if Liverpool put in another average performance against us their dreams of a Premiership title has gone for another year or will this give them the added impetus to push for there second win of the season. During the transfer window it seems Rafa has strengthened his side with him spending £30m on six players (Bellamy, Kuyt, Pennant, Aurelio, Gonzalez & Paletta). We are all aware of Bellamy’s attributes other than his marauding mouth and Pennant looks a good signing but Kuyt still hasn’t found that all important finishing touch as yet. It seems that either Rafa had a squad bursting at the seems or he need to relinquish some pressure off the wage bill with 12 players departing Anfield over the summer, with the most notable ones being Hamann, Morientes and Cisse. Looking at both squads if we can keep Gerrard and Alonso quite we may have a chance of stealing some much needed points off a team that has proved difficult to beat over the past 4/5 seasons.

Last Season

Away (L) 2 - 0 (Gerrard & Given OG)

Home (L) 1 – 3 (Ameobi) (Crouch, Gerrard & Cisse)

Likely Squads:

Liverpool - Reina, Finnan, Agger, Carragher, Warnock, Aurelio, Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko, Zenden, Bellamy, Crouch, Kuyt, Dudek, Hyypia, Fowler, Gonzalez, Garcia

Man to Watch – Stevie Gerrard – Looking to kick start there season.

Fitness News – Pauletta, Kewel, Riise all out

NUFC - Harper, Krul, Carr, Ramage, Babayaro, Bernard, Bramble, Moore, Taylor, Ramage, Huntington, Parker, Butt, Emre, Duff, N'Zogbia, Milner, Pattison, Ameobi, Martins, Sibierski, Luque, Rossi.

Man to Watch – Scott Parker – Inspirational captain

Fitness News – Given (Stomach) Ameobi (Hip), Bramble (Knee and Ankle) Taylor (Foot) are doubts, but Nolberto Solano (Hamstring) Alan O'Brien (Groin) Owen (Leg) Dyer (Where do I start) are all out.

Other News – As the usual injury list starts to grow (8 so far) after August we must stay positive, we are riding high on confidence at the moment so with a run of very difficult games ahead we need to ensure we take at the very least a point away from Anfield on Wednesday night. Mr Bond is still perfecting his Lord Lucan impression and FFS is very quiet at the moment which unnerves me… is Freddy enjoying the delights of a Spanish brass house, is he polishing his gimp mask for his mate Duggie or has Roeder been the first manager at SJP to silence the oaf? I leave it for you to decide.

ES