Souness ‘Disappointed with Defending’

NUFC-London (c)
By Nick Raynor
December 20 2004

Like the rest of us, Souness is disappointed with the defensive display against Liverpool.

Newcastle took the lead through Kluivert but were behind within minutes after Bramble nodded into his own goal and Mellor added Liverpool’s second soon afterwards. Baros killed Toon hopes on the hour with Liverpool’s third.

Souness said:

"We got a great start with the goal, and at that stage you want to try and keep it tight,"

"But we handed them an own goal and then two minutes later they went ahead.”

"At 2-1 down you always have a chance of getting something back, but we let them have the third goal from a mistake.”

“You don't see many goals in the Premiership where a striker can run clean through two defenders and have the time to finish like Baros did."

Lee Bowyer then got an unprofessional 2^nd yellow card which ended any hopes of a comeback.

"It was a reckless challenge and I can't have any real complaints at that," added Souness.

"It was frustration from Lee, but we were all frustrated at that stage and you cannot go around doing that.”

"We will now be missing him for a game, so it hasn't helped us at all."