Newcastle ‘Very Cute’ On Winning ‘Questionable’ Free-kicks Says Former Liverpool Star
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Former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor thinks Newcastle United were cute in how they won a number of free-kicks against the Reds in the EFL Cup final, many of which he does not feel were free-kicks.
Liverpool suffered massive disappointment at Wembley on Sunday afternoon as Newcastle won the final 2-1 to lift the first piece of major silverware of the season.
The Reds started the game as big favourites to hand new boss Arne Slot his first trophy, but it was Newcastle, with goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak, who came up trumps.
Mellor does not believe Liverpool were at their best in the game, however he thinks the Reds did have free-kicks given against them which were not free-kicks.
The former striker believes Newcastle are clever in how they win free-kicks, but is clear that Liverpool should still have defended better from the ball into the box from a set piece which Burn scored the opener from.
“We were giving away unnecessary free-kicks. I have to say, questionable free-kicks. I don’t think some of them were free-kicks”, Mellor said on LFC TV (16th March) after the final whistle.
“I think Newcastle are very cute in how they win free-kicks and make the most of that to be in a position to deliver the ball.
“They’ve got players who can deliver good quality and they can go and attack it – and Dan Burn, for me, should not be given space to head that opening goal the way he was.”
Newcastle have regularly been criticised for employing the so called ‘dark arts’ of the game to gain an advantage, but the Magpies have reaped the rewards in the shape of a major piece of silverware. regardless of criticism.
Eddie Howe, who has now written his name into Newcastle folk law, will switch his focus back to the Premier League, where qualifying for next season’s Champions League is the Magpies’ aim.
Sitting in sixth spot, Newcastle are next due to face Brentford at St James’ Park in early April, when the Premier League gets going again.
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