Prediction: Newcastle vs Liverpool

10th December 2010

Alan Pardew will make his debut at St James Park as Newcastle play host to Liverpool, but he could face even more hostile reception than the away team. The atmosphere surrounding the team will make things even more difficult for the Magpies and that is something the Reds will be looking to exploit.

Mike Ashley has made a big army of Newcastle fans furious after showing Chris Hughton the door and he did little to cushion the blow with the appointment of Alan Pardew. The atmosphere around the team is now at an all time low and the fans will be more concerned with insulting Ashley and Pardew than backing the players against Liverpool, so there is no doubt the hosts will have a mountain to climb. Even the players admitted they had been shocked to see Hughton get the boot and the new boss will need some time to win them over. This entire situation is only one of the problems seeing Newcastle are clearly out of form, having picked up just two points from last five games, while the selection problems only add insult to injury. Coloccini and Williamson remain suspended, while Barton, Nolan, Ben Arfa, Gosling and Ryan Taylor are still sidelined with injuries. Joey Barton and Danny Guthrie face a race against time to be fit, while Steve Harper is not yet ready for a first team return.

Liverpool endured a very rough first few months under Roy Hodgson, but things are finally looking up. The Reds have climbed to 8th place with two comprehensive home wins, with the one against Aston Villa especially impressive as it was achieved without Gerrard and Torres. Boss Hodgson was certainly happy to see Ryan Babel and Maxi Rodriguez score beautiful goals against Villa as he will need as many in-form players as possible for the remainder of the season if Liverpool were to continue their climb up the standings. Joe Cole is also slowly being introduced to the side following his return from injury, so the Reds definitely have reason for optimism before the trip to Newcastle, especially with Fernando Torres set to return to the starting line-up. Steven Gerrard and Daniel Agger are still out but the pair could return as early as next weekend.

Conclusion

Newcastle are in pieces at the moment, both on and off the pitch, and with even their own fans turning against them, a positive result against Liverpool looks like a mission impossible. The Reds have stepped up a gear lately and the return of Fernando Torres should help them a rare away win.

Verdict: Away win Liverpool (2)

Best Odds: 23/20

Bookmaker: Victor Chandler