Whenever Newcastle United face Liverpool at Anfield, we are guaranteed two things before the match.
Endless mentions of 4-3.
Endless mentions of how long ago it is since Newcastle United won at Anfield.
It is ironic that all these three things happened in such quick succession, all three games inside a team period of less than 16 months.
On 29 November 1995, Newcastle United won 1-0 in the League Cup, makeshift striker Steve Watson scoring a stunning individual goal to win 1-0 at Anfield. Then 3 April 1996, Kevin Keegan returned in the Premier League and lost 4-3 (if only we could go back and swap those two results…), then less than a year later it was Kenny Dalglish returning to Anfield on 10 March 1997 as Newcastle manager, that same 4-3 scoreline.
So all that happened three decades ago and yet still is the focus of attention, just as there have been no more Newcastle United wins at Anfield since then, there hasn’t been any 4-3 scorelines either.
Yohan Cabaye broke the Old Trafford hoodoo of no Newcastle United wins there in over 40 years, then Eddie Howe more recently making it these days no longer a place to fear going to, with some dominant wins and other games when we could and should have picked up other victories.
Who can be the hero that does that tonight at Anfield?
WDWWDLWW
If you need a clue…1 October 1988 to 29 November 1995.
Yes, this was a sequence of matches between Newcastle United and Liverpool over a seven year time period, home and away, with United winning five, drawing two and Liverpool winning only once.
Liverpool 1 Newcastle 2 (1 October 1988)
Newcastle 2 Liverpool 2 (4 February 1989)
Newcastle 3 Liverpool 0 (21 November 1993)
Liverpool 0 Newcastle 2 (16 April 1994)
Newcastle 1 Liverpool 1 (24 September 1994)
Liverpool 2 Newcastle 0 (4 March 1995)
Newcastle 2 Liverpool 1 (4 November 1995)
Liverpool 0 Newcastle 1 (29 November 1995)
Newcastle United have had positive results against Liverpool in that time, just not at Anfield. Since November 1995, Newcastle United have won nine times against Liverpool and drawn eleven.
Eight of those wins in the last 30 years coming at St James’ Park and the ninth and latest, most importantly, coming at Wembley.
I was at all eight of those Liverpool games listed above, from 1 October 1988 to 29 November 1995.
The first two were when ironically, Newcastle United were relegated in the 1988/89 season. A Frankie Pingel and Mirandinha inspired home draw in the February at SJP, but that 2-1 victory at Anfield was incredible. I have never seen a more one-sided match as Liverpool battered us for 90 minutes and Dave Beasant had the game of his life, he must have made would class saves on at least a dozen occasions. After conceding very early in the game, Newcastle got in their half twice, scoring through John Hendrie and a Mira penalty. What a day.
The other six results were under Kevin Keegan of course.
What a time that was to be a Newcastle United fan.
As we all know, fear was an alien word to Kevin Keegan, he went into every match believing Newcastle United could win AND set his team up accordingly.
Maybe that was the reason why he had such success in that time period against Liverpool AND including at Anfield.
After promotion, that 3-0 home win at St James’ Park was I think when most Newcastle fans felt we had really arrived in the Premier League and then the 2-0 at Anfield in April 1994 was absolutely brilliant, United by far the better team with Cole and Lee getting the goals. As in the first season up, KK guided us to a third place finish.
Having already won away at Arsenal, Man U, Spurs, Villa, Everton, Forest, Sunderland and pretty much everywhere else at least once, Eddie Howe still needs to tick Stamford Bridge, Anfield and the Etihad off his list.
The latter two are where we visit these next two games in quick succession, just maybe lightning will strike twice in a matter of days, at these away venues only 30 or so miles apart.