Newcastle falter vs Liverpool but Pope gaffe can't undermine poignant occasion

18 February 2023 , 20:35

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There were tributes to Sir Bobby Robson before kick off (Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

First things first, if you cannot put things into perspective on an occasion such as the one at St James’ Park on Saturday evening, then you never will be able to.

The poignancy ahead of the match was palpable, a magnificent flag unfurled bearing the image of Sir Bobby Robson, who would have celebrated his 90th birthday on the day of this fixture. Lady Elsie and her sons Andrew, Paul and Mark were special guests of the club and the Robson family laid flowers at the great man’s statue outside St James’ Park.

Sir Bobby would have loved Christian Atsu had he worked with him, would have loved his enthusiasm, would have loved his smile, would have loved how the Ghanaian cared about others – they both cared about those less fortunate than themselves. And like so many, he would have been devastated by the tragedy that has struck Turkey and Syria and has claimed, amongst its 45,000 victims, the life of Atsu at just 31 years of age.

Atsu spent five years on Tyneside and there were supporters outside the stadium wearing his jersey to the match. It was an emotional build-up to a fixture that always stirs the emotions. And Sir Bobby and Christian would have been proud of how the home support stuck magnificently to their task despite a result that ranks as something of a scar on a very good season.

Whatever could go wrong for Newcastle in the opening quarter of the match did go wrong. It was a quarter capped by the dismissal of Nick Pope, who had barely got off the floor after deliberately handling outside his area before Anthony Taylor was enthusiastically brandishing his red card.

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Mohamed Salah was dashing onto an enterprising, long-range piece of distribution from Alisson and Pope misjudged his attempt to clear with a diving header and instinctively laid glove on ball.

Nick Pope was sent off for deliberate handball (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

There are several bottom lines here. One, Pope only had himself to blame. Two, he is a superb shot-stopper but needs to work hard on the game with his feet, especially if he is going to venture this far outside his area. Three, Taylor was applying, albeit with gusto, the letter of the law. Four, the regulations are known by everyone who takes part in the three main competitions in English professional football.

But the punishment, merely by its timing, seems brutally harsh, Pope now suspended for next Sunday’s Carabao Cup final. Again, Pope only has himself to blame but there would probably be few dissenters if there was a rule change that meant suspensions were served only in the competition they were ‘earned’ in.

It was to Newcastle’s credit that not only did their fans redouble their efforts, their players did likewise.

Liverpool were 2-0 up before Nick Pope's dismissal (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Andy Dunn