Liverpool's Defensive Issues Exposed in Draw Against Newcastle

Liverpool left St James’ Park with a point and a pulse, but also with a glaring shopping list.

A 99th-minute penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai salvaged a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United and spared Andoni Iraola a losing start to his Premier League reign. It did nothing, though, to disguise how exposed and unbalanced this Liverpool side looked on opening weekend.

They were cut apart twice on the counter. They were wide open in midfield. Their full-backs wobbled. And by the time the final whistle went, the late equaliser felt less like a platform and more like a warning.

Chaos in the opener

Newcastle struck almost immediately. After just five minutes, Anthony Elanga finished off a ruthless break to put the hosts in front, Liverpool’s defensive structure already in pieces.

Cody Gakpo briefly dragged the visitors level with a long-range strike, only for Joe Willock to restore Newcastle’s lead barely two minutes later. Each goal underlined the same problem: Liverpool were far too easy to play through.

The drama peaked deep into stoppage time. Substitute Victor Munoz drew a clumsy foul from Lewis Hall in the box, and Szoboszlai hammered the resulting penalty into the top corner. A spectacular finish. A barely deserved point.

The performance, though, screamed out for reinforcements. Four positions, in particular, cannot be ignored before the September 1 deadline.

Right-back: Frimpong needs competition

Jeremie Frimpong has now been at Liverpool for a year. His highlights reel is almost entirely attacking. That was underlined again at St James’ Park.

His pace offers a constant outlet going forward, but when the game turns and he has to defend, the flaws are obvious. Here, his deliveries from wide were poor and his work without the ball left Liverpool vulnerable down his flank.

As a back-up right winger, or as an adventurous right-back in home games where Liverpool dominate and opponents sit deep, he can be useful. In away fixtures like this, where the game stretches and the margins shrink, he is a liability.

With Conor Bradley sidelined for months and Joe Gomez so often unavailable, Liverpool cannot bluff their way through this position. They need a more rounded, defensively reliable right-back to raise the level and give Iraola a trustworthy option.

Left-back: Kerkez exposed, Tsimikas not the answer

The hope around Milos Kerkez was that Iraola’s high-energy, front-foot football would unlock the best version of him. If this display is the template, Liverpool have a serious issue on their hands.

Kerkez struggled, and the drop-off behind him does not ease any nerves. Kostas Tsimikas remains the deputy, but he has never truly convinced as a long-term starter. He offers endeavour and the odd quality delivery, yet there has never been a sustained spell where he looked capable of owning the role.

That leaves Iraola with a left-back who still needs pushing and a back-up who is unlikely to dislodge him. Selling Tsimikas and bringing in a more experienced, composed left-back who can both challenge Kerkez and steady the defence would change the entire feel of that side of the pitch.

You could argue Liverpool invited this problem the moment they allowed Andy Robertson to leave.

Midfield shield missing

The most glaring tactical fault lay in the middle of the pitch. A double pivot of Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai is built to create, not to contain, and Newcastle feasted on the space behind them.

On the first goal, both were the furthest Liverpool players up the pitch as Newcastle launched the counter that Elanga finished. The balance was wrong from the first whistle.

Szoboszlai presses with energy and intent, but in a two-man midfield he needs discipline and positional caution. That is not his natural game. Gravenberch, meanwhile, struggled with his off-the-ball positioning and his passing radar, leaving Liverpool constantly vulnerable in transition.

Without a midfielder who can patrol that space, cover ground and consistently win the ball back, Liverpool will keep conceding the kind of counter-attacking goals that almost cost them here. They simply do not have that profile in the current squad.

Brentford’s Ibrahim Sangare looked an ideal fit before his move slipped away. Monaco’s Lamine Camara has emerged as another possible solution. Whoever it is, Iraola needs a defensive-minded midfielder who can sit, screen and let the more creative players breathe.

Right-wing: Ngumoha out of position

On the opposite flank, another problem surfaced. Rio Ngumoha is a huge talent, but not on the right.

Forced into that role, the teenager never influenced the game. He failed to complete a single dribble, had just one touch in the Newcastle box and saw his only effort blocked. None of that reflects his potential; it reflects a player being used where his strengths are blunted.

Ngumoha is at his best on the left, where he can cut inside onto his stronger right foot and attack defenders directly. From the right, Liverpool need something different: a left-footed threat who can come infield and carry a goal threat from that side.

Yankuba Minteh ticks those boxes and is attainable before the deadline, but his fitness issues mean he would not feature until at least October. That leaves Liverpool facing an awkward decision: trust a miscast youngster, or move quickly for a right-sided forward who can contribute immediately.

The late penalty at St James’ Park bought Liverpool time. The league will not be so generous if this squad goes untouched into autumn.