David Anderson's Big Match Verdict: How Newcastle have exchanged false prophets for real profits
The Toon Army were determined to have a laugh last night.
In addition to the obligatory shirtless contingent on a cold, wet Merseyside night, one fan was dressed as the Honey Monster and another as Sesame Street’s Big Bird.
But what isn’t a joke is that Newcastle are now a model Premier League club because of their transfer policy.
The prolific days of Mike Ashley funding Geordie Messiahs with tens of millions of pounds have gone and instead the Newcastle chairman has introduced a more hard-nosed approach.
Who can blame him. All the days of plenty achieved was the humiliation of relegation in 2009.
Now Newcastle are all about living within their means.
Just look at their transfer dealings this year. Out went Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Jose Enrique and Joey Barton for just under £45million. They were replaced for a fraction of that amount.
Demba Ba didn’t cost a penny in transfer fees and the Senegal striker, with 14 goals in his last 14 league starts, hustled Daniel Agger into putting through his own net last night.
Apart from £10.3m Fabricio Coloccini, bought in the times of largesse, last night’s starting line-up at Anfield cost peanuts compared to Liverpool’s.
Is it any wonder Ashley is laughing all the way to the bank?
The doom merchants who predicted relegation for Newcastle in January when they sold Carroll have been shown up.
Instead the Magpies spent most of this season in the top four. Other Premier League chairmen, sniggering three years ago when the Toon changed manager as often as they changed their socks, now see them as the way to run a club which isn’t bankrolled by some rich foreign owner.
Of course it helps to have a good manager and after the excellent work on a shoestring by Chris Hughton, Alan Pardew has taken them to even greater heights.
He understands Newcastle are now a selling club and next through the St James’ Park exit is likely to be the much-coveted Cheik Tiote.
Tiote exemplifies Newcastle’s transfer strategy. Picked up for £3.5m from FC Twente in August 2010, his price-tag now is several times higher.
Newcastle will feel the loss when he eventually goes, but, just like before, they will replace him – and make a profit.
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