FA Premiership/ Newcastle 1 Liverpool 3: Liverpool's season began on July 13th last year, so has been long enough to contain many big weeks. But they started the latest - Birmingham City away in the FA Cup quarter-final tomorrow and then Everton at Anfield on Saturday - with as low-key and straightforward a warm-up as any since beating Total Network Solutions 52 matches ago.
The fact Newcastle United yesterday experienced something akin to total network failure was not insignificant in aiding Liverpool's preparations and Steve Bruce may feel like complaining that Newcastle, like West Ham on Saturday, fielded a weakened team. Bruce would be wrong in that assertion, however. Newcastle are flawed as much as weakened - see Souness, Graeme - and Newcastle go to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, also in the cup, knowing their season depends on getting at least a draw.
Liverpool were good without needing to be spectacular. Only a combination of Shay Given's goalkeeping and opposition carelessness spared Glenn Roeder's team from a thumping. Much of the feelgood factor stimulated by the mini-revival under Roeder has been erased by the last two displays. Reality has checked in once more on Tyneside.
The legacy of Souness was seen again in the efforts of Jean-Alain Boumsong. Boumsong failed to make a challenge to prevent Peter Crouch's 10th-minute leap that gave Liverpool the lead; Boumsong was nowhere near Crouch or Steven Gerrard as Liverpool went two up on 35 minutes; and Boumsong missed a free header six yards out that might have made it 2-2 at half-time, Shola Ameobi having pulled one back.
Yet Boumsong's second half lasted six minutes. When faced with a routine clearance with his right foot Boumsong found fresh air. Crouch was one-on-one with Given when Boumsong forced him down.
A penalty-kick had to be given and while there seemed an element of harshness about the red card, there were few Newcastle complaints. They know Boumsong too well for that. Djibril Cisse slotted in an impressive penalty. It was his 11th goal of the season - which would make him top scorer at St James' Park - but the manner of Cisse's celebration enraged a section of the Gallowgate End.
Cisse lifted his shirt to them to reveal a message to his children and reacted to the supporters' angry response.
Down to 10 men Newcastle were no worse than with 11 but the absence of creative spark must be of concern to Roeder. "At half-time we thought we could get something out of the game," said Roeder, "but the penalty kills you." Roeder said he might have Stephen Carr back for Chelsea. There was no mention of Michael Owen.
Now Liverpool are scoring again there was no talk of Owen from Rafael Benitez. Before facing Fulham last Wednesday, Liverpool had scored twice in five games and gone out of the European Cup. The five against Fulham could have been repeated here because once Cisse made it 3-1 Liverpool eased off. They had not exactly been pelting from the kick-off and almost casually created two openings for Xabi Alonso and Jan Kromkamp after Cisse's third. Given saved both.
Even before Kromkamp's cross found Crouch to nod in the first goal, Liverpool were a yard ahead all over the pitch. Harry Kewell and Warnock combined shortly after and it should have been two before Gerrard's intervention.
It was the quality moment of the game, Gerrard's cushioned header from a Cisse cross finding Crouch. His lay-off was perfect for Gerrard who drilled a shot low into the bottom corner.
