"Against a very good team, you have to take the few chances that you have. We didn’t do it - and then we paid for our mistakes. We have too many games and we needed fresh legs. 

"We needed to be sure the game plan could be right and I think we had the energy to do what we wanted. You could see the first half it was there but it wasn’t enough.

"Obviously, we play against a very good team but there are two key moments in the game: the first goal - we made a mistake, and the second goal - a soft penalty that gave them control. For us, it was very difficult to react.

"The soft penalty in the game made the difference, we were in the game 1-0 at half-time, but when we conceded the second goal it was more difficult for us to react against a very good team.

"The second goal was crucial, it gave them more confidence and was more difficult for us, you have to take more risks, be more open then you make more mistakes and pay for that."

On Longstaff:

"For him, it will be good memories and bad memories. Good - because it’s his debut, at Anfield, in a great atmosphere. Bad - because we lost the game. 

"But he’s a nice lad, a good professional, a good player - and he has a great future ahead of him.”

On new signings:

"I was talking with Lee Charnley and still I have the same feeling: that it will not be easy."

On support for him in the closing stages from all four sides of the ground:

"I have to say thank you very much to our fans, the Newcastle United fans – and also to the Liverpool fans. My relationship with the city, the fans and the club is fantastic and will be fantastic forever.”

PL debutant Sean Longstaff added:

"It’s something I’ve dreamt of since I was a young kid and to hear the away end chanting my name is unbelievable*. I’m a bit lost for words really."

* Lobby was serenaded with choruses of "he's one of our own" and "if Longstaff scores, we're on the pitch."

With predecessors Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Alan Shearer in attendance, Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez saw his side eclipsed by the league leaders at Anfield in the sunshine on Boxing Day.

Despite being unbeaten in their last four away games, neither the margin nor the manner of our latest defeat here were unexpected - a less-than-full-strength Liverpool side expending minimum effort in making it 30 PL home games uneaten and inflicting the heaviest defeat of Rafa's reign.

With Ki Sungyeung off with South Korea ahead of next month's Asian Cup, Isaac Hayden made only a second start of the season, while Yoshinori Muto was preferred to Ayoze Perez in the starting lineup before he links up with Japan next week for the same international tournament.

Out went Javier Manquillo, Fabian Schaar and Christian Atsu in favour of DeAndre Yedlin, Federico Fernandez and Kenedy, while Ciaran Clark and Jonjo Shelvey weren't fit enough to travel.

Benitez also chose to leave Salomon Rondon on the bench and start with Joselu, who really should have done much better than head into the turf and wide when Matt Ritchie supplied a peach of a cross from the left flank on eight minutes.

That miss almost instantly proved costly, the hosts taking the lead just three minutes later.

An aimless headed clearance from Jamaal Lascelles was dispatched without ceremony by Dejan Lovren into the top left corner of the goal, the rising shot giving Martin Dubravka no chance.

The black and whites battled gamely for the rest of the first half but other than a 23rd minute Ritchie shot that flew narrowly wide, an equaliser never looked likely.

Dubrakva did well to tip over a free kick from Xherdan Shaqiri just before the interval, but within two minutes of the restart our exercise in damage limitation was over thanks to a soft referee and the Egyptian equivalent of Steven Taylor.

Mo Salah tumbled over under the slightest contact from Paul Dummett in the box and was indulged with the award of a penalty by whistler Graham Scott. TV replays showed that the defender placed a hand on the arm of the attacker, who theatrically went over and got up to score from the spot.

While the play-acting was annoying and the goal that followed ended the game as a competitive fixture, the most regrettable aspect of the incident was the meek acceptance of the decision by every visiting player. (Dummett did speak to Salah after the final whistle, but looked to have swapped shirts with him rather than questioned his parentage or offered him out.....) 

From then on, it was just a case of how many the Reds would score to dent our goal difference and improve their own position at the other end of the table. 

There was another off-target Joselu header but it was almost all one-way traffic, the hosts netting another twice and coming mightily close to at least one more. Our only response was a shot from debutant Sean Longstaff after he patiently waited for a chance to arise.  

Xherdan Shaqiri made it 0-3 with an easy tap-in following Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross before Fabinho headed in a Salah corner to complete the misery five minutes from the final whistle.

That fourth goal came 90 seconds after the loudest cheers of the afternoon and the only time that home fans became animated - as news spread of title rivals Manchester City losing at Leicester.

Longstaff had come off the bench; the Tynesider receiving a good welcome and backing from the away contingent (including proud dad David). However Lobby's arrival could be interpreted as an attempt by his exasperated boss to once again highlight the shortcomings of his squad.

Mike Ashley may hide behind a takeover bid to deprive Rafa of any transfer funds in January but the price any new owners are willing to pay will plummet if the required action doesn't follow next month - a false economy and another unnecessary gamble for the man currently on vacation in the USA.

Elsewhere on Boxing Day, Cardiff City and Fulham both drew but Huddersfield Town and Burnley lost heavily, leaving United in 15th position and five points clear of the bottom three.

Asked after the game about squad strengthening, Rafa's answers were both brief and worrying: "no" when asked if any transfers were imminent and "yes" when asked if that situation concerned him.

He's not the only one. 

Biffa

This report is dedicated to lifelong fan Brian Paull, 
who unexpectedly passed away on Christmas Eve.
A Magpie for 66 years, he's pictured with son David.