KROOS, 35, WAS LEFT IN AWE OF NEWCASTLE’S SPIRITED PERFORMANCE AGAINST LIVERPOOL ON MONDAY AND MADE THE SHOCK STATEMENT ON HIS PODCAST. EDDIE HOWE’S SIDE, WHO PLAYED THE ENTIRE SECOND HALF WITH 10 MEN, BATTLED BACK FROM 2-0 DOWN TO MAKE IT 2-2 BEFORE THE MAGPIES CONCEDED A LATE STOPPAGE-TIME GOAL TO LOSE 3-2.
“NEWCASTLE VS LIVERPOOL, JUST TO SAY THAT AGAIN BRIEFLY FOR THE FEW PEOPLE HERE WHO HAVEN’T SEEN IT, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW,” EX-GERMANY INTERNATIONAL KROOS REVEALED. “I’M GOING TO SIGN UP AS A NEWCASTLE MEMBER TODAY. (IT WAS NOT) JUST THE ATMOSPHERE, BUT ALSO THE TEAM.
“YOU CAN DO THAT IN GERMANY (BECOME A MEMBER) TOO, RIGHT? IS IT DIFFERENT THERE? I DON’T KNOW HOW IT IS, BUT IF IT’S POSSIBLE, PLEASE DO IT. THEY COMPLETELY CAPTIVATED ME. I READ A QUOTE FROM JAMIE CARRAGHER, AND I OFTEN DISAGREE, BUT I HAVE TO SAY, HE SAID THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE WORST PERFORMANCES IN HISTORY FROM A WINNING TEAM, AND ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES IN HISTORY FROM A LOSING TEAM. I AGREE WITH THAT.
“THEY’RE PLAYING REALLY WELL AND, OUT OF NOWHERE, AS OFTEN HAPPENS AGAINST SUCH FAVOURITES, THEY GO 0-1 DOWN. BOOM. THEY GET A RED CARD. YOU COME OUT (IN THE SECOND HALF), 15 SECONDS DOWN (IT GOES) 0-2.
“YOU’RE PLAYING AGAINST THE CHAMPIONS, THE BEST TEAM IN ENGLAND, TRAILING 0-2 AND ONE MAN DOWN. AND WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 45TH, NO, 55TH MINUTES, WAS INSANE. I’VE RARELY SEEN A TEAM STAY SO ACTIVE WITH 10 MEN, EVEN AT THE RISK OF CONCEDING SIX, SEVEN, OR EIGHT AT THE END WHEN YOU’RE SOMEHOW OPEN. AND THEN IN THE SECOND HALF, NOT SITTING BACK AND SAYING, ‘PLEASE NOT THE THIRD, PLEASE NOT THE FOURTH’ AND SOMEHOW MAKING IT 2-2. YOU THINK YOU’VE SEEN EVERYTHING IN FOOTBALL. BUT IT’S REALLY INCREDIBLY RARE THAT YOU, AN UNDERDOG TEAM AGAINST THE FAVOURITES, PLAY LIKE THAT.”
