Kenny Dalglish was pleased Liverpool overcame the "Andy Carroll factor" in dispatching the striker's former club Newcastle 3-0 at Anfield.
All the pre-match build-up had centred on the £35million club record signing, who left St James' Park in acrimonious circumstances in January, facing the Magpies for the first time.
However, he only made a 20-minute substitute appearance having recovered from the knee injury which kept him out of last week's win over Birmingham - although he was targeted for abuse from the travelling fans all afternoon.
But the players on the pitch concentrated on the job in hand as Maxi Rodriguez added to last week's hat-trick with the opener in the 10th minute, although it was not until the second half when the home side finally gained control.
Dirk Kuyt, with his eighth in seven Premier League matches, scored from the spot after Luis Suarez was pulled down by Mike Williamson and the Dutchman then repaid the favour by laying off for the Uruguay international to score the third.
"After we took the lead they put us under pressure with set-plays and crosses but I thought we coped with it pretty well," said Dalglish.
"Second half we tightened up a bit and we caught them twice for two goals and I think we deserved to win but it was a difficult game for us.
"I didn't expect to get a stroll in the sunshine, we knew they would come here.
"With the Andy Carroll factor as well it maybe added some spice for them.
"I don't think it (the abuse) will be put to bed. When he goes to St James' next season he will get it again.
"He is a young boy but he has broad shoulders."
Dalglish said after Carroll's injury, and the team's performance last week, it was difficult to start with the striker.
"He's only had a couple of days' training so it was best for us to start with other people," he added.
"He is here for five years so he will get plenty of opportunity to play games and we will help him get back to fitness and the 20 minutes at the end will have helped him."
It was Carroll's fellow January arrival Suarez who again took the plaudits, with Dalglish expressing his delight at the form of the 24-year-old.
"Luis is always getting in there and is always a threat and it fell kindly for him in the box and he stroked away," the Scot said of the forward's third goal for the club. "It is just reward for the work he put in on the pitch."
The win moved Liverpool above Tottenham into fifth and in position to qualify for the Europa League.
Dalglish, however, tried to play down suggestions they could catch Manchester City in fourth.
When it was pointed out the Champions League was not out of reach the Reds boss said: "Neither is the bar but I'm not going to get there right away. We will keep going and see."
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew felt Joey Barton's miss seconds after the interval ended up having an influence on the rest of the match.
"I thought the second goal was crucial in the game," he said. "We took the game to them after the first goal but couldn't quite find a moment in the box before half-time.
"We had a good chance with Joey (Barton) just after half-time and I would expect him to score that.
"If we had scored that would Liverpool have been able to break out of the slumber we have got them in?"
Pardew also felt his side were harshly done by with the penalty award.
"Unfortunately for us Mike Williamson made a mistake which cost us the second goal, albeit outside the box by the looks of it."
