*** OMT Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool ***

[Armchair Expert]

Can't help but feel really deflated even though it's a good result. I just honestly felt we could beat Liverpool today. Got to keep going, who knows anything could happen tomorrow.

I feel the same. I cannot help but feel we played the occasion and the venue rather than the team we were up against, who, really, are a collection of average and incoherent players. I think that Alli's performance typified this, as did, actually, all the forwards particularly in the first half. The touch and calmness wasn't there; the general authority we usually have in our game was absent completely. Similar to against West Ham, where i also feel we were slightly overawed by the situation. I' tempted to say the same about Arsenal, but they clearly have quality players who are a notch above anything West Ham or Liverpool can call upon and are well capable of beating us even if we are playing close to the peak of our powers.

 

[clownfoot]

I was in the "famous" Kop today and hated it. Felt they were beatable, and have a squad littered with errors.

However, tomorrow's result will determine whether today was 2 points dropped or 1 point gained (or no change, I suppose) I hate relying on other teams, but the reality is to win the league we always needed to.

Chadli wasn't an improvement on Son, and Walker had a moment or two of lapse in concentration, but bar that I don't think anybody had a poor game. Tomorrow's hindsight could be a different reading of the game though.

 

[Yermiyahu]

Son is taking a lot of flak here and not all of it any way justified. He was unlucky in a lot of what he did, it just didn't come off for him today unfortunately. It is certainly true that he fluffed his lines but some of the criticism on here is just plain ridiculous. He made a lot of terrific runs and was clear in the fist half if Kane had chosen to pass rather than shoot. He was as extremely unfortunate that his finish while stretching was just the wrong side of the post, after a brilliant run in behind . He would have been clear in the early stages if Walker had not over hit an easy through ball AND he set up Eriksen early doors with a great ball which Eriken first hit straight at Mignolet and then struck the bar.

He was so close to having a great game but nothing he did proved decisive. Small margins and all that. He will come good. Compare him in his first season for us to Lamela in his first season. Factor in his injury and the fact he hasn't been given a run in the side nor has had a pre-season with Poch.

Get off Son's back and give him the same leeway as we gave Lamela over two seasons.

I think that people are frustrated and when they get frustrated and a lot is at stake as it was today, players get spacegoated. Which isn't the right thing to do, but given the circumstances is understandable. But you are correct , Son needs some time, and a good pre season

 

[Cochise]

Today we played at times like a team in the top four. There were flashes of it, but the finishing touches were all too often missing, the composure etc. Walker with that overhit pass to Son in the opening minutes set the tone for the first half, with a lot of passes and dribbles being overrun or passing moves becoming overly complex.

My favourite moment of the first half was the buildup to Eriksen's chance that Mignolet saved. We built it from the back, passed through their first line of pressing, saw one fullback spread play to the other and completely carved them open.

Just to add, I thought Son did ok. Both Kane and Alli were probably guilty of being off the pace for most of the first half and both cost us the points more than Son.

 

[DubaiSpur]

That Henderson and Dembele comment is completely baffling to me!

Dembele for me was the best player on the pitch comfortably he had 2 on him at all times and lost it maybe twice

Henderson is busy but that isn't enough for me

Oh, I thought Dembele was great too, but Henderson was consistently the player on their side most likely to cut out a move of ours and initiate passes and runs into our box. He played the role Dembele played for us in terms of providing the midfield connection. Dunno if that makes it any clearer.

 

[glasgowspur]

This game shows how far we have come. Liverpool raised their game, it was almost like a cup final against a big team for them, and they ran themselves into the ground. The fact they were determined not to let us speaks volumes. I get the impression that the feeling is if we had won then the league was a distinct possibility and if that happens we could leave a few clubs behind for a while.
To come away with a point is disappointing but acceptable. there's still a hesitancy about us when we play the big teams. We don't fully believe how good we can be. When they do believe watch them go.

 

[SpurMeUp]

We are still work in progress. Yet 2nd in the PL.

Today underlined, we have the ingredients of a superb team. Some of our passing has to improve imo. And we miss another consistent goal scorer. We have scored the most goals in the league, so it is odd to say that other than Kane, we don't have a consistent finisher. Eriksen seemed to be, but he hasn't got Kane's ruthlessness. Son might have been the man to deliver but he hasn't fully clicked yet. Alli has been the closest to a consistent goal threat with Kane. But he's 19, and like Eriksen not as consistent or bullet proof as Kane...yet.

So we should see our forward play develop next season. We should improve the passing and final balls around the box, and build upon the funking amazing foundation that has been laid this season.

 

[thfcsteff]

Son is taking a lot of flak here and not all of it any way justified. He was unlucky in a lot of what he did, it just didn't come off for him today unfortunately. It is certainly true that he fluffed his lines but some of the criticism on here is just plain ridiculous. He made a lot of terrific runs and was clear in the fist half if Kane had chosen to pass rather than shoot. He was as extremely unfortunate that his finish while stretching was just the wrong side of the post, after a brilliant run in behind . He would have been clear in the early stages if Walker had not over hit an easy through ball AND he set up Eriksen early doors with a great ball which Eriken first hit straight at Mignolet and then struck the bar.

He was so close to having a great game but nothing he did proved decisive. Small margins and all that. He will come good. Compare him in his first season for us to Lamela in his first season. Factor in his injury and the fact he hasn't been given a run in the side nor has had a pre-season with Poch.

Get off Son's back and give him the same leeway as we gave Lamela over two seasons.

Fair comment, and agree re:volley. I think he is just a step behind right now due partly to not being a regular, but you're right, he should be afforded the same time and space as Erik...
Although just to point out I mentioned one incident I felt was poor in the original post to you replied.
I DO wonder if he is playing through plantar fasciitis though as his stride Nd gait are not what they were before his injury.

 

[Kandi1977]

Really? Until the final 5/10 mins I felt one our players had to be shot to get a free-kick. I will give him credit for getting some decisions right throughout the match. The Coutinho dive in particular, but for me for most of the game he didnt seem consistent with the fouls. Fouls/pushes on Spurs players werent given whereas the same degree of foul on a red shirt was awarded.
From the 85th minute he was awesome..

Your view is obscured. I was very critical of Moss before the game, but he was actually very good. Got all the big decisions right; The pathetic claim for a penalty, where he also spotted that ball bounced off Minecraft Man, Couthino at the World diving championship, tackle on Rose was actually fair when watching the replay. Looked awful inn full speed from another angle, but Moss got it right. Can't have any complaints about the ref.

 

[afsoc4life]

We had won only a handful of games at Anfield before this match. I can't believe we wanted to increase the pressure on our own team by insisting that they must win it in line with the media's angle.

 

[paxtonwolf]

We had won only a handful of games at Anfield before this match. I can't believe we wanted to increase the pressure on our own team by insisting that they must win it in line with the media's angle.

The media constantly built it up as a must-win game for us and the number of times Jeff Stelling mentioned that Arsenal and City had 'ramped up the pressure on Spurs' was annoying.

 

[DaveYid]

Had this down as a defeat in the (multiple) score predictors I have down over the last few weeks, so a draw isn't the end of the world. I'd say that's the most difficult of our remaining fixtures out of the way and we didn't lose.

A draw was a fair result. Our end product and decision making in the final third was disappointing, there were a few occasions when it seemed a simple pass would get us in but the pass was either over hit, intercepted, etc.

Son wasn't great and fluffed his lines a couple of times however he was popping up in good positions and was bound to get it right eventually. Chadli was a waste of a sub. It's a shame Lamela was injured, his pressing would have been ideal against a Liverpool defence who all looked uncomfortable on the ball.

 

[Baleforce]

We had won only a handful of games at Anfield before this match. I can't believe we wanted to increase the pressure on our own team by insisting that they must win it in line with the media's angle.

statistics like this are not really relevant to a future occurrence, we've not won many games at Forests' City ground either but I bet most people would fancy us if we were playing there next week

 

[Nigeyman]

We could have won,we could have lost, regardless of what Leicester City do today it does not obscure an undeniable fact.

We are getting better as time passes under poch and we are starting to look like the real deal, this young squad still has much to learn...composure to play the right pass under pressure, a ruthlessness to finish opportunities when they are presented, I believe these will come with time and squad wise we can be a bit stronger.

If people see two points dropped as a fatal blow then I cant agree with them, though it does make next weeks home game against United a must win I suppose.

We are closer than we have ever been with this coach and this squad, closer to winning things than we have ever been, if we can keep our coach and players and make astute additions we will continue to improve and challenge for honours.

Am I disappointed with the result... a little but what I saw was that our team looks like the real deal, we just need a bit more maturity and killer instinct, if we dont win the league this year I can only see us having another good go next season and being stronger.

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

I think this result shows us exactly where we are a present. We are a top 4 team, we're not quite league winners yet, but with a couple of the right players in the right places and we could be. If we had won yesterday I believe we would have gone on and won the league. I'm disappointed we didn't win but that a mark's of how we have progressed, now the players have to push themselves even harder to keep the pressure on Leicester and Woolwich.

 

[Baleforce]

I think this result shows us exactly where we are a present. We are a top 4 team, we're not quite league winners yet, but with a couple of the right players in the right places and we could be. If we had won yesterday I believe we would have gone on and won the league. I'm disappointed we didn't win but that a mark's of how we have progressed, now the players have to push themselves even harder to keep the pressure on Leicester and Woolwich.

I agree, it's ironic that had we been sitting 3rd right now with City or Chelsea top with their usual points haul the general mood would be happier.

 

[paxtonwolf]

We could have won,we could have lost, regardless of what Leicester City do today it does not obscure an undeniable fact.

We are getting better as time passes under poch and we are starting to look like the real deal, this young squad still has much to learn...composure to play the right pass under pressure, a ruthlessness to finish opportunities when they are presented, I believe these will come with time and squad wise we can be a bit stronger.

If people see two points dropped as a fatal blow then I cant agree with them, though it does make next weeks home game against United a must win I suppose.

We are closer than we have ever been with this coach and this squad, closer to winning things than we have ever been, if we can keep our coach and players and make astute additions we will continue to improve and challenge for honours.

Am I disappointed with the result... a little but what I saw was that our team looks like the real deal, we just need a bit more maturity and killer instinct, if we dont win the league this year I can only see us having another good go next season and being stronger.

This is where I can have some fun at work with the Scousers. All week they have been saying last night was the big one for us, to which I said it might have been for them, but it was just another awayday for us. All next week I will telling them next Sunday is the 'big one' as United are still a threat as opposed to Liverpool were just another
mid-table also-ran

 

[Kandi1977]

Had this down as a defeat in the (multiple) score predictors I have down over the last few weeks, so a draw isn't the end of the world. I'd say that's the most difficult of our remaining fixtures out of the way and we didn't lose.

A draw was a fair result. Our end product and decision making in the final third was disappointing, there were a few occasions when it seemed a simple pass would get us in but the pass was either over hit, intercepted, etc.

Son wasn't great and fluffed his lines a couple of times however he was popping up in good positions and was bound to get it right eventually. Chadli was a waste of a sub. It's a shame Lamela was injured, his pressing would have been ideal against a Liverpool defence who all looked uncomfortable on the ball.

Our record at Stamford Bridge isn't any better than at Anfield, and Chelsea haven't lost a league game since 14th of December. They'll be up for it too, and they are a far better side than Liverpool, and will finish above them as well.

 

[parklane1]

My Thoughts.

I thought it was a great game to watch as both sides were going for the win and it was good to see. I have had to laugh at some of the comments leading up to this game about how brick L;pool are and how we should win easily and put them in their place, some of the comments I have read ( not just on here) are as bad as some of the deluded fans on RAWK.

I said in a earlier post that I hate this game because I have rarely seen us win there in over 50 years of going up there, its always been a hard ground to get anything from ( for us) call it unlucky, call it a jinked ground but the facts back this up. Since the Prem started we have won only 2 of 23 games and lost 15 of them, scoring 21 and conceding 48, so thinking it was going to be ( as some suggested) a easy win for us was at best silly and at worse deluded.

The game itself was hectic and both sides fell into the trap of trying to play the game too fast and too quickly which led to a helter skelter game full of mistakes, the draw was a fair result and both keepers had very good games which kept the score down. .As for individual players I thought Rose, Toby and Eriksen were our best players but my MOM was LLoris. Kane once again scored a great goal but he also wasted a couple of good positions by not playing in players who were better placed and wasted the opportunity. Do not get me wrong he is a special player but looking at his assists ( one in the Prem) compered to other strikers ( Fimino7, Deeney6 Lukaku6, Vardy6, Costa5) its obvious that he needs to bring others into play sometimes. He is still a kid so I am sure/hope that as he matures ( and with the help of Poch) he will bring this into his game.

In the pub after the game I heard some fans saying that we blew the chance of winning the Prem ( especially if Leicester get three points tody) to be honest I think that is gonads as it was always ( imo) going to be a hard game and I also have been of the opinion that we would not win it anyway ( the Prem) as we are still improving and are not good enough ( yet). We have come a long way and we have a side that is improving and with the right couple of players to improve a couple of areas ( and players like Kane, Alli, Dier ) getiing better with time the future is there for us to improve.

One more thing I hope those who still question what Lamela gives this team saw the difference yesterday, we badly missed his work rate, his commitment to close down and hustle the opposing players and without him we are weaker in that part of the game.

 

[parklane1]

I think this result shows us exactly where we are a present. We are a top 4 team, we're not quite league winners yet, but with a couple of the right players in the right places and we could be. If we had won yesterday I believe we would have gone on and won the league. I'm disappointed we didn't win but that a mark's of how we have progressed, now the players have to push themselves even harder to keep the pressure on Leicester and Woolwich.

My thoughts as well, we are getting there we are not the finished articule and I still think we are not good enough ( yet) to have won the Lge but if Poch replaces ( what I consider) to be our weakest points we have a bright future.