so inept and craven.
Spurs again wasted the chance to capitalise on the slip ups of others by again putting in a poor effort away to top six competition.
So what to make of ’em. Spurs can’t beat those around them away from home, yet still lie second, while Liverpool have a pretty good record against the others but are fourth – though there’s only a point between them.
Chelsea dropped two points on Sunday and still moved further ahead of the chasing pack. While a Spurs win would have seen that gap to fourth be 4 points and a three point gap to third.
And this capitulation away, I mean Liverpool haven’t won all year, have a back four with two midfielders and yet they weren’t tested at all really.
There’s been some terrible first halves from Spurs this season and this was another member of the club. Take Lloris out, which unbelievably some actually would, and it would be a strong contender for the worst.
From the off it was as if they were scared or not bothered.
Are they scared because of the way Pochettino sent them out to play? Back four and the high line. They’ve played reasonably well with a back three, it helps cover certain players defensive deficiencies. Toby was at least playing on the right of the central pair, recently it’s been the left, so he’s out of position and Dier is out of position.
Dier and Davies were on the end of the blame game for both goals. But they weren’t helped by anyone else in the team. The ball was repeatedly gifted away by Spurs by players under no pressure, hell in that first half Liverpool were statistically the more likely recipients of passes from Wanyama and Walker. They weren’t even fifty-fifty balls they were playing.
Someone asked why Spurs were second to every ball, it’s basically because there was only two teams on the pitch, otherwise they’d be third.
Wanyama compounded his inept passing with no tackling. If he’s in there it’s only for the breaking up play and if he doesn’t do anything without the ball while being a liability with the ball… it’s OK, others get the blame.
Yes Davies got caught out by the pace of Mane, most if not all would, but it’s a simple ball straight through the middle after bouncing off Wanyama. While three white shirts stood around the player who played the ball through.
This wasn’t Liverpool being great, as the Klopp fanatics in the media would have you believe, it was solely Spurs being inept. Liverpool really didn’t have to do anything in the game, they were just gifted the ball and invited through the gaping whole in the middle of the park, which they duly ran through.
A lump over the top and Dier was all at sea before Mane nicked it of him, he scored after Hugo had made two saves from two other players.
Son could have got one back, should have got one back but he did that usual miss the easy ones routine of his. While Kane didn’t have a single shot all evening, his role was summed up when he was battling for the ball with about four Liverpool players on the half way line while no one in white did anything to help.
It later descended into a kickfest, Spurs seeming trying to revive memories of Stamford Bridge last season, when they blew it, picking up stupid yellow cards.
Would Pochettino change it at half time seeing as it wasn’t working? Of course not. But then looking at the bench what is there to change? £30 million for Sissoko to sit there until the 77th minute while for an extra four million quid Mane was providing the difference between a team that hadn’t won all year and one that just did.
No this isn’t an after the fact hindsight job. Who didn’t want Mane? Who wanted Sissoko? That pace that Spurs are lacking, while they pass it about going no where. So Winks came on and passed it about, sideways. It’s a lightweight bench, very lightweight. And with the lack of any plan B, it’s not a good mix.
They got two fixtures against current top six teams in the last 13 games, both thankfully at home. Can they flat track bully the rest and get something from those two games and get out of this season not blowing it like last? But then the Europa looms up on Thursday and well lose that with a weakened side and it’s slippery slope time.