Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool - A Quick Liverpool Perspective

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool A Liverpool Perspective



This was not a particularly good game to watch and even worse of a performance. The team look unfit, weak, sluggish and mentally prone to collapsing when they make an error, which they often do because of the mental weakness and lack of fitness. You only had to look at the Spurs goal, with the whole slew of mistakes before it, all of them were that of players that looked tired. Crazy when they have spent the season playing slow, controlled football, and this match they spent most of it up against ten men. Yet they looked like they had been the team with ten. To be fair though, starting with Mac Allister is very much like playing with ten men this season.

The first half was a poor watch, the second better. Both teams are not playing well and look very lacking in confidence. Liverpool's play is far too slow and laboured, which is why they have become heavily reliant on mistakes by the opposition to score goals. Let's make no bones about it, Spurs are not a good team and yet they made it extremely difficult for Liverpool, not just with ten men, but also with 9. Not because they did anything particularly good either, it was simply because LFC were so poor overall. They still look like a team not entirely comfortable with the way they are being asked to play, as it cannot be about confidence when on a good run, as they are.

The defending is still shocking, with Konate and van Dijk managing to both do nothing other than a swipe and miss at the ball on the Spurs goal. The pair of them are so poor at communicating, despite having played together for years. It is something that really should be being worked on. Though it would be much better if they just worked on integrating someone else, anyone else, alongside van Dijk. There has to be a youth player that would be better than him. They can certainly be developed into a better player, whereas Konate is not playing for Liverpool in his head any more, that much is clear.

Despite a win, it is far easier to pick negatives than positives out of this match, as there was just so much bad about the Liverpool performance. The results have improved in recent weeks, but the play is still as worryingly bad as it was during the bad run of form. You can only hope that the good results continue and it brings with it improvements in confidence and performances.



Tottenham Hotspur


They are certainly beginning to get into the Frank way. Or, as it is better known, shithousery. It is easy to see why the Spurs fans have not taken to Frank at all, when they have traditionally always played open, attacking football, easy on the eye and entertaining to watch. Under Frank, the football is dour, with the emphasis on kicking players late and playing for set pieces. It is not an enjoyable watch and contributed heavily to one of the most tedious first halves of the season in particular. Frank is just Sam Allardyce, without the pint of wine and brown envelopes. Though I would say he is an inferior copy, as at least Allardyce got entertaining football out of his team when he had Okocha and co at Bolton, whereas Frank is producing mind numbing football despite having a bit of flair at his disposal in Kudus.

Despite their late flurry, Tottenham can have no complaints about the scoreline, nor either sending off. In fact, they can probably feel themselves lucky there were just two reds. The red by Simons was clearly a red, it looked deliberate, as well as needless. The kick out by Romero, after spending all game in the referees face, abusing him, almost asking to be carded with his attitude, was always going to be a red. Soft as it was, in terms of violent conduct, they are always given as a card of some kind, quite often a straight red. Then there was the ridiculous needless charge into Kerkez by Bentancur, so long after the ball had gone. It was a yellow, but on another day could easily have been a red.

I have to say that it showcased the biggest problem Spurs have, along with being unable to get the crowd behind them, is their complete lack of discipline. Romero is the obvious example, he is amongst the rashest and wildest players in the modern game. Incredible that he is a regular international footballer, he makes Sergio Ramos look like a calm, considered tackler. Even worse, he is captaining Spurs! That is insanity of the highest degree to name him, one of the worst players at the club as well, as captain, where he can get himself even more wound up arguing with referees. He spent his entire game just screaming at the ref and was so lucky not to pick up a second yellow long before he got one. He also tried a few times to start a fight with Konate, before eventually just kicking out at him. He is a liability, as he showed on the second goal, where he dived rather than trying to win the header and cost them a goal.

The other thing I noticed is that Spurs are still Spursy. By that I mean they lack fight for each other and their manager. They are happy to scream at the officials, but they pull out of tackles against the weakest Liverpool team I can remember seeing. They would rather moan and whine and complain, rather than work to fix it. The more I watch them, the more I see a team that just has the wrong attitude.



Liverpool


Alisson - had little to do, but when called upon he was quick off his line and quick to get back up and clear the loose ball too. Dealt with the final flurry well.


Bradley - he is a strange player, at times he is brilliant, but at other times he just runs about aimlessly getting in other players' way. It does feel like he just lack intelligence and so needs to be given a more clearly defined role. That is why he excels in games, in my opinion anyway, where he does not have time to think. For me, that would explain why he was so good in his season playing wing-back in League One, as he had a clearly defined role and instructions to follow. Not that it seems to matter as he is incapable of staying fit for an extended period. Until his injury problems are fixed, he is never going to reach his potential.


Konate - a much less crazy performance but still the usual moments of insanity - it is just that the infection seems to be spreading now to the others, judging by the Spurs goal! Still needed to be rescued by Alisson on one occasion, still a weak link that is dragging down the defence. His booking was idiotic and needless, caused once again by himself being caught trying to grapple an opponent, instead of dropping off and being sure at 2-0 up. Slot termed it as always being caught at the scene of the crime, which is a good way to point out that he is causing his own issues.


van Dijk - strong in the air, but when Spurs attacked with the ball on the ground, he was all over the place. His partnership with Konate is non-existent at the moment, he is constantly being forced to cover for him, which is not helping him. However, I think he should be talking more and getting Konate in line, rather than trying to do both jobs and ending up not doing either very well.


Kerkez - his game has been improving, he is getting forward better and defending better too. Still a long way off his Bournemouth level, but much better than his first few games.


Jones - had a mixed game, nearly costing the team an equaliser after doing his usual dwelling on the ball. There is so much to like about him, but he needs to make the step up to the next level on a consistent basis.


Gravenberch - actively got out of the way of Porro's cross, which only did not cost LFC a goal because Spence missed the ball completely. Overall, he did not provide enough protection to the defence, nor did he make any real difference at the attacking end to make up for it. I would much rather see him sitting deeper, he was much better doing that last season than he is playing this much more free role.


Szoboszlai - as soon as he is out of the midfield, it looks weak and wide open. Yes, he can do a very good job at right-back, but the midfield is a shell without him. Slot really needs to find a more viable solution at right-back, to allow him to stay in the centre.


Wirtz - probably the biggest highlight of the match. Not just getting his first assist, but his overall play is really stepping up. You can see an understanding slowly coming with his teammates, who have struggled to see the game at the same level as him up until now. The passes were going in, but most of the time the rest of the team were slow to realise and so they ended up going astray. Now they are starting to connect more often as the other players have begun to understand just how good he is and what he can see.


Mac Allister - this match reminded me of just how special Mac Allister is. To be on a pitch alongside Romero, van der Ven, Spence, Kolo Muani, Simons, Johnson and particularly Konate and yet still be head and shoulders above them as the worst player on the pitch is special. I can only think Slot had forgotten he was on the pitch, that is the only reason I can think of for not hooking him before it finished. His performances are getting worse, which takes some doing considering how abysmal he has been this season. It is embarrassing watching him give the ball away or have it stolen from him, and then throw himself to the ground and pretend to be injured. Why on earth van Dijk has not gotten him by the scruff of the neck and told him to cut it out as he is making the whole team look foolish, I have no idea.


Ekitike - another goal and another impressive performance. He is looking like a bargain, despite his high price tag.


Isak - replaced the injured Bradley in the 46th minute. Scored again but picked up an injury doing so and had to go off, so difficult to judge what he did in those 15 minutes or so.


Frimpong - came on for the also injured Isak in the 60th minute. Looked very good, attacked well down the right and worked back well. His attitude about going off was a worry though. It did seem like he lost his head a bit after a bang in the face which caused a cut on his lip. It was not that bad and looked far from an elbow, just a bit of a coming together, but he had to be taken off as he was clearly not focused on the game after it. That to me seemed the main reason for taking him off, rather than the injury itself.


Chiesa - took the place of Frimpong, who was injured after replacing Isak who got injured after replacing the injured Bradley, in the 90th minute. Provided a bit of energy and work rate, but had little time to really impact the match.


Robertson - replaced Ekitike in the 90+8th minute. Really little more than a time wasting exercise.


Nyoni - brought on for Wirtz in the 90+8th minute. Like Robertson, it was little more than time wasting to bring him on, but he really should have stayed onside when he had the chance to run clear. He had fresh legs and acres of space, all he needed to do was keep himself onside, but he failed, despite looking around a few times. Hopefully he will have at least learnt a lesson from that.

Written by Tris Burke December 22 2025 17:56:51