Football News: Spurs vs Liverpool 15 September 2018 - How I saw it

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A tetchy game in parts and one that was, as many midday kick offs seem to be, lethargic for large parts. We started the brighter team and, except for a brief 5 minute spell, controlled the first half. Second half we were equally comfortable except for a few moments, notably at the end. If we aren't getting close to top gear and are still winning then it is hugely encouraging as it is something we have struggled with previously.

I thought Spurs were pretty poor throughout as they lacked invention and never really found a way, bar one or two moments, to break through our very solid defence. I think a few of there players will be getting stick as the big hitters (Eriksen, Kane, Moura) never really turned up.

Liverpool player ratings:

Alisson - 8 - Solid. Dependable. Unflappable. All words to describe his performance today. Handled everything with composure and certainly makes the entire defensive unit much more secure. Could maybe have done better with the goal but it was hit hard and the two players in front of him, who should've provided protection, failed to do so.

TAA - 7 - Solid. More restrained on the right hand side, perhaps aware of the threat posed by Moura, so did not really get forward as much. Had one moment were he was caught flat-footed against Moura but otherwise was decent. Keeps possession well.

Robertson - 7 - Tons of energy, tons of heart. His positioning was a little suspect as he looked to get too far forward at times but his pressing and work rate made up for this. Defensively he can improve but he is on an upward trajectory and continues to look like a shrewd purchase in his second season at the club.

Van Dijk - 7 - Won pretty much every single header he faced. His sheer physical presence has revolutionised our defence and had an instantaneous impact. He kept the ball well today and did little wrong. The one criticism I will give was him switching off at the end - he turned his back to Lamela's shot and half-heartedly stuck out a leg. I feel he should have blocked it.

Gomez - 7 - Overall another positive game for the lad. Him and Van Dijk look more and more comfortable with each passing week. He made some vital tackles today and showed his excellent pace as he was never once really troubled in a sprinting contest with any of their players. There was one moment were the ball was played out wide and he switched off - it was the sort of mistake we have seen from him last season. Having said that his overall game has looked much, much better so the lad does not deserve to be crucified for one error.

Wijinaldum - 7 - An away goal! Wonder what the first scorer odds were for that? Nevertheless the lad did decently well though was on the periphery of much of the action in the first half (except for his goal - a good header it is worth noting) . Defensively he never looks the best for me but he does have good work rate and that makes a difference. Second half, after Henderson was brought on, he found himself higher up the pitch. Personally I prefer him here, his natural attacking instincts mean he makes good attacking runs and is able to find space - if his team mates hadn't been so greedy in key moments he may have added to his tally.

Milner - 8 - Honestly I didn't think Milner would be a key player for us this season but so far he has been, by an large, excellent. His workrate was, as it always is, monstrous, but his work with the ball was good to. He won the ball back countless times and seems to be thriving - I'm not sure he can be dropped on current form.

Keita - 6 - A quiet game for him and one were we never really got to see all of his talents. Was a good presence in midfield, he made tackles and his passed the ball reasonably, but his performance never ventured beyond decent. Had one good chance to seal the 3 points but hit a shot at the keeper. An unspectacular start to his career but I expect him to grow and grow as the season progresses.

Salah - 5 - The man has set such high standards since joining that bad performances really do stand out. This was, in my opinion, his worst performance in a Liverpool shirt - and he still created chances and caused Spurs issues at the back. Him just being on the pitch gives a team mate space and in that respect he is so vital. Today, however, he was ineffective for large parts and seemed to be completely lacking in energy. Maybe it was a hangover from the international fixtures? He was also guilty of taking a shot on when a teammate was in a better position - being willing to shoot is admirable, but players need to refine their judgement and be looking to make the best decision in the situation. We will hope to see a better Salah in the next game.

Mane - 7 - Excellent for much of the game his directness and energy, in start contrast to Salah, was never ending. He gave them no time to get comfortable and caused them problems. He was also guilty of not passing to a team mate who was better placed and this is not new for him - he needs to learn to pass to teammates when the situation demands it! Apart from that he was good. Made quite a dodgy tackle on Son in the end which, though would have been a harsh penalty, could have been given on another day.

Firmino - His best performance this season and a lot more glimpses of the 'real' Firmino. Good interplay, linked up well with team mates, had much improved energy levels and caused them problems from the first minute until he was substituted. On his substitution I do not know how Vertonghen gets away with his style of defending - he seems to push, pull, grab, smother, scratch, do anything except actually play the ball yet gets away with it week in, week out - I find it bizarre. Either way Bobby is getting back to his best, which bodes well for the entire squad.

Subs:

Henderson - 6 - A calming presence and one which is a great option to have from the bench. His impact was limited but he keeps play moving over and reads the game well.

Sturridge - 6 - Did little as he was brought on with only 15 minutes or so to make an impact at a period in the game when we were sitting back and looking to let the clock run down. Was also a player not found by a teammate when in a good position. Could be faulted for their goal as completely turned his back to the shot instead of facing it down to see where it was actually going.

Matip - n/ a - Another pointless cameo that disrupted the defence for the final few minutes. Truly one of the weirdest things Klopp does.

Klopp - Managers are judged on results and we won so the manager deserves credit. I thought we controlled the game for much of it and I thought the way we were set up made life very difficult for Spurs. We had the better chances in attack and gave Spurs only the briefest of chances, the manager deserves credit. If he stopped making weird Matip substitutions he would deserve even more credit but as it stands 5 wins out of 5, cannot complain too much.

Conclusions:

Another win without hitting our peak against a team who will give up few points at home. We were the better team, deserved 3 points, and look very strong - mentally more so than anything else - and I think we are not going to give many teams an easy game this season. It's quite a useful comparison when we see where we were at last season, in the same fixture, compared to how we looked today. The difference Van Dijk and Alisson have made to the team is stark and yes, we were helped by Vorm not being the best, but there was never the threat of a hammering like we received last year and that is a testament to the improvements that have been made since then. Positive omens ahead, let's see how tuesday pens out - I'd put money on Neymar diving to win a penalty.

Written by Seano_ September 15 2018 22:25:11