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Tottenham 0 Liverpool 1 (Jan 11 2020)

     

     
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    Dave Usher

Theres been a lot of bollocks spouted in the aftermath of this game so let me cut through all that before going any further: The truth is that Spurs were shite and deserved nothing. Anyone suggesting otherwise is talking a steaming pile of pure Zlatan.

 

I know they missed chances and some of them are kidding themselves into thinking they were ’unlucky’ (if they want to completely overlook the chances we missed at the other end). That’s the predictable narrative spun by Mourinho, but it’s fucking nonsense. It’s all about trying to justify his cowardly approach to a crowd who have always been staunchly against that type of ‘football’. Maybe some Spurs fans will swallow it, but that doesn’t make it true.

 

Here’s what happened. Tottenham tried to Mourinho the shit out of the game and to some degree it worked, but they lost. Tough shit. If you play with that kind of cowardice you don’t get to cry about what you ‘deserve’, especially when you ‘deserve’ nothing. Maybe if you’d shown even the tiniest bit of ambition you might have gotten something, but you didn’t, and you didn’t. So fuck off.

 

The only time Spurs looked dangerous was when we gave them the ball through our own complacency. Why were we so complacent? Because they were fucking shite and it was too easy for us. They played like a plucky underdog in a cup match. Or to put it another way, they played like a Mourinho team. 

 

He did this with Chelsea and Man United and he did it against far less accomplished Liverpool sides than this one. So Jurgen will have known exactly what to expect. This is who he is. It’s what he does. 

 

He was probably made up that Kane was injured as it gave him the excuse he needed to park the bus. “Look at us with all of our injuries, trying to take on the best team in Europe so short handed. We had to play like that, aren’t my lads brave”. His brand of football is ten years past it’s sell by date. Enjoy, Spurs fans. This is your new reality.

 

It’s incredible how far we’ve pulled away from Spurs in the last 12 months and with him in charge that’s not going to change any time soon. From the first few minutes of the game I thought it was glaringly obvious just how big the gulf was between the sides. They looked terrified of us. It shouldn’t have been like that because Spurs have got loads of good players and have shown plenty of times they can win without Kane. In fact, Son and Lucas Moura worry me far more than Kane does.

 

We’ve generally edged the meetings we’ve had in recent seasons but they’ve always gone toe to toe with us and given us some of the most difficult games we’ve had. They could have tried to go toe to toe with us again because they know they can do it and besides, what did they have to lose really? 

 

The league table shows how much better than them we are but in head to head games it’s always been difficult for us. It’s not as though the result was going to be season defining for them, so they could have given it a go. It says everything about Mourinho though that nobody ever thought for a second they would.

 

This game was too easy for us and that was the thing that caused us a problem. It really shouldn’t have been as close as it was because Spurs played with a massive inferiority complex and we should have buried them by half time. 

 

I’m genuinely irritated that we didn’t batter them. It’s frustrating that they were still hanging around like a massive turd we just couldn’t flush, but its a measure of the standards set by this team that I’m having to restrain myself from being too critical over a 1-0 win at Spurs.

 

It’s funny isn’t it? The season has been almost perfect but because we’re so good any time we don’t win comfortably there’s a temptation to have a bit of a moan and nit pick at the performance. It’s not just the fans and pundits doing it either. In the post match interviews Hendo wasn’t pleased, Klopp didn’t look happy either, while Virgil looked like he’d lost a tenner and found a quid.

 

It’s good that they think like that because it’s that hunger to be better that will keep them going. I think the reason they were annoyed with themselves is because of the second half, which was fairly disjointed and riddled with uncharacteristic mistakes. 

 

It was all set up to be another Leicester as we were so dominant. Having gone 1-0 up the boys probably expected to turn the screw and finish Spurs off, maybe even picking them off on the break if they came out and tried to chase the game. They never did come out though. 

 

Even deep in stoppage time they were passing it around on the halfway line with four defenders and two holding midfielders and all day they seemed content to take their plucky 1-0 defeat against the World Champs. And we got suckered in. It was too easy, and then all of a sudden it wasn’t.

 

Because they didn’t come out we had all the time in the word to pass it around and we seemed to lull ourselves into a false sense of security. I mean when do you ever see Wijnaldum losing the ball in his own defensive third? Never. In the first half Hendo was caught in possession twice. That never happens either. They got suckered in by how scared Spurs were playing. 

 

It just became so sloppy at both ends. We kept fucking up in the final third and wasting good opportunities to bury them and then we started giving them the ball in our own half. It’s not even as though they pressed us high up the pitch. They sat off 99% of the time but then every now and again Alli or Moura would catch us by surprise by actually trying to make a tackle.

 

Mourinho did what he always does. He parked the bus and waited for a mistake. We made a few and if they’d taken one of those chances we’d be hearing about “another Jose masterclass”. It’s not a masterclass. He’s just Steve Bruce with better players.

 

We played into their hands though in that second half. I didn’t see it coming because the first half was exactly what we would have wanted. From the first minute we stamped our authority on the game with a brilliant, sweeping move that saw Ox release Bobby in the inside right channel.

 

For me Bobby did everything right there and was desperately unlucky. The only reason he didn’t score was because the kid making his debut got back in to a great position to make a block. When you look at the replay, that shot is going in the corner but he came from nowhere to get in the way. Fair play to him, that was quality.

 

Bobby then had the presence of mind to pick up the loose ball and tee up Ox, who went for the same corner and saw his shot hit the inside of the post, come back out and hit Tanganga. It could have gone anywhere and Salah and Bobby were both ready to pounce, but Spurs got lucky and survived. The kid probably deserved that bit of luck following his initial clearance.

 

We were all over them for most of that half and seemed to be able to get in down the left at will. Sadio was electric and Robbo was flying forward on overlaps. For once the final ball just wasn’t there with Robbo. It’s not easy when Spurs had nine players in there most of the time though.

 

The front three were linking up well and Mané shot over after nice interplay between Mo and Bobby had set him up. Then Virgil missed a free header from a few yards out when he put it straight at the keeper. I suspect VAR may have ruled that out though as it looked level, and level now almost always means some part of the body is offside.

 

The goal was coming from the first minute and it’s surprising it took as long as it did to arrive. Brilliantly finished by Bobby and well set up by Mo.

 

Spurs are crying about the throw in that led to it, but how the fuck is any referee in the world supposed to get that right? It’s impossible. It’s unlucky when a decision like that goes against you but it’s also unavoidable and it shouldn’t have been given the amount of airtime it got. But it’s us, LiVARpool, and we don’t win games fair and square remember.

 

It was a slight nick off Mané and the ball may have been already over the line when it hit him anyway. It’s almost certainly a Spurs throw but there isn’t a referee or linesman in the world who is going to see that, and complaining about it is pathetic really. 

 

Especially when you can’t even say the word ‘throw in’. Seriously, what the fuck is a “sroo in” Jose?  Dick.

 

At least he didn’t complain about VAR not disallowing it. Others have though. Even Danny Murphy tried to suggest there was a handball by Henderson. Fuck. Off. I expect it from that weird Duncan Castles cunt, but Murphy has embarrassed himself there. If I had my way, baldies wouldn’t be allowed to comment on footy as to a man they appear utterly clueless (TLW’s Paul being the notable exception that proves the rule).

 

There is no angle that shows the ball hitting Henderson’s hand so they can’t disallow the goal. It’s simple really. That should have been the end of the discussion. 

 

I was annoyed they even looked at it at all because I was under the impression that the new law only applied if the player who handles plays the final pass or scores himself. Hendo did neither, so why were they even looking at it?

 

I asked that question on Twitter and someone replied that it was reviewed just because it was in the box, so I assume that must be the case otherwise they had no business even looking at Hendo there.

 

The point is though he didn’t handle and it smacks of the same desperation we saw after the Wolves game. Not wanting us to win the title is fine, it’s a perfectly understandable viewpoint, especially if you support a rival. When you start crying ‘conspiracy’ though and dissecting every decision in our games you’re just making yourself look like a fucking danger whose hard drive needs checking.

 

Mourinho and others were also complaining that Robbo didn’t get a red card. People were actually tweeting Gary Lineker demanding that they talk about it on MOTD!! They did discuss it and quite rightly said there was fuck all in it.

 

There was nothing wrong with that challenge on Tanganga. He should have been given a yellow for leaving his foot in on Alderweireld late on, but the tackle they’re moaning about was nothing.

 

Every time we win we have to hear complaints about something. Even in our most dominant performance of the season against Leicester we had Schmeichel cryarsing about the penalty we got at 1-0. Guardiola almost gave himself a heart attack complaining about phantom handballs at Anfield (see my earlier comment on baldies and footy) and then there was the Wolves debacle, when everyone was up in arms over VAR being used to get two decisions right.

 

It’s pathetic and it’s virtually every game. “If it wasn’t for VAR they’d only be seven points clear”. So, the argument is that “if all those correct decisions that went their way weren’t given and the incorrect ones were given instead, they wouldn’t be so far ahead”. 

 

Everyone is cracking up because we’re so good. We should have slapped Spurs all over White Hart Lane in the second half just to teach them a lesson. All they wanted to do was get everyone behind the ball and hit the deck looking for free-kicks, trying to disrupt the flow of the game. 

 

Those Spurs players need little encouragement to do that anyway as they’re the worst divers in the Premier League, but that’s going to be cranked up a notch or two now under Captain Shitbag. No surprise that Martin Atkinson was only too willing to oblige them.

 

What a fucking twat he is. Free kick after free kick went Tottenham’s way, but when they clearly fouled Henderson to spark a dangerous attack he waved it away. And when Wijnaldum was brought down on the edge of their box he saw nothing wrong with that either. Hell, he even decided to play an extra minute and a half of stoppage time at the end in the hope that Spurs might score.

 

It was meant to be three minutes, yet he played well over four. Why was that? It never normally happens, but when it’s Atkinson in charge of a Liverpool game in which we’re hanging on to a one goal lead, suddenly the official with the board is being ignored. Dodgy as fuck. He’s worse than Anthony Taylor. 

 

Actually, hanging on was an over statement. We were fairly comfortable for the most part and should have made more of some promising situations we created. Robbo continued to pick out Spurs players with his crosses and they always seemed to have enough players back in to clear the danger.

 

I didn’t like the decision to take off Mané for Origi though. Not so much from the attacking side of it, but because Sadio had been absolutely incredible from a defensive point of view. He didn’t give them a second. So many times their midfielders thought they had time only for Sadio to come chasing back and rob them. He was everywhere.

 

Origi was never going to give us that, and for that reason I’d have subbed Mo instead as we wouldn’t be losing out on anything defensively. I’ll be honest, Div was really doing my head in as he was passive and wasn’t offering anything. Then out of nothing he tip toed around three challenges on the edge of the box and brought a save from the keeper. That was fucking brilliant to be fair, and I felt bad for having previously been moaning at him.

 

Lallana had also been brought on, for Ox, and I thought he made a really positive impact by keeping the ball and just generally doing the smart thing. One touch late on when he plucked a ball out of the sky was fucking glorious too. He’s proving to be a useful asset of late.

 

The final 15 minutes proved to be more stressful than they needed to be but I think what made it more worrying at the time was that the only real moments of ‘danger’ all day had come from our own mistakes, such as when Son blasted over after Wijnaldum was caught in possession, or when Trent and Gomez went for the same ball and we needed Virg to make a great tackle. 

 

We were giving them hope by playing into Mourinho’s hands. That’s what he wants. He waits for mistakes and then hopes to punish them. He’s built his career on it.

 

The only chance that was of their own making was when Lo Celso fired wide from close range. That was a much more difficult chance than people are making it out to be. The angle wasn’t good, the ball was travelling at pace and he was on the stretch. He should have scored but I can see why he didn’t.

 

Missed chances like that have been a feature of the season. We’ve been great but things have gone our way a lot more than usual. 20 wins out of 21 games to start a season is almost unheard of. In fact, it is unheard of because it’s never been done before, either in this country or in any of the other major European leagues. A lot of those games have been close and in many of those close games the opponent has failed to take some very clear chances. 

 

So we’ve had luck on our side at times this season and I won’t pretend otherwise. Some of those wins could have been draws if the opponents hadn’t missed some very clear opportunities (Sheffield United away is the first one that springs to mind), and maybe next season things will be different.

 

It’s amazing though how the very best teams seem to benefit from that. Perhaps it’s the intimidation factor? Opposing players snatch at chances because they aren’t sure when the next one will come along or just because they know how big a moment it is.

 

A few years ago we seemed to suffer from “one chance one goal” syndrome. It was mad. We’d defend well but as soon as the other team had a chance they scored. It’s partly about the keeper but it’s not just that. Son didn’t even hit the target with a chance he’d normally bury with his eyes closed. The very best teams often have things like this go in their favour and it can’t just be luck.

 

I don’t think what we’re doing right now is sustainable but it doesn’t really matter. Even if two or three of those wins had been draws instead, we’d still be well ahead anyway. 20 wins from 21 games isn’t what I expect to see happening too often. 17 or 18 from 21 is certainly realistic though for this team.

 

They aren’t going to rest on their laurels and they want to get better. The fact they are winning at White Hart Lane and they’re coming off the pitch looking pissed off is great. There’s a clip of Hendo saying to Klopp “not good enough, that was fucking shite”. I can’t tell you how much I love that. What a captain he’s turned out to be.

 

I thought it was his worst game of the season, even though he wasn’t even bad. The standard he’s set is so high though that even a decent game feels like a disappointment, which probably explains how irked he was.

 

As for the star man, Virgil was excellent and Alisson was outstanding in an understated way. He rarely has to do anything spectacular because his positioning is so good. Gini was top drawer too other than that one brainfart that could have cost us.

 

The front three all did well with Bobby the pick of the bunch, so I’m giving it to him, not least because he was the matchwinner.

 

Next up is the Mancs and I expect them to play in a similar manner. Solksjaer will try to nullify our full backs like they did at their place, but this is Anfield and we’re a different kettle of fish entirely than at Old Trafford.

 

We owe them one, so let’s hope we can give them the hiding they deserve.

 

 

Team: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Lallana); Salah (Shaqiri), Firmino, Mané (Origi):


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18 minutes ago, tlw content said:
I know they missed chances and some of them are kidding themselves into thinking they were ’unlucky’ (if they want to completely overlook the chances we missed at the other end). That’s the predictable narrative spun by Mourinho, but it’s fucking nonsense. It’s all about trying to justify his cowardly approach to a crowd who have always been staunchly against that type of ‘football’. Maybe some Spurs fans will swallow it, but that doesn’t make it true.

Superb report Dave. My feelings too exactly and it's some of our own supporters too who believe that. Can't believe what more this team has to do to make these guys believe in them.

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When you start crying ‘conspiracy’ though and dissecting every decision in our games you’re just making yourself look like a fucking danger whose hard drive needs checking.

Love it Dave, funny as you like !

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We looked jaded. Second half we were a long way from our own high standards. Last 15 minutes I was behind the sofa. 

 

Fucking mancs next. Try turning up on time and I might buy you some chips. 

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Jonathan Liew in the Graun summed Shitcoat up perfectly - the article is strewn with nuggets of gold, such as "Mourinho has had some past success in nullifying the threat of Salah. Alas, leaving him on the bench at Stamford Bridge for a year and then sending him on loan to Fiorentina is no longer a viable option" but as mission statements go this takes some beating:

Quote

This is the founding principle of Mourinho-ball: the opposition are infinitely strong, we are infinitely weak. 

 

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Agree about the baldies

Think that once the hair cover has gone their brains are affected by the cold and infested with micro maggots that slowly eat their way through the grey matter

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I’ve been reading you for about 20 years, Dave. I have agreed on almost every things except  on Zidane’s greatness and bald’s rights, but on this occasion I agree even more. We totally outplayed a disgraceful spurs team which had no right to complain. They were so negative and poor. Fuck Mourinho. 

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I don't know, Dave.

 

I reckon if Robertson makes a balls to the wall tackle like that against Flamengo, or Sunday, or Atletico they send him off. No malice, he went for the ball, but he did leave a lot on the boy, in fairness.

 

You weren't a bit worried?

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Interesting comments from Hendo at the end. In one of his post-match interviews on Saturday, Klopp said he’d gone to hug Bobby at the end and Bobby said “Sorry boss, I should have scored more.” Clearly the players were annoyed with themselves.

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1 hour ago, Ben Sherman said:

Atkinson is a cheat, as is Taylor. The club really should be making loud protests behind the scenes just as Ferguson did for years.

Riley, head of PGMOL and Scudamore, head of the Premier League, were both shit scared of ferguson. Riley and Hackett before him both kneeled at the alter of the theatre of dillusion once.

 

I think both bodies are glad ferguson's retired and they arent going to let any club dictate to them like that again.

 

City have tried these 'protests' but have been knocked back each time. I dont think we'd have any better luck. That doesnt resolve the problem though. I think the best way to get change is for Liverpool to canvass other PL clubs into binning off Riley, primarily because he's cocked up VAR implementation and its use. Then, address the 'poor' performance by refs in general.

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I didn't thing the Robbo incident was even a foul. They both flew in for the ball, Robbo kicked it and then his follow through kicked the defender -all part of the same movement.

If he'd missed the ball then he would have got yellow, maybe red for reckless play. But the defender was just as reckless.  

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11 minutes ago, aws said:

I didn't thing the Robbo incident was even a foul. They both flew in for the ball, Robbo kicked it and then his follow through kicked the defender -all part of the same movement.

If he'd missed the ball then he would have got yellow, maybe red for reckless play. But the defender was just as reckless.  

 

I mean I did see it in dodgy angles from my mates and, to be honest, Andrew; I'd have your view over any of their slow motion shite.

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13 minutes ago, aws said:

I didn't thing the Robbo incident was even a foul. They both flew in for the ball, Robbo kicked it and then his follow through kicked the defender -all part of the same movement.

If he'd missed the ball then he would have got yellow, maybe red for reckless play. But the defender was just as reckless.  

Hmmm, I deffo thought it was a foul, mate. He'd clearly taken a heavy touch and tried to recover. I think he was fortunate to escape a yellow at the very least. It wasnt a red like PEA's lunge but I could see a ref like atkinson waving one at Andy.

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1 hour ago, Butch said:

Excellent stuff. We are so good now it's glorious. 

20200112_123605.jpg

It's disturbing how recent those are. As much as I'm enjoying our current run, the utter dominance of top leagues by top teams in recent years isn't an especially healthy sign...

 

Does demonstrate that Guardiola is the greatest flat track bully of all time, though.

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14 minutes ago, Josef Svejk said:

It's disturbing how recent those are. As much as I'm enjoying our current run, the utter dominance of top leagues by top teams in recent years isn't an especially healthy sign...

 

Does demonstrate that Guardiola is the greatest flat track bully of all time, though.

I seem to recall you expressing disquiet after Liverpool battered Spartak Moscow 7-0 a few years back. You were right then and you are right now. I know it's hard to come up with a way of levelling the playing field in European football, but there isn't even a willingness on the part of the authorities to admit there is a problem.

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The easiest way to help level the playing field would be to drastically reduce the CL money. At the moment virtually the same clubs every year trouser £50m plus. But it will never happen.  

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2 hours ago, aws said:

I didn't thing the Robbo incident was even a foul. They both flew in for the ball, Robbo kicked it and then his follow through kicked the defender -all part of the same movement.

If he'd missed the ball then he would have got yellow, maybe red for reckless play. But the defender was just as reckless.  

In fairness to MotD, Lineker described it in pretty much the same way, shooting down Bitter Danny's comments in flames. As for comparisons with the Aubameyang, it's a whle different kettle of fish - PEA's tackle was late, noweher  near the ball. Robbo won the ball first before making contact - it's only in recent years that such a challenge has been interpreted as a potential foul. No sane person would consider that as a red.

 

Totally spot on report, Dave.  While I was watching it, I was thinking about the fact that we were away to Spurs, who have been our match - or more - for most of the last decade - and they were shit scared of us, and we were bossing it as if we were up against some lower league minnows. The Mourinho-influence narrative about injury-stricken underdogs doesn't hold water when set in the context of us having to play the same 13 or so players against most of the division's form teams - Watford,Leicester,Wolves, SheffU - plus the WCC in the space of a month, without Lov,Matip, Fabs, Shaqs, and Milly, Keita and Ox for chunks of it. Even though they ahd a bit of a break, it was no wonder we looked a bit mentally and physically jaded in the last 15.

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1 hour ago, aws said:

The easiest way to help level the playing field would be to drastically reduce the CL money. At the moment virtually the same clubs every year trouser £50m plus. But it will never happen.  

Repped for 'trouser'. Vastly underrated as a verb.

 

And Dave's report repped for calling out baldies.

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2 hours ago, deiseach said:

I seem to recall you expressing disquiet after Liverpool battered Spartak Moscow 7-0 a few years back. You were right then and you are right now. I know it's hard to come up with a way of levelling the playing field in European football, but there isn't even a willingness on the part of the authorities to admit there is a problem.

I take pleasure in us winning meaningful, competitive matches and competitions. I take no pleasure in us humiliating once proud, even great sides that can barely compete or survive anymore.

 

The likes of Aberdeen, Steaua, Mechelen, etc... From my childhood alone.

 

(Fuck the likes of Everton, though: incompetent, billionaire-owned scum!)

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I have an affiliation with four clubs, I'd say: Liverpool (place of father's birth (he died when I was 6, barely remember him), 40 years of mindless affection); Coventry City (many relatives - absolute diehard fans included - support them); Bray Wanderers (local club growing up); and Lech Poznan (local Polish club, through wife and residency).

 

Three of those four clubs have been fucked to varying degrees over the passage of recent time. So, much as I'm enjoying our current brilliance, I remain a miserable bastard...

 

Edit: At a push (on reflection) I could add Limerick (where I lived for four years until recently and my second child was born). They've just gone bust.

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Top report Dave.

 

We keep hearing about all these other club's injuries as their excuses pile up and then the conspiracy theorists point the finger at our intensity and so-called luck with injuries suggesting our lot are all on performance-enhancing drugs blah blah. What seems to escape them is the backlog of injuries we have suffered this season with 8 players missing for chunks. I even heard that clown Durham on Talksport dismissing our injury record because it didn't include "long term injuries to key players" - huh? Alisson missed all but 37 mins of our first 8 games, we have been down to 2 fit centre backs for the last 6 games and we have had no less than 7 of our midfielders injured so far.

 

That said, who cares - we are unbelievable this season, just keep going reds. 

 

 

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