Liverpool 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1 (May 7 2022)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

This doesn’t hurt anywhere near as much as I thought it would. It helps that we’ve got two finals to look forward to of course, but I just can’t get too worked up or disappointed about this particular game or even the implications of it. 

 

We gave everything we had but came up short because the opponent defended really well. If we don’t win the title it won’t be because of this game and it won’t be because Newcastle put up the most feeble of resistance at the Etihad a day later (did anyone really expect any different?). 

 

I’m more upset about the other game we had with Spurs than this one. Remember, when a couple of manc officials shafted us with two of the worst decisions seen all season? We deserved to win that game, we didn’t deserve to win this one.

 

I think we played pretty well though and there was a lot to like about the performance. Against most teams it would have been enough for a comfortable victory, but the problem is that Spurs are really good when they play the better teams. They beat City twice and that wasn’t a fluke. 

 

This was always going to be the toughest game we had left but because it was a night game at Anfield I thought that would be enough to help us come through it unscathed. It wasn’t, although the crowd played its part and the atmosphere was great. The players responded and the intensity was there but the quality was lacking. Sometimes that happens, even to the best teams. Winning every game just isn’t possible and when it comes to retreats when we look back on the season, this game really shouldn’t even be a consideration.

 

It was just really fucking tough. Try as we might, we just couldn’t really play through them and when we did they usually had someone making a great block or clearance. Hugo Lloris hardly had a save to make and we didn’t really do enough to test him. We were almost there on a lot of occasions but just didn’t get it right when we got into promising positions.

 

 

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[Kevin D]

13 minutes ago, tlw content said:

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

This doesn’t hurt anywhere near as much as I thought it would. It helps that we’ve got two finals to look forward to of course, but I just can’t get too worked up or disappointed about this particular game or even the implications of it. 

 

We gave everything we had but came up short because the opponent defended really well. If we don’t win the title it won’t be because of this game and it won’t be because Newcastle put up the most feeble of resistance at the Etihad a day later (did anyone really expect any different?). 

 

I’m more upset about the other game we had with Spurs than this one. Remember, when a couple of manc officials shafted us with two of the worst decisions seen all season? We deserved to win that game, we didn’t deserve to win this one.

 

 

Please note that Match Reports are only available to website subscribers. Subscriptions cost just £3 a month (you need to register first) and can be purchased here. 

 

 

 

 

Just on this point on where the league was “lost”.

 

It was not lost anywhere.

 

It was won by Man City, because they’ve unlimited resources with a fantastic manager.

 

Ali did not lose to Frazier. Frazier beat Ali. That happens sometimes when the best in the business go at it.

 

As I understand it, our points total over the last four years is now separated by only four? We’re the two best teams in the world and next year it will be City saying if, but, when etc.

[King Kenny 86]

This is my instinct but I think Mo dries up every season he has been here 

It is churlish to think that as others need to step up but Mo "losing " that finish at the end of this season was not a suprise.

His numbers are off the scale and last season he carried us, but curious to see a 10 game split of his goals per season.

Good to have you back sir.

Great report as always.

[Creator Supreme]

We won't be within 30 points of City next season. They'll go unbeaten and beat their 100 point total, Haaland will score about 50 in the league for them. And they'll win the CL.

[dave u]

1 hour ago, Kevin D said:

Just on this point on where the league was “lost”.

 

It was not lost anywhere.

 

It was won by Man City, because they’ve unlimited resources with a fantastic manager.

 

Ali did not lose to Frazier. Frazier beat Ali. That happens sometimes when the best in the business go at it.

 

As I understand it, our points total over the last four years is now separated by only four? We’re the two best teams in the world and next year it will be City saying if, but, when etc.

 

That's how losers talk.

[coachpotato]

Plenty of good points made there Dave, I do think the assessment of Mo is a bit kind though. He’s been off form for a while now and hasn’t done much to endear by sometimes being greedy. Call it trying to play himself back into form if you like, but there’s been a few occasions, including Spurs on Saturday, where there were players better placed who deserved the pass from him that was on.

Insane that he might be getting criticised I know, given his numbers, but there it is.

Also the points made regarding goal difference and us taking it easy in some games, not just the Man U 5-0, when we could have run up a bigger score and made goal difference unimportant, are really on the money.

It’ll be gut wrenching if city win this having scored a couple more than us against dross.

They are unlikely to drop points though, and I just think that any hopes of Villa, Wolves or West Ham taking points off them are fanciful, but we can all hope they do.

We have to be perfect from tomorrow night at Villa until the final whistle at the Stade de France and that might be too much of an ask.

[Kevin D]

18 minutes ago, dave u said:

 

That's how losers talk.

 

 

[CapeRed]

Whilst talking about the decisions against us in the Spurs away game let's not forget the unbelievable decisions that favoured city in their games against Wolves and the bitters. That's a 4 point swing right off.

[johnsusername]

Couldn't believe he didn't throw Origi on. There was just no space for a small, out of form Jota. Needed Divock on to get stuck in and cause a fuss. 

[Anubis]

We win all our remaining games, and City draw at both West Ham and against Wolves. That'll do, Bestower Of Gifts Pig. That'll do.

[JustTosh]

Just wondering. If we beat Villa 3-0 and Wolves beat City 2-1, the goal difference will be exactly the same with both teams on 90-23.

 

If we happen to end equal on points and goal difference, I reckon most scored goals could separate the teams. But if even that is equal, what happens? Will there be a PL-final at Wembley or something?

 

 

[Jimmy Hills Chin]

45 minutes ago, JustTosh said:

Just wondering. If we beat Villa 3-0 and Wolves beat City 2-1, the goal difference will be exactly the same with both teams on 90-23.

 

If we happen to end equal on points and goal difference, I reckon most scored goals could separate the teams. But if even that is equal, what happens? Will there be a PL-final at Wembley or something?

 

 

I reckon they''ll just give it to us as citeh are cunts.

[Strontium]

5 hours ago, Creator Supreme said:

We won't be within 30 points of City next season. They'll go unbeaten and beat their 100 point total, Haaland will score about 50 in the league for them. And they'll win the CL.

 

Honestly, the best thing I have to look forward to about next season is Everton losing their last claim to fame, when Haaland breaks Dixie Dean's scoring record.

[aws]

Good report Dave. Reflects what I've been thinking except that I don't think we declared at OT - more a case that we just decided not to risk injury. 

[Kevin D]

7 minutes ago, aws said:

Good report Dave. Reflects what I've been thinking except that I don't think we declared at OT - more a case that we just decided not to risk injury. 

 

Dave already used you as his muscle to intimidate me.

[aws]

5 minutes ago, Kevin D said:

 

Dave already used you as his muscle to intimidate me.

Don't make it worse for yourself. We haven't ruled out going for exemplary and punitive damages yet. 

[Josef Svejk]

Disagree on Mo. I think he's been pretty poor for quite a while. Basically since Afcon.

 

I also think you go very easy on Trent here. He gets the praise when he deserves it. But I thought he had a shocker in every respect.

 

With those two players on that kind of form on one side of the pitch, it's a good job we brought Diaz in to offer a threat on the other side. But I can see Madrid causing serious damage on our right...

[an tha]

Match tomorrow.....no match thread yet...

 

Edit found it...buried away on page 2!

 

 

[Creator Supreme]

5 hours ago, Strontium said:

 

Honestly, the best thing I have to look forward to about next season is Everton losing their last claim to fame, when Haaland breaks Dixie Dean's scoring record.

I don't think he'll score 60+ mate, but he will score a ridiculous amount of goals in that team.

[s(k)aturation]

5 hours ago, aws said:

Good report Dave. Reflects what I've been thinking except that I don't think we declared at OT - more a case that we just decided not to risk injury. 

 

Nonetheless, when you're lamenting a 5-0 win at OT as a missed opportunity, it's pretty emblematic of how difficult it is to enjoy the Premier League with Abu Dhabi City around.

 

 

[DalyanPete]

20 hours ago, tlw content said:

We gave everything we had but came up short because the opponent defended really well

Totally agree same team beat City. Some of the comments are mind blowing, if I've read them correctly we need to replace half a team that is still within touching distance of a clean sweep.

[Guest]

 

[lebron]

Thought Mo and Trent were probably our two of our worst performers, and I love both, particularly Trent. Salah's insistence on ignoring the better option towards the end was extremely annoying, and Trent's hopeful punts from deep were equally frustrating, desperate and low-percentage as they were.

 

A quick word on the subs, though, as I agreed with them at the time. We clearly needed someone to go past people or make passes between the lines, Keita in for Henderson was my preferred choice from the start of the match, so can't say I objected to that. If anything, he should have been brought on sooner. Thinking of it, Curtis could have done the same, but he normally favours playing on the left, and you're not subbing Thiago, are you? If we were going to put balls into the box, Jota was a logical sub as well, as he's probably the best header of the ball we have. I can understand him getting on before Origi in that respect.

 

I think Klopp and his team have done an incredible job of keeping the players fresh, but have to admit I think the one position he/they could have done better is the left back role. There's absolutely no need to have Robbo gasping for air three matches in succession when you have a back-up the caliber of Kostas. Robbo was poor against Villareal, and not much better here. For all his other qualities, his incredible stamina and energy is his biggest asset. That asset becomes a bit murkier with the amount of footy he's played recently. I hope Kostas starts tonight, he deserves to, and we need Robbo back to his energetic best on Saturday.

[Dave D]

If you have a scenario where a team are doubling up on Salah then the answer would be exploiting the space this has created for our other strikers? We must have seen it coming so you train all week playing in Mane and Diaz at every opportunity from the first minute, leaving their fiendish "Salah" plan in tatters as the goals rain in.

 

 

 

* I havent seen the game so maybe thats what we did, just not very well.