Maxim Match Report: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Can’t say I’m impressed by anything that happened in this squalid affair. Leaving aside the shrill reaction of Liverpool fans to their current “predicament” (they should spend some time in the bottom three for a bit of perspective), Spurs were pretty poor, Liverpool pretty poor, and the officials decidedly poor.

First off, us: Harry decided to change a back four that had 5 consecutive clean sheets to accommodate the strolling miracle that is Ledley King. Don’t get me wrong, I love the great man; but how much longer can this situation go on? It must be unsettling for the team to have a guy that everyone knows can’t play consistently coming in and out like this. King should have been on the bench.

As for our performance, well we tried unsuccessfully to play football, which brings me on to Liverpool. We went to Anfield and all Liverpool were interested in was stopping us from playing. This was a new experience. It was not dissimilar to playing Wolves at White Hart Lane! They stopped us very well, with numbers behind the ball in protection of an undeserved early lead, and robust man-marking on Jermain Defoe in particular. I’ve got a mate who’s a Liverpool fan and was at the game. He reckons it was the “least attractive” match between the two sides he can remember. Whose fault is that then?!!

Of course, they had no Gerrard and no Torres – big players. We had no Lennon and no Huddlestone. No-one’s saying Huddlestone is there with Gerrard, but he’s started nearly every match this season; Lennon is a massive player for us, all five foot nought of him. We still tried to play our game despite these absences, but Liverpool are so wracked with fear, as indeed this entire league is….

Anyway, we should have created more against a team so limited in ambition and ability (haha – I just wanted to say that for a laugh, Liverpool fans). But we didn’t. We under-performed, we missed the big chance. It’s a habitual thing. Personally, I don’t feel the Spurs squad has a winning mentality. Something is missing in their heads. By the end, we were freely shipping opportunities Liverpool’s way as we pressed for an equaliser. Dirk Kuyt’s second goal, a penalty in stoppage time, was just a sad postscript.

Finally the officials. Well, I’ve lost the heart for it now, to be honest. They got a million things wrong in both directions, but one really big one. Defoe scored a perfectly good goal. Any other interpretation of that situation is the worst type of red mist. Did you hear former Red Gary McCallister’s observation on it? Liverpool haven’t had the rub of the green this season, and it all evens out apparently. Listen, we’re still waiting for Pedro Mendes’ “goal” at Old Trafford to get evened out. We’re quite accustomed to good goals being disallowed for breathtaking incompetence. Absolute joke.

Star man: Peter Crouch

Worst performer: Niko Kranjcar was very disappointing after recent great form

Best moment: Maybe the flowing move that played in Modric in the first half

Tactics: 442, Crouch partnering Defoe; King replaced Bassong in defence; Jenas in for injured Huddlestone

Opposition fans: They got what they seem to think is their’s by right

By Andy Knaggs

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