Liverpool Light Up Anfield vs Spurs.....Finally!
Article by Red Phil
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THAT is what football is all about! LFC 3 Spurs 2 ticked every box that I know of and enabled us to make up three points on the White Hart Lane outfit.
I must admit, Spurs are good, damn good, and they have an excellent chance of getting into Europe’s finest competition next year if they continue that form. One of the things that made me sigh, last night, was the thought of what a central midfield Liverpool could have had if we’d spent less time “being interested in” Christian Eriksen and bought him to – in my dreams – partner Emre Can!!! For those without sound . . . I’m purring!
Let’s look at Tuesday night’s game . . . it was one of the best for a long, long time with end-to-end play and LFC probably rightfully winning a very close-fought contest that could have gone either way.
Our much-maligned keeper made a superb stop, tipping the ball over the bar with the save of the night, but, and I hate to keep saying it, his dominance of the area when dealing with crosses, is NOT good and his kicking is a bit suspect if not downright poor. If goalkeeping was all about shot-stopping we’d have a belter! Still think we need a new WORLD-class keeper, sorry!
At the back Emre Can and Martin Skrtel look very solid although I still want Emre in midfield. Alongside them, at the back, we had the guy who, to me, has two nicknames! Either ‘train crash’ (because he’s a major accident waiting to happen any time the ball goes near him) or ‘defibrilator’ (because when the ball goes anywhere near him I think I might have a bloody coronary!) Can’t we have it written into the footballing rule book that Liverpool can only be attacked down our left-hand side, the one he isn’t on?
I can’t be more positive than to say we cannot keep playing somebody who looks so shambolic, panic-stricken and ill-at-ease when the ball is at his feet. I thought he was having a fit once when he rugby tackled – or mugged? - a Spurs attacker. Having a keeper we can’t rely on and a defender who petrifies the fans, OUR fans, when he is involved in the game isn’t acceptable for the sake of our coronary care and I would have thought the manager would have sussed that by now!
Our first goal came, let’s be honest, courtesy of a mistake by Lloris – as rare as seeing a trophy at Goodison – but we looked excellent with the pacey Sturridge playing through the middle for a change and not gallivanting down both wings searching for the ball with NOBODY in the centre. With the superb Jordon Ibe looking a magnificent prospect, with Courtinho not at his brilliant best but still good, with Markovic doing his ball-tricks as well as scoring and running himself into the ground, with Moreno getting better by the game and with Stevie G and Hendo patrolling the midfield it seemed to go really well with several good chances created but not quite taken.
I must mention Sturridge’s pace and movement . . . superb! Adam Lallana still needs a run in the team but is normally excellent when he comes on and, of course, we had Mario breaking his duck! Popping one in from two yards isn’t going to make him our player of the year but any goal is a positive step.
The best things, to me, are that the young new boys are settling down nicely, with Moreno, Markovic, Can and Ibe looking excellent and getting better each game. With Coutinho having signed a new contract – Get in there! – the future is bright if we can get rid of one or two weaknesses. With Raheem still seemingly reticent about signing a new contract I was very pleased that, without him, we played so well against Spurs. The bigger, and more direct, Jordon Ibe would seem to be one Hell of a replacement if Raheem decided to seek new pastures elsewhere even though we hope that isn’t necessary as Raheem COULD be a Liverpool legend if he stays long enough to attain that honour.
I noticed that Marco Reus has signed another Dortmund contract . . . what a pity! Another chance missed . .
© e-Football 2014 All rights reserved no part of this document or this website may be reproduced without consent of e-Football
Subscribe to the e-Football Podcast!
THAT is what football is all about! LFC 3 Spurs 2 ticked every box that I know of and enabled us to make up three points on the White Hart Lane outfit.
I must admit, Spurs are good, damn good, and they have an excellent chance of getting into Europe’s finest competition next year if they continue that form. One of the things that made me sigh, last night, was the thought of what a central midfield Liverpool could have had if we’d spent less time “being interested in” Christian Eriksen and bought him to – in my dreams – partner Emre Can!!! For those without sound . . . I’m purring!
Let’s look at Tuesday night’s game . . . it was one of the best for a long, long time with end-to-end play and LFC probably rightfully winning a very close-fought contest that could have gone either way.
Our much-maligned keeper made a superb stop, tipping the ball over the bar with the save of the night, but, and I hate to keep saying it, his dominance of the area when dealing with crosses, is NOT good and his kicking is a bit suspect if not downright poor. If goalkeeping was all about shot-stopping we’d have a belter! Still think we need a new WORLD-class keeper, sorry!
At the back Emre Can and Martin Skrtel look very solid although I still want Emre in midfield. Alongside them, at the back, we had the guy who, to me, has two nicknames! Either ‘train crash’ (because he’s a major accident waiting to happen any time the ball goes near him) or ‘defibrilator’ (because when the ball goes anywhere near him I think I might have a bloody coronary!) Can’t we have it written into the footballing rule book that Liverpool can only be attacked down our left-hand side, the one he isn’t on?
I can’t be more positive than to say we cannot keep playing somebody who looks so shambolic, panic-stricken and ill-at-ease when the ball is at his feet. I thought he was having a fit once when he rugby tackled – or mugged? - a Spurs attacker. Having a keeper we can’t rely on and a defender who petrifies the fans, OUR fans, when he is involved in the game isn’t acceptable for the sake of our coronary care and I would have thought the manager would have sussed that by now!
Our first goal came, let’s be honest, courtesy of a mistake by Lloris – as rare as seeing a trophy at Goodison – but we looked excellent with the pacey Sturridge playing through the middle for a change and not gallivanting down both wings searching for the ball with NOBODY in the centre. With the superb Jordon Ibe looking a magnificent prospect, with Courtinho not at his brilliant best but still good, with Markovic doing his ball-tricks as well as scoring and running himself into the ground, with Moreno getting better by the game and with Stevie G and Hendo patrolling the midfield it seemed to go really well with several good chances created but not quite taken.
I must mention Sturridge’s pace and movement . . . superb! Adam Lallana still needs a run in the team but is normally excellent when he comes on and, of course, we had Mario breaking his duck! Popping one in from two yards isn’t going to make him our player of the year but any goal is a positive step.
The best things, to me, are that the young new boys are settling down nicely, with Moreno, Markovic, Can and Ibe looking excellent and getting better each game. With Coutinho having signed a new contract – Get in there! – the future is bright if we can get rid of one or two weaknesses. With Raheem still seemingly reticent about signing a new contract I was very pleased that, without him, we played so well against Spurs. The bigger, and more direct, Jordon Ibe would seem to be one Hell of a replacement if Raheem decided to seek new pastures elsewhere even though we hope that isn’t necessary as Raheem COULD be a Liverpool legend if he stays long enough to attain that honour.
I noticed that Marco Reus has signed another Dortmund contract . . . what a pity! Another chance missed . .
© e-Football 2014 All rights reserved no part of this document or this website may be reproduced without consent of e-Football
I think the fair result would have been a draw. spurs were denied a penalty & Liverpool given one by the linesman..i guess it was the reds turn to get a bit of luck.. & let's face it, I think it eventually evens itself out.
ReplyDeletegood to see the scousers back towards the end of the table they belong tho.
When all of Sturridge, Sterling, Lallana, Coutinho and Balotelli are fit, which three would you play?
ReplyDeleteAlso, if anyone reading happens to be a film fan, please don't hesitate to check out my blog, The Film Review at thefilmreviewweblog.blogspot.co.uk
ReplyDelete