Liverpool (1) Tottenham (2): One Two Punch Leaves Reds Floored

Click on Martin and Danny for the lowlights

Two goals within the first twenty minutes left Liverpool reeling; first, Gareth Bale set up Aaron Lennon for an easy as you’d like tap in at the far post. The Welsh winger would find himself on the score sheet not long afterwards when a deflected free kick left Pepe Reina rooted to the spot.

It would be Bale that would put Liverpool back into contention for three points when Lennon cleared the ball directly into the wingers face, but the revenge we were all looking for wasn’t about to come. It seemed another cut and dry night — Liverpool failing to capitalize on chances and a number of inexplicable calls leaving the visitors ruing their bad luck.

It’s not even that Spurs were too good or the Reds were too bad; it’s just us continuing to be us. Flashbacks of last year’s 4 goal drubbing began to pop up as the hosts raced two goals in front, but the explosive opening twenty minutes would be the only real item of note for Villas Boas and the boys as the visitors once again fell victim to their own impotence in front of the net — with a little help from the Ref of course.

As we approach the New Year, it seems inexplicable that we’ve yet to win a penalty this season. In the first half, Steven Gerrard was blatantly shoved from behind by Kyle Walker after some neat interplay with Suarez snuck the England Captain into the box — without surprise, Phil Dowd ignored the resulting appeals. Switch to the second half and William Gallas is free and clear to hack and slash Suarez without reprimand or a sideways glance. Clint Dempsey can dive to win the free kick Bale converted and the Welsh Wizard — who after tonight leads the league in yellow cards earned for simulation — wins the plaudits. Frustrating and true, but still no real excuse.

52% of the possession, 9 shots on target and 12 corners; and not a single goal to show for it. Pick any match from this season, bar Wigan and Norwich, and already you know the story too well. A Suarez effort is cleared off the line, Enrique makes the wrong decision with Spurs ‘keeper Hugo Lloris at his mercy, errant passes, useless crosses — Henderson misses an empty net. Tottenham content to sit back and absorb the pressure knowing full well that the visitors haven’t overturned a deficit since last year and that even if we wanted to, we weren’t going to. Another night at the Lane, another trip home with nothing to show for it.

Sure, we had the late flurry. Jonjo Shelvey coming on for Jordan Henderson gave the midfield a shot in the arm and Oussama Assaidi replacing the wholly ineffective Stewart Downing added some much needed mobility as the Reds gave it a good one for the last twenty minutes or so. Still, the thin squad only gets thinner and fatigue is not only rearing its ugly head, but popping by for afternoon tea. Steven Gerrard played another 90 minutes, the usually sprightly Suarez seems to have lost a step, 17 year old Raheem Sterling is looking worse for wear and Joe Allen isn’t the player that showed so much promise in August. They’re tired and so am I.

Unbeaten in eight games, the security blanket we were clutching to for so long, just got left at on the bus; it’s gone and it isn’t coming back anytime soon. Southampton at the weekend and hopefully some shelter from the storm. Try as we might, we can’t make this long year end anytime soon.

-steven.

Steven McMillan

Can’t find up from down or tell black from white, but doesn't care cause it’s all Red to him. When he's not pissing and moaning about all things Liverpool, he’s chatting nonsense with his multiple personalities — or his “entourage” as he likes to call them.

12 thoughts on “Liverpool (1) Tottenham (2): One Two Punch Leaves Reds Floored

  • November 29, 2012 at 3:24 am
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    Sorry can’t cop tired they are professional footballer who get everything they want, the simple fact is we need at least 2 proven reliable goal scorers to add to the squad. Still confident we are moving in the right direction but it may be sometime before we have the squad Brendan wants. Go the Reds YNWA JFT96

  • November 29, 2012 at 4:10 am
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    You obviously didn’t watch the game or you would know that Bale’s free kick was not deflected…

  • November 29, 2012 at 4:32 am
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    “You obviously didn’t watch the game” – assholes, frequently.

  • November 29, 2012 at 6:44 am
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    LFC is being run by rookies, and I am concerned. I feel really sorry for BR cos he needs experienced support like our managers of old used to have. As August proved, he just hasn’t got that. I am really concerned about our plight. We are Liverpool, we don’t just ‘write seasons off’. I am a cynic by nature, and do wonder what FSG’s real agenda is. We need proper decision makers based in Liverpool 24/7, and until this happens, we will continue to lurch from one crisis to the next. Mid table mediocrity should not be accepted at Liverpool Football Club- it just isn’t good enough……

  • November 29, 2012 at 7:22 am
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    Well spurs was good at the beginning and I thought 4,5,6 goals were on the way coming.
    If you think we have a thin squad,take a look at that spurs squad.it’s thinner than ours with so many injuries.so that’s not a reason to loose games.players should take the blame and up their game next time.

  • November 29, 2012 at 8:30 am
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    I would expect better from a Liverpool site. Too bad you have contributors like Grubb. Spurs were not Livepool’s problem. Liverpool and their manager are the problem

  • November 29, 2012 at 5:43 pm
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    Back under your bridge, troll.

  • November 30, 2012 at 1:33 am
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    see, funny that…when i first saw it, i didn’t think so either but then i kept hearing references to it being deflected and then when i watched the replays, there was a very audible sound when the ball was passing the wall and it looked like it took a slight deflection…

    either way, your douchey comment made me laugh. thanks for that.

  • November 30, 2012 at 1:34 am
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    mental and physical strain happen to the best of them — especially 32 year old captains.

  • November 30, 2012 at 1:35 am
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    i would expect better from a dude with the first name Lightning.

  • December 1, 2012 at 2:50 am
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    I’d just expect visitors to respond with respect, not make douchey, snide remarks.

    If you’re going to respond to any article on this site with a pretentious, self-righteous lead-in like “you obviously didn’t watch the game”, then expect to get short shrift from any of the contributors.

    Equally, I was only trying to make the point that the poster responding to the article had been quite rude, and I could have done that without being rude in response, I guess.

    “Liverpool and their manager are the problem” – is such a short-sighted viewpoint. Rodgers has only had a few months in charge, and we all know how long it takes to develop a really top team.

    Consider our recent history and the damage that has been done to the club, even by well-meaning parties such as Dalglish, and the fact that some of our problems are 22 years old (mediocrity has been an ever-present factor since 1990) – it’s downright ludicrous to discount those factors, or to lay lay blame at Rodgers’ feet for them.

    I’d like him to get 3 years minimum, and for us to judge him at the end of that time. Anything else, and we are as plastic as Chelsea.

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