Liverpool vs Tottenham - Preview

Article by Jason McGovern

This weekend we travel up to Anfield, one of the most iconic stadiums in world football, but it’s a venue I detest, and I’d be delighted if it was demolished.

The reason, it’s like going to hell for us. Since March 1910, we’ve played their 82 times, winning just 8, drawing 23, losing 51. In the 73 years between the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, and Garth Crooks’ winner in 1985, we visited Anfield 43 times without a win.

My own first memory of Anfield was losing 0-7 in 1978 after which my Mum mercilessly teased me for several days. I’ve been scarred by just the thoughts of the place ever since.

In the 82 games we’ve played up there we’ve scored just 68 goals, Robbie Keane, and Teddy Sheringham have both scored 4, and astonishingly, our next highest scorer at Anfield is 3 own goals by them. 33 times we’ve failed to score, and we’ve kept just 13 clean sheets.

Where I have been fortunate is that I have been to Anfield for 3 of the 6 wins, including that famous first win in 1985 when Garth Crooks got our winner, and since then I have seen Clive Allen, Sheringham & Klinsmann score in wins there. Since those winners, I’ve only been there to seen Dean Richards score in a 2-1 defeat, and Robbie Keane score twice in a 2-2 draw.

Our Premier League record is P22, W2, D7, L15, F22, A49. Therefore, it’s fair to say, whatever their current form, it’s a tough place to go.

So much of the game reminds me of a few weeks ago at Manchester City, the opposition on the end of a poor defeat, City then, Liverpool now predicted by many to finish outside the top-4, and taking a battering from the pundits that had been so full of praise for them over the Christmas period when they had back-to-back home wins against Stoke and Manchester City. 2017 has seen exits from both domestic competitions, and just 1 win from 10 games (away to L2 Plymouth). Just 3 points of the 15 available in the PL has seen their title chances disappear and they are now 4 points behind us, and outside the top-4.

They are in fairness a very good side when playing well but, Mane and Matip have both been missing for much of those 2017 games, Coutinho hasn’t recovered form since returning from injury, Lallana himself is struggling for form, and both Karius and Mignolet have continued to make high-profile mistakes. Sturridge continues to frustrate, and over a year under Klopp has never seen him win the trust of his manager. Origi has started most of the recent league games, but he himself has struggled for goals recently. Firmino is probably the only player currently playing near his best levels.

5 winless matches at Anfield is a record they will be itching to improve, they have actually performed well against the top-6 clubs this season, and are unbeaten by any side in the current top-12. Their 4 defeats this season have all come against teams currently in the bottom-8. Their home form is Won 7, Drawn 3 (Man United, West Ham, Chelsea) Lost 1 (Swansea).

Therefore, despite their current difficulties, it’s very much a case of beware the wounded animal. We ourselves really need to post a statement away win, and have been guilty ourselves of under-performing in the most recent clashes against top-6 sides away, never looking like scoring at Old Trafford, and battered in that 2-2 draw at City.

Liverpool (like ourselves) have had a free week, time to properly rest and regroup, and they should be fresh to do the famous Klopp geigenpress, and we know full well, our performances against teams that have pressed us this season have been poor. For a manager who encourages us to play that way himself, Pochettino has struggled to find a way to combat the same tactic when it’s used against us.

Defensively, Liverpool as individuals and as a team are poor, and therefore, we should try to force them into errors, but Firmino will lead the chase against us, and it’s vital Dier, Alderweired, Wanyama and Dembele keep their composure and use the ball sensibly from the back. It’s a game we can’t afford for Hugo’s kicking to bring pressure onto ourselves. We have the better technical players in defensive positions than they do, but we know even we can be forced into errors.

The key battle will be that of Mane up against Ben Davies, Davies will need protection far greater than that of Son who offers very little. Danny Rose will be a big miss as much for his pace defending against Mane as his ability going forward. I doubt we will see Davies make too many forward runs.

It’s also time for us to be ruthless in front of goal as we were at City, we have to take the chances that come our way, particularly early where if we get on top of them, their crowd will go very quiet. If we allow them to gain the early upper-hand, I expect the confidence to come back, and the noise levels to go up in a massive game for them. A win put’s up 7 points clear, a gap they will definitely not want to concede to us. (Is there a club that has as many scarves as they do, the Kop pre-game is like a scene from the 1950’s).

If we can show that game craft I talk of, we don’t make the sloppy errors we can get something, but I do think we’ll need to score at least twice if we are to win. I hope we’ve practiced our set pieces this week, they are awful at defending them, particularly corners, but they themselves have actually scored from 10 corners/free kicks, so we have to watch out for their movement in our box.

I’m hoping we can win, think it’s likely to be a draw, but there is that nasty thought at the back of my head that says they will turn things around soon enough. I’m covering all 3 results!

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