PLAYER RATINGS: Liverpool 3 - 2 Spurs

Spurs were reminded of what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a late winner tonight as Mario Balotelli’s 83rd minute tap-in gave Liverpool all 3 points at Anfield.

The Reds had taken the lead when Lazar Markovic was set free by Daniel Sturridge, before his bobbling effort jumped over a sprawling Hugo Lloris - but man-of-the-moment Harry Kane was on hand to slot home Erik Lamela’s throughball before half time to even it up.

Danny Rose then felled the returning Sturridge in the area to hand Steven Gerrard his 6th of the season from the penalty spot, only for Kane to turn provider and cut back for Mousa Dembele to bring us back yet again.

However, substitutes combined as Adam Lallana picked out Balotelli at the back post to hand Spurs only their 3rd defeat in 3 months.

Player Ratings

Hugo Lloris 6 – He is human! Caught out by a viscous bobble for the first goal and arguably could have got nearer Gerrard’s penalty, however he was left hopelessly exposed for Balotelli’s late winner.

Kyle Walker 6 – A useful outlet on the right but was lucky to stay on after his kick out at Emre Can. Was nowhere to be seen when Markovic went through to score in the first half.

Eric Dier 6 – Disappointing from the youngster who has been rock solid recently. The better of the two centre-halves in my opinion, beating Martin Skrtel to a few high balls impressively, but he watched Lallana’s ball fall into the path of Balotelli for the 3rd.

Jan Vertonghen 6 – Similar to Dier in many ways, and dived into tackles quite often. Considering we have been relatively impressive at the back recently, it is disappointing that we let in 3 tonight. Jan can be given the excuse of tired legs for sure.

Danny Rose 5 – Struggled tonight, especially when Christian Eriksen left the field. Clumsy challenge to bring down Sturridge for the penalty and was left dazed by Lallana.

Ryan Mason 6 – Understandably spent after his weekend shift. A few sloppy passes here and there but a great awareness on the ball, constantly looking and moving, and came close with his through ball.

Nabil Bentaleb 6 – Again, very similar to Mason. Just recently back from Africa and played 2 games in quick succession but he does look the real deal in midfield. Couldn’t push on offensively as much but has a great brain.

Christian Eriksen 6 – Great free-kick lead to Dembele’s goal, and his interchange with Lamela for Kane’s goal was what we’ve dreamed of for two years. Came inside to make space efficiently, swapping with Mousa. Looked knackered towards the end, too!

Mousa Dembele 7 – Deservedly grabbed a goal and was my Man of the Match tonight. Pochettino has brought the best out of him it seems, playing further forward and flourishing. So calm on the ball and brings stability with it.

Erik Lamela 6 – Absolutely ran his socks off, and his ball for Kane’s goal cannot go unmentioned. Denied by a wonderful Mignolet save in the second half that would have boosted the side no doubt.

Harry Kane 7 – 23rd goal of the season. Twenty-third. Twenty. Three. Goals. His ridiculous scoring from continues and he can add an assist to it too, squaring for Dembele’s tap in. Kept Can, Sakho and Skrtel all busy simultaneously.

SUBS

Paulinho 5 – Played deeper in midfield but couldn’t effect the game. At least he didn’t get sent off.

Nacer Chadli N/a – Similarly, he didn’t provide any kind of final product.

Soldado N/a

I’ve never seen the Spurs fans so gracious in defeat, and so understanding that the side haven’t managed to get 3 points from a game.

There’s no #PochOut and no selection qualms, and for once we’re united in sympathy and disappointment for a side that we are clearly getting behind.

The North London Derby win at the weekend is no doubt a sweetener, with many heads still focused on Harry Kane’s looping header finding the top corner of Ospina’s net, but without that in mind we can finally relate with a side that’s left everything on the field.

At Spurs, that’s all we ever ask for.

On to the next one. COYS.

 

After the efforts of Saturday it was amazing that the lads had so much energy in the tank to be fair. Too many errors cost us tonight but we showed mettle to come back twice. Three times was too much. Rose was lazy in his tackle for the penalty and bentaleb was very out of sorts tonight and should have been taken off after an hour really.
Still played well and now we go again.

 

Typical slack defending from Spurs which will be our undoing come business end, liverpool werent great for scoring 3 goals yet the simplest of through balls and we were all over the place.
Started in 4th ended in 6th how very Spursy!

 

Lamela is a waste of space he constantly either gives the ball away or makes the wrong pass. We were playing a dangerous game passing along our back 4. Some good possession but did nothing with it. Liverpool looked dangerous with their lightening quick breaks. We just lack that bit of class and cohesion, but we are a young side and hopefully in the summer Pooch will get some experience in.

 

Fat Man Dowd is going to be in trouble with Daniel Levy for allowing Liverpool to win.

He tried not to give the penalty and was overruled.
He didn't give the nailed on one when Sturridge was brought down.
He gave Gerrard a yellow that wasn't and Spurs the free kick from which they got the second when it was obvious to a blind man that Kane was half a yard offside.
And he was giving out cards like Everton mints.
The fat man is a disgrace to the proffesion.

 

Think that works both ways Sakho should of had 3 yellows in the first half for assault on Dembele.

 

Decent performance considering the circumstances, but once again individual errors cost us dearly.

First - Danny Rose! Against a decent side today, away from home, Rose was found out and I know he has shown glimpses of talent this season, but my personal opinion is that he will never be a top left back for Spurs. At 24 years-of-age, having just under 3 seasons of experience in the PL - is there any sign of defensive improvement? No.

It's all right having the pace going forward, but defensively he is very weak.

You watch him against Ibe - a young, pacey, winger who wants to take you on all day. As a full-back you should be showing him inside the field to where there is more defensive back-up to assist your cause.

The middle of the pitch is more congested with central midfielders and centre-backs, who can help you close down the player. If Ibe cuts in and scores a worldy, then questions will be asked of Hugo, Jan and Dier - and not solely Rose.

Instead, Rose showed him down the line, time-and-time again to put himself on a 1 v 1 situation, which is a definite no-no when you're playing full-back.

Secondly, Jan Vertonghen.

I remember @Ramos43 saying about Jan and his inability to learn from his mistakes of diving in when it's not needed.

For LFC's opener, Jan dives into Sturridge (who has his back to goal) to win the ball. Although he tackles Sturridge, the ball is passed onto Markovic who goes through to score. While all this is happening, Jan for the second week in a row, is scrambling to get himself up off the grass and into position!

Positives tonight there are, and the major one is Mousa Dembele! Hopefully the goal will give him confidence to do more damage going forward - as he his more than capable.

And finally a word on Lamela - although not the most polished display - his work-rate is phenomenal and his attitude is first class. Today he ran himself into the ground and close-down at every opportunity.

If we take our *Baldini-hating* tinted-glasses off maybe we can appreciate the effort he is actually putting in, even when things are not going his way when attacking.

I know the argument against will be that you don't pay £30m for a player to chase down the ball, but if he was English, an academey graduate & Spurs through and through we'd be lauding his efforts.

I still think Lamela can do more going forward, but until that clicks - his work-rate and desire to help out his team mates has been excellent and should be appreciated more by ourselves!

 

Mason and Bentaleb was rubbish today, young and not enough experience, great balls thru the defense, just sadly it was to sturridge and not Kane. Our Defense? Did we have one? In the summer, Sell Adebayor or give him away, sell Kaboul, the big bloke on the bench. Buy some prober defenders.

 

Good team effort to stay in this one just let down by giving the ball away too much which allowed them to spread the ball around into good spaces, in recent times we would have been punished and we would be using that dreaded word 'capitulation' these boys are made of stronger stuff and fought back well but some sloppy play and some tired legs allowed the home team to just edge it.

 

Right I'm not saying the penalty wasn't a penalty but can we change the law as of next season when we play Liverpool jst give them a penalty straight from kick off becuz it's a habit now! Again our own errors cost us when will we learn from the same old mistakes and although I think we're starting to play pochettinos way I still think we miss that blistering pace of say a sterling who can really get in behind also I wud like to offer my services to Paulinho this summer I will paddle him across the Atlantic back to brazil for nothing jst as long as he stays away from my club forever and never return!!! Absolute shite player !!!!!

 

Pochettino a lot to answer for how could he take off erikson with his record of late goals. How could he look at Danny rose for the whole game he was horrendous

 

Well its was a high calibre match. Both sides similar in style and desire. But we made to many mistakes. Some wrong decisions up front, badly miss placed passing in midfield especially in first half and then sloppy play at the back and a mistake from the keeper. On another day really we should have been 2 0 up when Mario scored. Couple of things i always get the feeling with Chadli he takes a while to warm up. I'd have thrown Townsend on for that injection of pace ect. Rose, yes he's a decent player but unless he cuts that rash element out his game, (tackles in the box with a man for cover no), and the first half yellow card was nutty as well, surely is a risk. I thought we were a bit unlucky really but hay ho onwards. This Europa League is still massive for me as a the winners get the CL, we really need to concentrate on that cos, yer we'll beat Chelsea on the day right.. And also that league looks tight this year. Lets hope we get things done but we need to stay in the Europa, with a solid 3 goal lead into the second leg. And personally i'd have Ady on the bench for Soldado cos of his height and ability to hold the ball up to bring our 5 midfielders into the game better. Finally, Lamela does he really offer enough. Yes he's playing much better and gets stuck in, but offensively is there enough to justify that starting place, imo not sure.

 

One of our players was like a headless chicken - out of position, mistimed challenges almost from kick-off, and lack of challenges when they were needed. You know who I am talking about!
Only losing 3-2 with Paulinho and Lamela on the pitch at the end seemed like some sort of victory - very questionable substitutions. At least a good effort and an improvement on recent Mersey confrontations.

 

1 maybe 3 points chucked away due to school boy defending. Hot headed, panicky, unorganised, sloppy.
No other midfield and defence in the Prem tries to assist the opposing strikers more than their own, some of the passing last night was atrocious.
The effort is commendable but we need to iron out these needless mistakes.

 

Disappointing result but PLENTY of positives.

To be honest, despite clearly being short of the sharpness that saw us dominate an in-form Arsenal at the weekend, I thought Spurs were well worth a point in last nights game!

The lads did well without being exceptional, showing plenty of fight, courage and commitment to the cause, in a match where the majority of the side probably would've 'chucked in the towel' given the circumstances, last season.

A Lloris mistake for Spurs against one of the top sides in the division USUALLY leads to a 5 goal hammering in favour of our opponents.

A rash challenge in the penalty area, gifting the opposition an opportunity to extend the scoreline just after half-time, USUALLY acts as a prelude to the team losing it's shape and discipline in search of an equalizer.

And yet yesterday, whilst staring firmly in the face of adversity, with the team showing small but apparent signs of (mental and physical) fatigue after their extraordinary efforts in a game just days before, there was NO capitulation.

Instead, Pochettino's Spurs team response to going behind TWICE to 2 VERY SOFT goals was to fight, scrap and claw their way back into the football match. And that is just what they did.... and with no little skill, either.

If truth be told, without some of our own players doing their utmost, in the 1st half especially, to help Liverpool create goal-scoring opportunities, I don't think the Reds would've looked half as threatening in the final third.

Whereas, when Spurs got the ball, there seemed to be a greater purpose, variation and expression in the play, despite being guilty of making the wrong decisions in the final third at crucial moments (i.e Kanes 50 yard lob attempt a 1-0 down was ridiculous. As was Lamela's decision to play an infinitely harder ball whilst Spurs broke and outnumbered Liverpool on the break, when a MUCH simpler pass was on).

Listen, when you have a young team, especially one that looks a little weary due to fatigue, these things happen. But if this side wants to fulfil it's ENORMOUS potential sometime in the not to distant future then it is imperative they learn how to better manage these sort of occasions.

Managing the big games, or any game for that matter is all about making the best decisions based upon the circumstances of the game itself.

And at times in the game last night, as was the case in the 5-3 win over Chelsea at the Lane, Spurs showed an immaturity which although could be expected given the age, and stage of development of the side, must be eradicated if we are to seriously and consistently challenge the bigger siders for honours.

One of the big plus points on the night was the performance of Mousa Dembele who was the best player on the park during his stint on the pitch. Powerful, purposeful and penetrating, Liverpool had no answer to the Belgians OUTSTANDING showing, and his goal was no more than he deserved.

Another MAJOR plus was the display of Eric Dier, who continues to play with an authority, composure and maturity far beyond his years. The kid is class, make no mistake about it, and is another example of my belief that you CAN buy quality, and thus be competitive in the transfer market, without spending extortionate amounts in fees.

The way Dier has slotted back into his favoured CB position, after being 'dropped'/'developed' away from the spotlight of the 1st team, speaks volumes not only about the talent of the kid, but the mentality too.

He has applied himself against two of the best teams in the country EXTREMELY well, looking at times as if he is assured head in the Tottenham backline.

Aggressive, strong and a good reader of the game, Dier also possess a turn of pace that almost defies his size. There were a number of times yesterday when the youngster got himself in a foot race Sturridge, and at no point was he found wanting.

The kid has REALLY impressed me over the last 2 to 3 games, at CB, and looks like a great piece of business by the club.

All in all, I think we can take plenty of encouragement from the teams progress in recent months, and yesterday as far as I am concerned only further highlighted the fact that the team is heading in the right direction.

8 days till our next match should ensure that the squad gets a well deserved rest, as well as giving Poch some quality time on the training pitch to ensure the team continues to impress, and progress.

 

I agree for different reasons. He wasn't going to give the penalty as Sturridge was looking for it, although it was a clumsy tackle by Rose, but the linesman didn't have a clear view. What clear cut penalty? the one where Dier got the ball and the man. Like Gerrard so you can't have it both ways. Kane was marginally offside, what game were you watching. And Dowd made a rod for his own back by booking Spurs players for two basic fouls early on that weren't bookings. He is terrible. Way overweight and arrogant.

 

have you ever thought of actually writing the review or an actual article. Your comments are longer than the piece. I for one didn't read it all.

 

Lol...You don't know what your missing (Jim) my friend? Because while my posts are ALWAYS long, they are ALWAYS, also, very well considered, informative and worth a read!

I actually used to do a bit of writing for this place, but my work meant that I could not give enough of my time to making sure my articles were of the required standard (to be published under the moniker Ramos 43).

On another note, I have noticed that Lamela seems to have come in for some criticism, which could be argued is well deserved.

And yet I believe that I have seen enough to suggest that we are just a matter of moments away from seeing the best of the young Argentinian.

Yes he had mixed night yesterday in terms of some of his attack-minded work, but he was EXCELLENT in regards to his defensive duties.

Decision making was his biggest flaw in his make-up vs Liverpool, but we should remember the part he played in the 1st goal with a BEAUTIFULLY crafted winner. Erik could easily, also, have grabbed a goal will a screamer from the edge of the penalty area only to be foiled by a great stop from Mignolet.

People need to consider the importance of the wide-man from a tactical point of view. Lamela is not only one of the hardest pressers in the team, but he is also, ALWAYS one of the 1st to instigate it!

His fitness levels are incredible, but I believe a desire and commitment to proving his worth are also behind his unrelenting work-rate.

And yet it is those two very things along with a lack of maturity that form the bases of some of his poor decision-making.

As things stand, Lamela looks like someone who is trying to prove how good a player he is by attempting to do the difficult things, instead of realising that in order to be a good player you have to CONSISTETLY do the basic things well.

To be fair to Erik, he is a creative player, and therefore, he will ALWAYS posses a creative mind.

His reverse pass to Kane for the equalizer was exquisite!

But my belief about Lamela is NOT based on this game alone, but more about the form he has shown since returning from his most recent injury.

He looks stronger, sharper and more confident than ever before!

Has anyone noticed that he seems to be getting into more goalscoring positions recently?

Listen, I'm not saying he should be a guaranteed starter, but that this kid is DEVELOPING all the skills required to be a star in the EPL, and while he is doing that... he is also playing an EXTREMELY important part in the functioning of the team.

 

Ramos i see your back now the team are beggining to play better as a unit , and to think you have been quick to call others fickle.

I have a question for you-

Its been great seeing the team put in more effort individually and more importantly as a collective, but while all are praising this new found ethos i ask isn't effort/drive/desire the bare minimum a professional sports player or team should give?

The purely sloppy defending seems to be being swept under the carpet because the team were kind enough to show some effort.

 

Spot on Felon . You took them words out of my mouth .. This woeful defending goes on in every game , every team we play get at least 2 or 3 gifts but most don't take them .. Well the scousers did .. How any of our defenders can be lavished with praise performing like they do is beyond me .. Great effort from the boys , fair enough but as a lot of us have been saying all year and it was all too evident again last night we lack quality everywhere ..