OUR 5-0 thrashing of Tottenham will live long in the memory, and the players (with the possible exceptions of Mignolet and Johnson) can take a great deal of pleasure from their performances.
It was our best performance and result under Brendan Rodgers, and given our appalling away record at White Hart Lane, one of our very best away performances of the last decade.
Interestingly the midfield trio of Lucas, Allen and Henderson that the media are now raving about did not start together in the centre against Spurs. As Steven Gerrard mentioned to viewers prior to the game – we shouldn’t be too surprised to see Phillippe Coutinho begin centrally, with Henderson on the left to help Flanagan deal with the expected threat of Lennon and Walker. This certainly made sense.
However after an iffy first few minutes for the team Rodgers, to his credit, very quickly moved Henderson more centrally allowing Coutinho to drift inside from the left and making the midfield so dynamic that the Spurs players didn’t know if they were coming or going.
A huge reason for the success of the the central trio were Coutinho and Sterling. Philippe hasn’t been at his stellar best this season, but he never loses possession, is always probing and his movement pulls opposition teams around creating space for others, notably Suarez and Henderson against Spurs.
Philippe will get his fair share of assists, and as he improves will add more goals to his game, but Liverpool still benefit greatly from his involvement in the phase of play just prior to the assist. His first time cushioned pass to Henderson which led to Jordan’s goal (although the assist went to Suarez for his saved effort off Loris) and Coutinho’s lovely dinked pass into Henderson’s run that eventually led to Flanagan’s debut goal, were examples of how the little Brazilian is so very key to the team.
Raheem Sterling was arguably our best player in the first half. He suddenly seemed to have regained the impetus and confidence that he has been searching for since he returned to the team following Sturridge’s injury. The youngster had Kyle Naughton on toast, leading to the left back to be substituted at half time for an even younger left back in Ezekiel Fryers who fared no better. It was not just his ability to beat a man and put in a telling cross, like the lovely chipped ball over the keeper that Mamadou Sakho mysteriously managed to head onto the post, but his passing as well. Raheem showed excellent awareness and vision with some of his through balls, Suarez missing one chance when put though one-on-one against Hugo Loris. His excellent cross field pass to Coutinho, in the build up to Henderson’s goal, was played with perfect accuracy and pace.
Facing a Tottenham team that had seemed to have recovered from their 6-0 defeat to Manchester City after a few back to back wins was a tough test, regardless of how easy the game might now have seemed in hindsight. However a big part of this was that AVB’s tactical system played perfectly into the strengths of the Liverpool team. Few teams have played with such a high line against the Reds. Dawson is very much lacking in pace and Capoue played in an unfamiliar centre-back role, allowing Henderson, Suarez and Sterling to revel in the space to run into behind the back line, just as the high line allowed Liverpool’s structured pressing in packs to constantly win possession back.
Henderson, Allen and Lucas have played centrally together before, a number of times, but never with such an impact. No doubt Jordan is a much better player than the one that joined the Reds, Allen knows he has to deliver during Gerrard’s injury having barely played this season and Lucas doesn’t want to lose his midfield position when Sturridge and Gerrard return necessitating a change in formation. However the trio’s biggest weakness is creativity in passing. Not that they aren’t capable, but against teams that don’t foolishly play a high line, that drop deep and play two banks of four, the Reds have still relied strongly on Gerrard and Coutinho to provide the spark for the striker/s. If Sterling can maintain the form he showed against Spurs, and Henderson can continue to develop his already vastly improved passing ability, then perhaps the team can approach the festive period with more expectation than hope.
Certainly, Man City and Chelsea away, along with a deep sitting Cardiff defence at Anfiield, should provide even sterner tests to our midfield. After all even Suarez couldn’t rescue the team from the abject midfield performance against Hull.
You can catch more from me on my own blog: http://taintlessred.blogspot.co.uk/
Everyone is getting carried away about the 5-0 result..We should get a reality check. This is the same SPurs team that lost 5-0 to City, 5-2 Aggregate to relegation threatened west ham and had a midfielder Capoue at centre back(Made loads of mistakes). In addition they had a dodgy left back who incidentally is a right back and cant get a game.
They had a man sent of and effectively they had lewis holtby and Chadli a winger filling in in center midfield. Even our youth team would have given them a game..My point is fair enough you can only beat whats in front of you but it was a disjointed Spurs side and we shouldnt get carried away. Am sure when we loose our next game the same old questions will be raised “what hapened to the team that beat Spurs”… Think West Ham been asking themselves after they thumped spurs 3-0. DOnt think they have won a game since!!!
This is sensible . I think most fans were getting carried away . Lets see if we can get top 4 . We will badly miss Gerrard in the coming weeks .
Have to give Liverpool huge credit this season. Not just for the way you’ve been playing, but for sticking with Rogers and most recently, the way you’ve handled the Suarez situation. Wish we had done the same with Bale and played hardball with him too! I would imagine 4th is the very least your team will achieve.
Nice to hear a thoughtful comment from an opposition fan. I suspect if Madrid ‘had’ put in a formal offer without insulting us like Arsenal did I imagine we well have had to sell.
There will be clauses in his new contract mind.
Yeah I think reality check is needed however, most of the midfield, Allen aside, has played their part in an amazing string of results at home this year. The acid test will be more City than Chelsea. As long as we aren’t turned over, with the Anfield faithful behind them, I’d back us to get a result when they visit our hallowed turf.
joe allen the reason for our improved midfield ; he presses well ,passes better , and his positional sense is wonderful, he positions himself well when we have the ball and when they do.Love allen justs needs to cut out silly mistakes but the boy has a great future whether it be at cdm cm or perhaps even cam
Just to clarify, the Allen aside part of my comment was purely through his lack of games, not lack of talent. I think he’s good. The price tag probably did him no favours, nor did it Henderson. But we are a club that loves to overspend.. Babel (anything more than a quid was too much), Diao (what the hell were we smoking here at anfield)…. The list can fill three league 1 teams.
Yawn . Boring troll aaron
I agree Daniel. 2 draws against those two teams would be great results. Chelsea have had their critics but there equal on points to us and haven’t played well all season. City haven’t even dropped a point at home!
Two draws against those two teams, away… and I’ll need a clean pair of pants.
City are lethal, not looking forward to that game at all.
Idiot with a new name but still a boring troll
Allen is a poor weak player . He offers us nothing . If he stays in the side I fear the worst .
I do agree. But we need to sign someone in. A top top player, to quote Pizza Face!
Our young and dynamic midfielders will not fear anybody. Just need a bit of confidence and remember my new observation: “LFC play way better without Steven Gerrard”
Dont be stupid.
I really do hate to say this! But remember what Arsenal did to us -when we were on form too!! We must stay realistic. We are still two maybe three world class players short.
But things are looking better! And Thankyou Luis for Signing on..
YNWA!
EVER!!
Get rid of Allen , he is $hit . 47 apps 0 assists 1 goal . 1billion sideways passes . Hurry back Stevie G we need you .
Gerrard, the HAS BEEN.
F*** off you Manc turd yana
Go shake your stick!
@yana . Your silly childish comments impress no one . They just make you look stupid.
Yada yada yada and LFC win 3 – 1 against Cardiffool 🙂
The thing is that now Gerrard(33) is out injured there is more fluidity, mobility in the centre of the park with Allen(24) and Henderson(23) there, Henderson(23) has stepped up and is offering more creativity, but Allen(24) needs to start offering more creativity also, his pressing and winning the ball back for team has been very good in last three games. But his lack of class, creativity in attack is comical.
And both players need to take more chances, bring goals to the centre of the park.
That is why the owners need to give B Rodgers 60-70M in January to bring in these 5 players and if we are still in the top 4 in Mid of January, then these 5 players could help club win their first league title in over 23 years and our first Premiership Title Ever.
These five players are all class and quality:
1: DM: M’Vila(23) Of Rubin Kazan for 10-14M to compete, cover and make Lucas a bench warmer
2: CM: Y Cabaye(27) Of Newcastle for 16-20m to compete and Cover Henderson
3: RW / RWF: M Salah(21) Of Basel for 10-12M to compete and Cover Sterling
4: LW / LWF: B Arfa(26) Of Newcastle Or D Capel(25) Of Sporting Clube De Portugal / Lisbon for 5-14M to compete and Cover Ibe, so Rodgers can send average Mosses(22) back to Chelsea as soon as possible.
5: FD: L Remy(26) Of Qpr ( On Loan at Newcastle) for 6-10M to compete and Cover Sturridge
Those five players would cost club 60-70M, but those 5 players would bring more class, creativity, Goals, mobility, pace, power, quality competition, speed and strength to Squad.
I agree with your suggestion that we need more quality players. But I also agree with Arsene Wenger view too. He says that too many new players in a squad will actually WEAKEN it. I think at most we can bring in 2 big signings into our squad. Your thought ?
To me I think we need 1 more striker and 1 midfielder.