TOPSPURS MATCH REPORT 

 

Saturday 26th October 2002, 3.00pm

FA Premiership, Anfield

LIVERPOOL 2 (Murphy 72, Owen Pen 86)

Dudek; Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Riise - Gerrard (sub Smicer 68), Diao, Hamann, Murphy - Owen, Diouf (sub Baros 58). Subs not used:- Kirkland, Babbel, Cheyrou

Sheringham (sub Ferdinand 77)

Keane

Poyet (sub Acimovic 79)

Freund

Redknapp (sub Etherington, 90)

Davies

Bunjevcevic

Richards

Perry

Carr

Keller

Subs not used:- Hirschfield, Gardner

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 (Richards 82)

Referee:- Mike Riley

Attendance: -  44,084

Really really choked about this result. We did “good performance, no points” last season and while I can do it once, I’m gutted that we were even better this season creating any number of chances but lost as we only scored one of our many chances and Liverpool scored with their only shots on target. It was sickening to lose just like we did at Scumbury in April to a late penalty after getting ourselves level so late on.

The Spurs support was magnificent throughout the match and as ever Anfield was quiet with seemingly more and more families from the Home Counties up for a day out taking the seats from genuine Scousers. Liverpool have to be one of the dullest sides in recent years to be relatively successful, counter attacking at home from the word go and hopefully someone other than Arsenal can win the League from them (hopefully us!). As usual, blatant penalties were not given to Spurs away from home at top sides, making a difficult job impossible.

You would not believe the nightmare Spurs supporters had travelling to and from Merseyside this weekend. Virgin trains have a private monopoly over the trains between London and Liverpool and as a result of the line being shut between Euston and Milton Keynes, we had to go via Paddington. The train we used to get to our connection in Reading was the 7.45, which got into Penzance 5 minutes before we eventually got to Liverpool at 1.20pm after a series of delays meant that our original train was terminated early at Crewe. With the motor show on at the NEC and Liverpool at home, Virgin in their wisdom provided us with a 5 carriage train which became a two carriage for the final section between Crewe and Lime St with many people having to stand the whole way in cramped conditions.

If that was not enough – they cancelled the only direct service back to London at 6pm, leaving us to stand the whole way back on three trains eventually getting back to Paddington around 11. They are a fucking shambles and will be one of the first against the wall. I urge all supporters to boycott these bastards for the Brummie matches and where ever possible in the future. And their trains are Gooner red…

Despite all the hassles, we managed to get a couple of quick pints in and most fans were cautiously optimistic. And this point should not be underplayed – for so long Spurs under Goonersaurus and the have travelled without really having much hope – we won just 7 times in 26 months under Graham, 4 of which were by the odd goal against relegated sides. So we are on the up, but as this defeat re-enforced, there are still many steps to go before we are properly back where we belong at the top.

There is no getting away from it, Liverpool are boring as hell. In mitigation, this has proved effect for them but it was a little pitiful them sitting back from the kick off and playing on the counter attack. Spurs competed well all over the pitch – Perry and Richards were excellent at the back, Carr and Bunje both played well at full back with a special mention for Bunje’s excellent passing ability. Davies, Freund and Redknapp competed well in the middle and Keane was lively up front. Poyet was not a natural at left midfield but made his contributions to the team as a third forward - just like he did last week when popping up at inside right to set up the second goal against Bolton! and Sheringham was below par for some reason.

The first Spurs chance, attacking the Anfield Road end behind which the Spurs fans were gathered, fell to Keane who did Hyypia before seeing his shot deflect off Poyet – again miles out of position by the penalty spot – and go wide for a goal kick. Redknapp and Carr had further chances as Spurs looked good in the game into the first half.

Out of nothing, Freund was the hero when nipping into to whip the ball away from Diao after Owen for once got the better of Richards and the rarity of a disallowed goal for Liverpool at the Kop end when Diao was done for shirt pulling as Owen scored. Spurs had a couple more chances towards the end of the half, with first Poyet and then Sheringham firing over when good positions had been worked. At half time 0-0 and so far so good – but as I’d seen on many times up here, its never over till its over.

All the Scousers we spoke to were all asking about Davies and how good he is going to be and it was good to hear a couple of songs for him. Both with a Welsh theme “SiSiSi Simon Davies” to Delilah and probably the best one as it is unique to him “Simon Davies, Simon Davies, he was born to play for Spurs, he was born to play for Spurs” to the traditional welsh tune of Bread of Heaven or something. Quality – keep it up. Some Spurs fans with short memories were singing “2-1 to the Blackburn” towards the end of the game!

Despite having not yet scored for Spurs, Bunje is getting to have at least one good chance per match these days and after picking up a loose ball just inside the Liverpool half advanced unchallenged to hit a low 30 yarder just wide. Spurs seemed to have an advantage over Liverpool in the air and won a lot of ball in the Liverpool area this way without being able to turn it to a goal and we should remember this for later in the season as along with the vulnerable Traore this looks Liverpool’s biggest weakness.

Spurs were comfortable in the match but you always felt Liverpool would be dangerous if Spurs over committed and hit us on the break and we had Perry to thank for a great interception from a couple of Scousers. In desperation, Rat face changed things about a bit and Baros looked a lot more dangerous than Diao and Liverpool improved as a result.

On the hour, Spurs should have taken the lead. Good work on the left by Keane fed the ball inside and Poyet appeared with the ball at his feet running at goal 15 yards out with only the keeper to beat, but unfortunately the keeper did a great full length save from Poyet’s shot for a corner. Pure Poyet with a great run but really should have scored and it is incidents like this that decide matches. From the corner, it was Poyet again nearly scoring, this time from a header but a Scouser cleared from the line.

Riley – a ref to simultaneously annoy and baffle both sets of fans seemed to have it in for Keane and did not give him any of 4 or 5 clear fouls against him, notably the worst one when Hyypia pulled him back when Keane beat him. The only issue with that decision was the colour of the card for the Finn but he waved play on.

From a move down the Liverpool left, the ball was switched across the field to Murphy who found himself in space 25 yards out and before anyone could close him down he curled a shot beyond Keller. Jammy Scouse gits and all of a sudden the previously card board cut-out faces around the ground in the Liverpool end came to life. Spurs had done well enough up to now and I was still hopeful we could get something from the game – we just needed to take the chances when they came.

With 15 minutes to go, Hoddle threw on Ferdinand for Sheringham and then much to many people’s disbelief Poyet’s replacement was Acimovic. But Hoddle’s judgement proved correct. Richards read the game well and intercepted a Liverpool break out and advanced with the ball before sending it out to the left before continuing his run into the box. Acimovic did well and got his cross over for Richards to meet powerfully with a downward header. The Spurs end went mad and with only 7 minutes plus injury time to go, surely now I was to see Spurs not lose at Anfield for the first time! But again, it was not to be.

Owen got the ball, did Perry and raced towards the goal. Carr had initially done well to cover the run but when he really should have stood up to Owen he dived in and allowed Owen to willingly go over his outstretched leg, and art he has perfected for both club and country (although there can be no doubt that this was a penalty). Carr’s error was schoolboy ish and he got a right lot of deserved verbal from Freund and Richards.

Owen had missed 5 of his last 10 penalties – but this is Tottenham we are talking about – a team that has conceded the two latest goals in the Premiership that has gone over 8 years since a goalkeeper has saved a penalty! Owen duly obliged and my heart sank.

In the last minute we looked to have a good shout for a penalty but Riley again turned a blind eye and Freund, who I was sure had picked up a booking earlier in the match was booked for dissent. We’d also had another even better shout for a penalty before this but the officials were having none of it, although I think this was more out of incompetence rather than the bent nature of the officials at Old Trafford this year.

And that was that – I was really really gutted. Just like the goon game in April, we’d got ourselves back in the match only to be denied late on in a game we really deserved something from. Our last three matches away to the “top 5“ have produced defeats by the odd goal, with all three winning goals coming from the penalty spot after Spurs had competed well in all matches and were worthy of at least a point in each. This represents good progress for Hoddle when you think of some of the awful shite we’d had to put up with away from home under the Goonersaurus and before. The next step is to start taking points from these matches.

The last time we avoided defeat in any of these fixtures (ManU, Liverpool, Chelsea, Leeds & the Goons) was back at Scumbury in November 1998 and out of a total of 153 points on offer in all of these fixtures since the Premier League started we have taken a pathetic 22, having lost the last 21 consecutive fixtures. In the 51 matches, we have 3 wins, 13 draws (seven goalless including our last 3 away points going back to 1996!) and have had a total of 35 defeats. We have scored 36, while letting in 96. Grim shit. These points are important because they represent a quarter of the teams in the league and nearly 14% of the total points on offer.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not having a go at Hod, as the two 4-0’s last season apart, we have done well without reward in almost all of the matches since he took over, but it is an area we must start to improve upon if we are to maintain the progress up the league.

The Word of Hod

"We lost a game I felt we should have had something from, without a doubt. The keeper made a couple of super saves, one in the first half, one in the second, then we had one cleared off the line and you just think those are the sort of things that need to go in for you here.

"When they didn't go in you are always on the edge of your seat. They then popped up with a magnificent goal and a penalty to beat us. There were no complaints from the penalty. Michael is sometimes the difference between teams and he's proved that again. We kept him relatively quiet and he got around the back of our defence not many times but he did it in a crucial area late in the game and we've given a penalty away.

"It's more of a frustrating afternoon because of the way we played."

Keller (6/10) – Not have much to do and no chance with the goals

Carr (6/10) – Had a good match other than a moment of madness at the end which cost Tottenham a point.

Richards (8/10) – A commanding performance from the front runner in this seasons player of the year. Good in the air, lots of tackles and blocks, used the ball well and started and finished the move for our goal. Did not deserve to lose

Perry (7/10) – Got mugged by Owen at the start of the move which led to the penalty but otherwise had a solid game at the heart of the defence.

Bunjevcevic (7/10) – Does not always look a natural at full back but did a good job. Defensively sound and used the ball really well when in possession and nearly scored with a long range shot.

Davies (6/10) – A solid display and looked to work well with Carr

Redknapp (7/10) – Good solid display on his return to Anfield

Freund (7/10) – Another decent display giving Spurs a much needed presence in the middle

Poyet (6/10) – Had one of those matches where he was out of position too often and not doing enough as a left midfielder but a good match as the “third” forward and in all honesty really should have scored with at least one of his good chances. An important player for Spurs, but where do you play him in a 4-4-2?

Keane (7/10) – A lively match up front not helped by some mad refereeing decisions from Riley

Sheringham (5/10) – Missed a good chance in the first half and to be honest, did not look that interested jumping under headers and not getting involved enough. Has been in decent form recently, but this was not up to standard

Subs: -

Acimovic (7/10) – Had another encouraging display as left midfielder, providing the cross for the goal and looking good with the ball on other occasions. Has had an indifferent start to his career with THFC but looks to be improving.

Ferdinand (5/10) – Did not touch the ball and was offside 3 times. Why is he still wearing his wrist support?

Etherington (-/10) – Given a minute at the end and nearly won us a penalty. Would have been my choice for left midfield, for all his deficiencies in terms of final ball as he has pace and holds the shape of the team better but at the end of the day Hod is the man and I’m happy to go along with his choices.

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