This game sparked lots of attention in the Football Planet; it wasn’t about victory or defeat, but about Liverpool’s new appointed manager  German  superstar, Jurgen Klopp. The win or loss were put aside, as football pundits were more interested about the newcomer’s team sheet and  the  squad’s new (or not) shape. Ninety minutes later plus add-ons, opinions are still divided and that for both teams: should Liverpool win the game after pressing the Spurs squad during the first half-hour or Tottenham, because of their good second half despite showing  their obvious lack of that Killer Instinct, so dear to Coach Mauricio Pochettino and his Captain Hugo Lloris ?

Both men talked on Tottenham Hotspur official site,  about “staying focused” and “being clinical in front of the goal” but obviously that wasn’t the case on the pitch; during the game’s last minutes, Lloris left his post and went towards the middle of the pitch, encouraging his partners  vocally, but also with his hands you know, the gallic way !  He was also seen( during the game’s interruptions for medical reasons) talking to Lamela and some other players. Spurs are  such a young squad, they need all the help they can get!

Liverpool is one of the youngest EPL’s teams too; they started the game obeying their new coach orders and pressed high and hard, looking for an early goal. This plan could have worked last season when the local team conceded goals galore. Remember last year’s score for  both games vs Liverpool ? 8-0(aggregate). This time things were different and better; Tottenham’s is the team who conceded the less in EPL since the start of the season,  a great improvement from last season’s “open doors”.

Liverpool’s new Master set his team out in a 4-3-2-1 a big change from departed’s Brendan Rogers  usual 4-3-3 ; this shape helped the team not only to create pressing situations, but also preventing  Tottenham to create any significant chances. Only one (28th) from the local team, during the first half-hour.

Liverpool’s game slowed after thirty minutes, for to play like that the team needed unlimited stamina, like let’s say … Superman’s? Klopp was  happy to leave the pitch after the first half 0-0,  considering the last  fifteen minutes of Spurs supremacy.

So what went wrong for Tottenham ? During the second half, they faced an opponent out of steam, but Tottenham’s forwards  lacked the necessary wit or/and guile to be clinical in front of the goal and score. Liverpool’s goalkeeper Mignolet was in form and made things more difficult for Harry Kane and co; nevertheless  there were several  promising situations spoiled by hastiness or a bit of selfishness.

Two clubs, two good goalkeepers and efficient defenders, thus making things difficult for the strikers, was that game doomed to finish goalless ? Both set of supporters will argue on/off during the next few days… until the next game!

HERE’S THE GAME’S HIGHLIGHTS :

Categories: Analysis

Tags: Hugo Lloris, Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham vs Liverpool 2015