Finally Anfield away has come. Apart from the usual derbies, it is the game I am looking forward to the most. I just hate Anfield away. Our recent history says that we always struggle on the red side of Merseyside. Every year I wish that this game comes as early as possible. Like, yeah we lose at Anfield but it is early in the season so it won’t be too bad.
And it is also a really strange time to play Liverpool. Just on the last gasp of 2016 they were beating Manchester City – and people were starting genuinely thinking this could have been their year. Then everything went t**s up. Every weekend you’d expect them to bounce back, but then they end up losing 2-0 at Hull. It’s difficult to predict this game, becuase roughly you know what Spurs are gonna be like, it’s Liverpool the question mark. Will they come back strong to put this bad run behind them? Or will this bad run continue?
Surely compared to other years, I feel more optimistic to get at least something out of the game. Last year it was really entertaining and we managed to get a good point. This year we are a more mature team I think, and we are meeting Liverpool in a difficult time for them, who knows. And we are on the up. Wenger asked Arsenal fans to be more like Spurs fans. I think he is genuinely worried about finishing behind us, so he’s trying to share the blame with the fans. Every year we hear Wenger out! Wenger out! from the other side of North London, but the French never released such a statement. Maybe we are on something at Spurs now.
It’s a shame Danny Rose is not available, not just because he is the best full back in the league. His presence would have let us play three at the back, or better two full wingers. Liverpool are the opposite of tight in defense, and it would have been great to have both Walker and Rose stretching them and opening it up for the midfielders. Davies is a good player and he defends well, but we are half as dangerous in attack with him instead of Rose. Just look at the Boro game. Son was making everything happen on his own, and took him an hour to have the decisive move. He was alone there. Rose would have given him even more chance to make things happen, and we may have not suffered that much. But hey oh, a win’s a win. Three at the back could have also let us match man-by-man the front three of Liverpool.
I think it will be an entertaining game, with they key being the movement of the attacking players. Spurs need Eriksen, Alli and Son to be constantly on the move and keep Liverpool’s midfielders and defenders in alert. We have often seen them losing concentration, and we need to keep them on their toes, so to force them to a mistake. And we need to shoot from range. We have players who can do that, but I am surprised how little is the amount of shots on goal we have from outside the box. Surely we need to exploit the uncertainty for the keeper at Liverpool. Either Mignolet or Karius will feel the pressure of demonstrating who the first choice needs to be, but neither seem mentally strong enough not to crack under pressure.
It will be a good game for sure.
Come On You Spurs!
Lo sperone ventilatore 