Kane, Njie, Dembele
I thought the comment after the game about Jurgen Klopp dragging a team down to his level summed the game up today. Obviously that isn't going to be the case long-term, but it certain situations it is needed.
Liverpool today probably out harried us, we had less time on the ball than normal and were not well enough able to handle that really. They stopped us playing too much. I wrote during the week about the old adage of earning the right to play, which we didn't rally do well enough.
The game was one where we simply didn't have enough time on the ball and when we created chances we were yet again not clinical enough. Once again we had players through with only the goalkeeper to bat and we couldn't do it. Where last season Harry Kane was blasting balls into the corner, now they are at least a yard from the corner and that makes all the difference for a goalkeeper. Watching him shoot he just seems to be lacking a little bit of confidence, I think the pressure of not scoring has affected him a little more than he has let on, although I also firmly believe he shouldn't have had to start the season, he should have had a rest after the European Under-21 Championships last summer.
Clinton Njie made life easy for the keeper with his main chance and has a lot to learn. It will have done him good to get 75 minutes or so under his belt and he wasn't giving the ball away so much in the second half. Going forward he looks intelligent, when it time to defend there is a definite weakness. That can and will need to be worked on and he'll know more of what is required next time.
Having written articles last season and this I did find it interesting that both Glenn Hoddle and Michael Owen raised the point about being mentally ready as a substitute. Your game doesn't start when you cross the white line, it starts when you take your subs seat. You then analyse everything, take everything in, check your potential opponents and watch how the opposition, as well as yourselves, are playing. Last season Townsend was generally shocking when he came off the bench, not mentally up to speed with the game at all and Njie showed signs of that today. It took him until half-time to settle.
Dele Alli is learning it isn't so easy to score in the Premier League. His quality is there for all to see and the volleyed backheel to nearly play a man in went largely unnoticed, if that were a Brazilian we would be raving about it.
Man of the Match was Mousa Dembele, who apart from aerially was superb defensively. Again last season I felt he was best as a defending defensive midfielder, he simply isn't creative enough further forward. He made several important challenges to win the ball back and snuff out chances, he, Dier and Bentaleb form a solid three for that position. He can have more impact on the game in that holding role, rather than the link midfield role where he slows play down or out wide as part of the attacking quartet.
Perhaps we saw a performance today that said I don't want to leave Tottenham.
Further Tottenham Reading
Elements of Sir Alex Ferguson in Mauricio Pochettino
Levy is doing it right using a cautious growth approach
Spurs - the hardest working team in the Premier League
Why Spurs should invite David Villa to train with us
Lloris agrees Spurs are not clinical enough
Spurs - stadium-led regeneration