LIVTOT - problems exploited
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| Liverpool exploited Tottenham's problems |
Our problems exploited
We played a full strength Liverpool so I'm not down about the result when we playing with the only players we had, who are fatigued as well.
Well Van Dijk should have been sent off for an elbow, Richarlison is injured yet again, Bissouma was not at fault for the first goal, the turning point of the game really.
I am no Bissouma fan, you know that, I stated before we bought him that we shouldn't, that he was selfish, didn't like to pass and had the wrong attitude.He has shown that by puffing nitrous oxide and as far as I am concerned has rarely put in a level of performance that I expect, indeed the first game after his suspension was his best game for us and when we had a 10 game run.
But I have to be fair, the problem with the first goal was another problem I have highlighted, that of players (in this case Pape Sarr I think it was) running aimlessly forward.
When you run forward you don't just blindly run if you are behind the ball, you run and read the game, you run so that you can receive the ball.
Bissouma had 3 players around him if I remember right and he played the right pass.
Sarr though, hadn't read the game, didn't see that Bissouma needed to pass the ball and when Bissouma did pass it he was already running past where he needed to be to receive it.
Bentancur is getting better, Bissouma and Sarr are not.
Liverpool had the ball wide near our area, on Salah's side and I watched our problem, which is caused by fatigue, unfold again.
We had a solid defence so they needed to open it up.
How did they do that?
By passing it backwards so our forwards started chasing and closing down the man with the ball, back to a centre-back to draw our striker our, back to the keeper midway in their half to draw him further and draw out a midfielder.
That meant we had 4 players detached from the defence, with no chance of winning the ball and a big gap behind them.
Liverpool played the ball wide, then inside to this space with our two remaining midfielders being pulled apart by runners.
Our midfield was thus non-existent again or easy to play around.
The defence doesn't have the pace to push up and play the pressing tactics, thus we shouldn't.
We are 1-0 up overall, the tie is 0-0, why are we closing down the goalkeeper so they can play around a centre-forward?
Why don't we just let the sleeper have the ball and stay marking the pass to outfield players?
The keeper ain't no playmaker, he's the guy we want to have the ball.
Little things, but important things.
Sonny was dead on his feet, exhausted for at least the last 30 minutes and desperately needed replacing.
But we had Archie Gray out of position and Djed Spence out of position too.
The UEFA Europa League was out best chance of a trophy before the game and after the game.
Everything must and I'm sure will go into winning that with players returning.
It's our route to the Champions League.
COYS
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