All the talk before the game was of a manager under pressure and a planned Show of Support organised by the Spirit of Shankly supporters’ union. From as earlier as 6PM, supporters gathered at the ground in a display of unity and support for both the manager and the team. This support was evident inside the groung right from kick-off and the team appeared to pick up on it immediately with Dirk Kuyt firing us ahead on 6 minutes. There then followed 84 minutes in which we knocked on the door several times but that crucial second goal just would not come.
Tottenham, who have now gone 66 games away against the ‘Big Four’ without winning, had the lions’ share of possession but failed to trouble Reina throughout the 90 minutes. It is a tale, all too familiar to Liverpool fans, good possession but lacking in any real cutting edge. Right up until Kuyt’s second by way of a retaken penalty, there was always the chance of Liverpool being sucker-punched, just as had happened at the Britannia Stadium four days earlier.
On paper, this Liverpool team is worth a staggering £50 million approx LESS than Tottenham (thanks to Paul Tomkins for these figures), yet sit just 1 point behind them in the Premier League. Ultimately, this statistic is meaningless, but it is worth bearing in mind when contrasting the expectations placed on the respective managers and teams!
Over the last few months, we have been in this position, having beaten a major rival only for it to blow up in our faces in the very next game. The difference now is that, despite what you may think, Liverpool lie 3rd in the current form table having taken 13 from the last 18 points, only Arsenal have taken more.
Our next game is away to Wolves next Tuesday. Wolves have lost their last 3 league games. We cannot afford to take the points for granted and we must play with the same level of intensity and passion as we have in our last 2 games. We need to prolong Wolves agony and we must follow last nights superb victory with another 3 points. It is vital we continue this run of form and build the momentum that has been lacking for most of this season.
The race for 4th (and higher) is back on…..
YNWA
Julian.
julian@empireofthekop.com