1. We can make the top four
To slightly adjust a well-worn phrase, there are lies, damned lies and football statistics. The league table may suggest that we are currently the eleventh best team in England, but anyone who watched us play Liverpool off the park will know that we are a whole lot better than that.
One of the wonderful things about football is how quickly things can change. After two league games we were horribly depressed, but now we have every reason to be optimistic. Of our top four-rivals, Arsenal are floundering and on Sunday we proved that there is no reason why we can’t finish above Liverpool.
2. Modric’s head is right again
Watching little Luka dismantle Liverpool, it was easy to forget the summer ever happened. If Modric looked somewhat disinterested against Manchester City, he was clearly back in his groove yesterday and once again enjoying his football.
With the disciplined Scott Parker alongside him, Modric was able to dictate play and his probing balls caused trouble for Liverpool all afternoon. One of the few criticisms that you can make of Modric as a player is that he doesn’t score enough goals, but his unstoppable opener was a joy to behold and not a bad way to apologise to the Spurs fans for how he’s treated them this summer.
It may have disrupted the start to our season, but Daniel Levy’s decision to keep Modric was a necessary one and now that the transfer window is shut, it looks like the Croatian has put his troubles behind him.
3. Our squad is looking strong again
Just a few weeks ago we were facing Manchester United away with an out-of-position player and an untried youngster in central midfield. After doing a bit of business in the transfer window and the return of some injured players we’ve now got the nice problem of choosing which players to leave out.
Ledley King is back in central defence and William Gallas should play his first game of the season against Stoke. Sandro is also due to return in that match, creating an extra option to the already excellent Modric/Parker partnership.
Rafael van der Vaart came on as a second half sub, allowing us to play with a five-man midfield if required. The only area of the pitch where we look thin is up front. Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe are working very well together at the moment, but if the former were to get injured we’d be in trouble again. The best thing we can do is to only play Adebayor in the Premier League, pray that he doesn’t get injured or suspended and buy someone of similar quality in January.
4. Our big man, little man combination is not so traditional
The big bloke heading down balls for a little bloke to bang home, is an enduring football tactic. Our big man Adebayor and little man Defoe, have already scored five goals between them in two games, but in practice their partnership is not as traditional as it looks on paper.
I’ve been very surprised at how deep Adebayor drops back and how often he works the flanks, while Defoe remains pretty central. This is the opposite to what you’d normally expect from a big man/small man partnership, but it plays to their strengths. Adebayor helps us retain possession by coming short and wide, leaving Defoe remain in the areas where he can do damage.
5. We can’t wait until 2nd October
You should never wish your life away, but I wouldn’t mind fast forwarding through the next couple of weeks, because now seems like the perfect time to face Arsenal. While we are getting better, they are getting even worse. Their new signings will take time to settle and in the meantime, Premier League attackers are having a field day at their expense.
The presence of Adebayor in our team adds an added frisson to a game. As we’ve already discussed, a lot can change very quickly in football, but right now it seems almost impossible that the former Arsenal striker won’t score against his old employers. The only question is whether he will risk a celebration right in front of the away end.
Leandro Damaio and Caulker we are set
Go on Adebayor celebrate in front of the away end HaHa, i will say don’t get carried away. I agree now is the time to play Arsenal but you know they will be up for it, they always are and we cant let complacency creep in.
One swallow does not a summer make….and a good performance against 9 men who were having their worst game for months does not change Spurs into world beaters overnight. Sure they took their opportunity to inflict a heavy defeat on Liverpool well, but it’ll be a different game against the gooners and come the end of the season I still think they’ll finish 5th, behing Liverpool but ahead of Arsenal.
you must er a liverpool fan. i thought they were shit before the game so you can imagine what i think of them now. Why would anybody other than Mark Lawrenson and other deluded scousers think they would finish above us. It will be between us and Arsenal for 4th. Liverpool battling villa and everton for 6th
Liverpool fan by any chance Phil ?
I agree Spurs are not world beaters just because they beat 9 man Liverpool ( Spurs were dominant and winning when Liverpool had 11 ) but on what evidence can you suggest that Liverpool will finish above Spurs ?
there is no evidence but every year people who like to think they know about football say Liverpool will do this and that. Every year thye have egg on their face. Compare the two 11’s on Sunday man for man (and the bench makes it worse for them) and it is no wonder we thrashed them
What evidence that Liverpool will finish above Tottenham ? Well, since Dalglish took over, they have accumulated 11 points more than Tottenham, and only fall just behind the top 3 …. consistency will be the key … Tottenham will still look much better on their good days, but are such a soft touch on their bad days
What would you call yesterday then ? A one off, because Liverpool looked pretty soft to me. We are in the middle of an injury crisis and we still have a squad
capable enough to beat the big teams, when not if Liverpool start to go through an injury crisis i’m not so sure they have the players good enough to step in.
what was your injury ‘crisis’ yesterday ? dawson, gallas, otherwise i think pretty much your strongest team. liverpool had no gerrard for 6 months, no johnson (no kelly, his natural replacement), and we don’t moan about a crisis…. we just keep gathering points …. we had a bad day, and you played well …. but theres 32/33 games to go … apparently this time last season, chelsea were already champions, and in december liverpool were in relegation trouble … so how did they end up kneck and kneck with spurs at the end …. oh yes, by winning more points lol
You don’t moan about a crisis you whine that their is some sort of referees conspiracy agains the great LFC
you finished below spurs last year and we went to sleep for the last 12 games end of.
Pretty pathetic
The game against Arsenal is huge now. I still see them as our main rivals for 4th as in terms of quality and depth we are both way ahead of Liverpool, whose apparently good start to the season has been put in perspective by the ease of Saturday’s victory (even 11 v 11) and the fact that their victories against Arsenal and Bolton came when both those teams were at a very low ebb. Arsenal can only improve, whereas you can’t help feeling that Liverpool might struggle again this season.
But phil’s right about consistency. We need to beat mid-table and lower-table teams too. Still, I feel pretty confident that we’ll have more than 1 point to show from our games against Stoke and Sunderland (no disrespect to them).
one of the other things that I learn were that Liverpool are gash
blind ignorance
theyre not that good. Dalgleish will have a breakdown soon
1. that a top class striker can make the difference,
2. that top teams with the proper mentality (like MU) finish off their rivals and build up a superb goal difference when they have that chance,
3. that when quality goes together with a strong will to win you always have a winning team on the field,
4. that Spurs can finish in a top four place this season,
5. that still to that purpose Spurs should buy in January another striker of Ade’s class to consolidate their current squad.
jamie, its ridiculous to talk of tottenhams superiority 11 v 11. matches are not 25 minutes long. we will never know what would have happened 11 v 11 but sure wouldn’t have been 4-0. those foolish people here who write off liverpool this season risk ending up looking very silly. facts don’t lie. since dalglish came back, liverpool won 11 more league points than spurs. without gerrard since march. if liverpool played their first x1 available, a bench with skrtel, carroll, henderson, spearing, bellamy …. tottenham are good on their day, but weve already seen how they fall apart when they concede the first goal. still the southern softies when its time to dig in. the good news is, spurs are much better than arsenal so that will be a victory in finishing above them, but not above liverpool ….. not this time
Phil – you should really check your facts before you make stupid statements, otherwise you look a bit stupid – “we’ve already seen how they fall apart when they concede the first goal, still the southern softies when it’s time to dig in” – fact: Spurs came back from conceding first more times than any other team in the Premiership last season. Get your facts right before u write rubbish. Btw – we’ve finished above Liverpool for the last 2 seasons and this season will be the 3rd.
Judging by his complete lack of football knowledge I think it is Phil Thompson
“weve already seen how they fall apart when they concede the first goal”
Um Spurs had already recovered 20 points from losing positions by January last season more than any other club….