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A Positive Frustration for Liverpool

It seems contradictory to suggest that an afternoon of frustration can be taken as a positive for Liverpool, but their draw against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday afternoon was just that.

A Postive Frustration for Liverpool

Liverpool started the 2016/17 Premier League season with a real ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ performance against Arsenal that saw some joyous attacking, but suicidal defending. That 4-3 win was fantastic entertainment for the neutral, but a rollercoaster of emotions for the fans of both clubs involved; it was also likely to be a glimpse into what the next nine months could hold in store for Liverpool – ups and downs in near equal measure. That inconsistency shown from Liverpool during 90 minutes encapsulates the Achilles heel of this side and was emphasised the following weekend against Burnley, where dominance could not be translated into success. It was a match where the attack misfired, but so did the defence.

A comfortable 5-0 win midweek against Burton Albion in the League Cup raised spirits for Jürgen Klopp’s team, but the apprehension still existed for fans ahead of a tough tie away to a settled and established Spurs team that have grown in stature under Mauricio Pochettino. Prominent concerns amongst fans surrounded Simon Mignolet in goal, the defence and, particularly against Spurs, the midfield. As it turned out, the midfield rose to the challenge and did a disciplined job to win that battle.

Mignolet, for his part, pulled off an excellent save to deny Toby Alderweireld and could do little to prevent the Spurs goal. In truth, he didn’t have too much else to do as the defence in front of him largely shackled the threat from Spurs. Joel Matip had an assured Premier League debut and, apart from a few shaky moments, Dejan Lovren alongside him had a pretty good game. The left-back position has been a real bone of contention for the Reds, with James Milner now being played there ahead of Alberto Moreno and Milner had a decent game. He was caught out positionally on the Spurs goal in a manner that was eerily reminiscent of Moreno and would’ve seen the Spaniard hung out to dry by Sky Sports pundits. On the other side of the defence, Nathaniel Clyne was again culpable on the goal as the normally dependable England right-back continued his patchy start to this campaign.

For Liverpool fans though, the frustration will come from the fact that the one time the defence slipped up, they were punished and it cost the win. There will be further frustration that it shouldn’t have cost them points because they had the chances to have finished the game well before Spurs rallied second half and got their equaliser. Frustration also that a Sadio Mane goal before Spurs scored was ruled out that had Adam Lallana an inch offside on one still, but level from another angle. Add to that frustration that Eric Dier was marginally offside before he received the ball and crossed it for Danny Rose to score. However, much as those marginal calls from officials can be frustrating when they go against you, the true frustration for Liverpool should be that it was in their own hands to finish the game off, but a mixture of excellent goalkeeping from man of the match Michel Vorm and some poor finishing meant that Liverpool only had one goal to show for their efforts and one point for their troubles.

So, frustration really is a recurring theme for Liverpool from this match, but to have gone away from home to such a good team and be frustrated at not having won the game, does suggest there are positives to be taken. A disciplined and at times commanding performance in midfield without the influential Emre Can has to be a positive, as does the performance of Liverpool’s best player on the day, Roberto Firmino. He ran the Spurs back line ragged with his incessant pressing, movement and inventiveness on the ball. He set Coutinho up for what should’ve been the opening goal on four minutes and earned the penalty from which Milner scored. Sadio Mane too, put on another impressive show since his arrival from Southampton and showed just why Klopp was so keen to sign him. After a slightly unfortunate first half booking, he sailed close to the wind of a second at times, but gave Danny Rose a torrid time.

These positives will no doubt outweigh the frustrations for Klopp and although there will doubtless be more inconsistencies to come from Liverpool this season, they have shown that when it clicks they can be a match for anyone.

Andy Wales
Andy Wales
Football writer and podcaster. Family man and Liverpool fan.
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