(A) Tottenham - Pre Match Thoughts

Premier League

                                    Wednesday 28th November 2012
                                           White Hart Lane

                              Tottenham Hotspur VS Liverpool


The difference in points might not be that large, but the difference between what winning and losing would do for our momentum is huge. Though the task may appear dauntingly large, if we can somehow get through this game with a win, there are a lot of winnable fixtures coming up. We could start climbing that table very quickly. As ever, that's a lot easier said than done. 

 Over the last few seasons, in games between Tottenham and Liverpool, they appear to have some kind of voodoo hold over us. We've played magnificently, they walked out onto the pitch and been horrible; each time it ends with a Spurs victory. Last year was the one time we have failed to put in a decent performance - and even that was difficult with nine men - which saw us get hammered by four goals to nil. I know one thing is for sure. If we had a similar record against an opponent like this, I'd be convinced it's about time they were due something. Hopefully tonight is our night.

 Coming off the back of the Swansea game so soon and with Southampton to play on Saturday, it's quite possible we may see some changes in and around the squad. The one who clearly needs a rest is perhaps the most unlikely; Steven Gerrard. His energy levels look dramatically low and it's really making his performances suffer. I'm not one of those who thinks Gerrard has been abysmal this year - he's certainly contributed - but if we're going to get the best out of him then he needs to have a rest.

Maybe if it were anyone other than Spurs, Rodgers would go with a Gerrard free midfield. The advantages are simple, we'd have more legs in there to help with the counter attack - Tottenham's most powerful weapon - and as an impact sub he could easily provide a fifteen minute cameo when hopefully we're trying to see out the win. As it is, he's likely to be in the starting line up. Leaving him out would give the Tottenham fans and players a boost as well as heaping a lot of pressure on Luis Suarez. Even though he seems to thrive on it, having him as our only finisher in the team - despite Gerrard's form - might be a little too much to ask. 

Elsewhere, the battles all over the park will be fought at light speed. Gareth Bale, Jose Enrique, Aaron Lennon, Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker and Glen Johnson; all with pace to burn and devastating when they are in full flow. If we can actually have a steady midfield and keep the likes of Dempsey quiet - cutting the supply off to Defoe in the process - there's no doubt that Tottenham's defence is there to be got at. In doing so, we would also be doing our back four a favour, making Bale and Lennon defend might be the best way of keeping them quiet. We're going to have to be very careful in possession however. We've been incredibly weak at defending the counter attack so far this season and Spurs are arguably the Premier League's best exponent of it.

 These back to back away games are our last true test of the calender year. No doubt there will be tough opponents ahead but the majority of our fixtures between now and January are fairly lightweight. Defeat tonight would not be the end of the world, for we would then have the means of going on another unbeaten run straight afterward. However, if we can get through this with a draw or even a win then we may not have all the points we wanted or deserve at this stage of the season, but we're incredibly well set up to tackle the next part of it. The state of the league means that we haven't actually been properly ruled out for Champions League football. A win tonight won't be a certainly of anything, but it's a sure sign that we're putting ourselves in the mix.