Liverpool's Sterling service burst Pochettino’s bubble

Ah well, that’s the early optimism out the window then. Well not quite. We always knew that this match would be the first true test of Spurs early progression under new coach Mauricio Pochettino and while the demolition job done by Liverpool did not make happy viewing for Spurs fans, there is no need to despair following a weekend in which champions, Manchester City lost at home to Stoke and both Manchester United and Arsenal failed to beat newly promoted sides. However a Liverpool side that challenged for the premiership title last season and probably will again this season have sadly moved ahead of Spurs over the last eighteen months and there are some lessons to be learnt.

Pochettino unsurprisingly went with the same side that trashed QPR last Sunday. However, Liverpool is a massive step up in class and it showed. In theory, Spurs midfield five outnumbered Liverpool’s four-man midfield diamond due to Brendan Rodgers decision to accommodate new striker Mario Balotelli and Spurs pressing should overpower them and make chances for lone striker Adebayor.

Liverpool’s diamond midfield is a well-oiled machine though. Few players dominate a premiership midfield like Steven Gerrard. Jordan Henderson has a superb engine on him and Joe Allen, while not to everyone’s taste as a footballer is very economical in possession. It is Raheem Sterling though with his speed and energy that really helped Liverpool win the crucial midfield battle. Neither Etienne Capoue nor Nabil Bentaleb had an answer to Sterling’s direct running on and off the ball. This meant that despite dominating possession, Spurs’ defence were constantly exposed whenever Liverpool counter attacked. The inability of Capoue and Bentaleb to execute quick transitions from defence into attack with incisive long rage passing or direct forward surges meant that creative attackers Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksson were never able to get in the game. Nacer Chadli, two goal hero of last week needed a big game but was largely anonymous as Spurs mustered only one shot on target in the entire ninety minutes.  

With Sterling in scintillating form, Liverpool’s front two of Sturridge and Balotelli were able to unsettle Spurs’ back four with their movement and pace. Younes Kaboul struggled and his place will likely be under threat from new signing Federico Fazio. Young defender, Eric Dier had a tough game. He won’t face many attackers more difficult to handle than Sterling all season and did reasonably well. He was unlucky with the penalty decision which swung the game firmly in Liverpool’s favour especially as a similar foul on the Adebayor in the Liverpool box went unpunished. Substitutes Dembele and Townsend hardly had time to get in the game before Liverpool scored their killer third following a dreadful error by Townsend. For a fullback who started the match to outpace Townsend, who had just come on over almost 70 yards is unacceptable and he needs to rediscover the form and speed that got him into the England squad last season really quickly if he is to have a future at Spurs.

This match highlighted the need for an energetic box to box midfielder to partner Dembele who is one of best tacklers and users of a ball at the club. His long range passing needs improvement but I would have him ahead of Capoue, Sandro or Bentaleb in that central midfield role. Bentaleb has potential but is still developing. Sandro and Capoue are powerful tacklers but their ball distribution is poor and they are simply not quick enough, either when under attack or when transitioning defence into attack. Paulinho was meant to bring that box to box dynamism but despite a few goals, his dynamism and match application falls short of what is needed. It is Spurs’ great misfortune that Morgan Scheiderlin, the one Southampton player Pochettino really wants is the one player Southampton refuse to sell. The match also highlighted a lack of a cutting edge upfront. Spurs simply did not threaten enough upfront. For Pochettino’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation to work, he needs the front three behind the main striker to be prolific. This explains the apparent interest in Manchester United’s Danny Welbeck and Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez. Strikers with a decent goal scoring record who can play off a front man.

Pochettino is fortunate to have had faced Liverpool this early in the season. If Spurs had won, the expectation will have gone through the roof and he will have been hailed a genius in the Jose Mourinho mould. This defeat has come early enough in the season, with only one of his signings involved to be filed under ‘inherited team’ category. He will rightly claim that his team are still a work in progress and expectations will now be lowered accordingly. The fact that Brendan Rodgers, in only his 100^th match as Liverpool coach was already facing his fourth Spurs manager also highlights the need for patience and stability.

There are three measures by which Spurs’ improvement under Pochettino would be judged this season. The development of an attractive playing style, the ability to change games tactically and Spurs record against the top four. The style is slowly appearing, but there was not much tactical ingenuity on show against Liverpool and the record against the top four has not got off to the best start. There is much work for Senor Pochettino to do.