Rather than focus on some of the shambolic defending that we witnessed from our team on Sunday, I wanted to look at another area in which I found myself very disappointed.

Despite being one goal and then two goals down relatively quickly due to individual errors, we managed to find our creative players in some good areas. However, a lack of movement around them allied with some poor decision-making meant that a number of good opportunities were passed up.

At 1-0 down, after 5 minutes or so, Christian Eriksen receives the ball and plays it square to Aaron Lennon. He continues his run in behind Daniel Agger and receives a clever pass from Nacer Chadli. Note Roberto Soldado, though: he is totally caught on his heels, and fails to make himself a viable option for Eriksen to pick out. Lennon is the only other player that gets into the box, but the angle he creates for the pass is narrowed by Flanagan, meaning that Eriksen’s cross has to be perfect – it isn’t, and is instead cleared.

On 20 minutes, Chadli bursts past a couple of Liverpool players into a useful pocket of space. Lennon initially runs away from him, and only cottons on when it’s too late that Skrtel is going to have to close the ball. A natural goal scorer would dart into the gap that Skrtel’s going to inevitably leave far sooner and at maximum pace; Lennon does not score many goals, and this is a good example of why. Chadli is forced to check and has just the one option. His decision to try to force the pass is a poor one – instead he should probably hold the ball up and wait for support, but he was not helped by Lennon’s poor movement.

Just prior to the second goal, Chadli gets down the right and initially does well to hold the ball up and protect it from Gerrard. Lennon gets forward in support and makes a run inside Flanagan. Chadli’s pass, though, is terribly loose and he wastes another opportunity to create. What’s more frustrating is that Liverpool score just seconds later, after Dawson’s error.

Eriksen has a great chance to pull a goal back just after Liverpool have taken the lead. Naughton forces his way into the box, and cuts the ball back. It’s hit hard at Eriksen, but his first touch is immaculate. His second, though, is a poor one – his strike is straight at Skrtel when he would probably have been better off curling the ball towards the near post. However, he’s once again not helped by the movement around him – he needs support on the outside, either from Chadli or from Rose, but there’s nothing forthcoming on that side.

Naughton’s desperately wasteful shot just minutes later is just one example of how bad his use of the ball is in the final third. Lennon’s free to his right via a simple pass and they can create an overload in this area relatively simply, but instead he decides to take on a stupidly ambitious shot, and hits the first man.

Chadli, Naughton and Sigurdsson create a nice triangle and give Chadli the opposition to set Lennon free one-on-one against Flanagan. Instead, Chadli attempts an elaborate pass for Soldado, who has really made the run to create space for Lennon, rather than receive a pass.

Seconds later, Eriksen receives the ball between the line but a lack of intelligent movement around him means his options are limited, and his attempted pass is easily cleared.

A neat move in the 40th minute sees Rose set free down the left after an intelligent reverse pass from Sigurdsson. Sigurdsson and Lennon are the only players who really bust a gut to get into the box though, with Eriksen dallying on the edge of the box and Soldado barely keeping up with play. The ball eventually comes to Soldado who, with team-mates up in support, tries an overly ambitious curler.

Spurs had plenty of possession in useful territories in the first half without benefitting, and it just felt that there was a lack of belief or attacking cohesion. Having gone 1-0 down against one of the most in-form teams in Europe, this was probably understandable. Could this be due to a lack of attacking game-plan, with a reliance on players to just go out, express themselves, and make their own decisions?

Walker missing didn’t help, either – his constant runs forward on the right generally mean that the opposition full-back has another threat to consider, and can open up space for others. Naughton, on the other hand, does not venture forward as regularly.

More brave running, more intelligent passing, and better decisions could easily have brought us back into this game, despite our suicidal defending.

After getting a few things off my chest yesterday, I wanted to breathe some positive vibes onto the front page of the blog.

The good news is that, despite the incohesive fan-base, the lack of strategic vision from the top of our club, and significant issues within our first team coaching staff, there are reasons to be cheerful.

On Friday night I watched an Under-21 side comprehensively beat Arsenal. Some of those involved were playing well above their age level, and the performance was encouraging (and, in truth, it could have been 4-0).

Then, on Saturday morning, I saw our Under-18s put in a controlled performance away at Liverpool to record a 1-0 victory. This group of Under-18 players (including Onomah, Miller, Oduwa, Ogilvie and Winks, none of whom played in this match) are without doubt the best I’ve seen over the past decade. And supposedly we have more hot prospects ready to step up next season too.

The first team squad has been a bit of a shambles at times this season, but some intelligent player recruitment and an experienced managerial appointment could quickly turn things around. Contrary to the belief of some, we do have plenty of talent at our disposal, and the new signings will no doubt find their second season far easier.

And, of course, we have 1882. Another brilliant night on Friday showed why 1882 is the envy of other clubs. This season, 1882 has been a beacon of light and the 1882 matches have been by far my most enjoyable experiences of being a fan.

COYS

I saw a tweet earlier saying that Sherwood is toxic for our club. He isn’t, but the current ill feeling certainly is, and something has to change.

Sherwood has to go. Not because he’ll never be good enough (we’ll never know if he will or not), but because the fans have not and will not take to him. To achieve success, the club needs the fans onside and the majority are patently not – nor will they ever be with Sherwood at the helm (rightly or wrongly).

Predicting that a Spurs manager will fail is not the boldest of predictions; arguably they all have to varying extents since Burkinshaw in the early 80s, aside from a couple of cup wins. Jumping up and down at every questionable decision that the current incumbent makes, and then celebrating ‘being right’ when he inevitably does fail is not, in my opinion, the role of a fan. Instead why not be open-minded and try to create a more positive environment for our players to play in? Criticise, of course, when it’s due – heck, there have been some abominations under Sherwood – but try to be broadly supportive. That’s my position, and that’s why I’m willing to give him a chance until he does something damaging to our club’s reputation, as with Redknapp and the England manager’s job.

I’ve been accused this season of being a Tim Sherwood apologist, much like I was accused before that of being an André Villas-Boas apologist. I’m not, of course, but I am a ‘new manager’ apologist. I have no particular love for Sherwood – I didn’t admire him as a player, and he’s not ‘my cup of tea’ (using his words) as a person. But I could see traces of logic behind his appointment (especially from a continuity POV) and I think the mitigating circumstances surrounding his tenure mean he should be given more leeway from our fans, who are as divided and angry as I ever remember.

For anyone coming in to take over after the final few thrashings under AVB, it was a tough job. We had an under-performing squad with a lot of new players who hadn’t shown signs of settling in any time soon. We’ve also had (surprise, surprise, we’re Tottenham), a ludicrous number of recent injury concerns.

The vitriol towards Sherwood has been far worse than it probably would have been for anyone else. Probably because he’s a Gooner, probably because he’s got an accent which reminds people of the many uncomfortable Harry Redknapp press conferences and interviews and probably because he is, quite literally, unqualified for the job.

Sherwood’s job has, of course, also been made more difficult by the fact that he has no prior experience of managing a football club, and so was always going to be learning as he went along. And he has, sometimes, showed signs of learning: adapting from a 4-4-2 to playing with one forward when necessary, for example, or changing things at half-time against Southampton to ensure we pressed the ball to complement the high line.

Today against Liverpool his hand was forced. Missing our two best players this season – Adebayor and Walker – as well as Chiriches, Capoue, Lamela, and Paulinho and with Sandro (who has been playing with painkilling injections) and Dembele (who looked so unfit last week) seemingly not fit to start, he was “down to the bare bones” and even had to include rookie Harry Winks on the bench. His team selection looked gung-ho on initial inspection, before you realised that – short of going three at the back with Dawson brought into the side – he had few other options.

Add to that that his game-plan – “stay in the game for as long as possible and hopefully it will open up for us later on” – was out the window after just over a minute, mostly due to individual errors.

Sherwood’s been criticised for playing Eriksen wide on the left, but mostly because people feel he’s less effective offensively there. Today, though, he showed his defensive frailty in the first minute. Of course, Sherwood could have opted for a slightly more defensive player on the left to combat Johnson’s runs, but a man with the experience and intelligence of Eriksen should be able to track a fairly obvious run and to stop a cross coming in. Vertonghen scuffed his clearance, the ball awkwardly ricocheted into Kaboul’s instep, and Sherwood needed to think again. It was 2-0 when Dawson played a sloppy pass and then couldn’t catch Suarez.

But here’s where Sherwood could do more. For the rest of the half, our approach play was reasonable and we managed to give both Eriksen and Chadli the ball between the lines, only for them to waste opportunities to create. He didn’t change anything, though, to improve upon this – no personnel changes, no tweaks. And, before long, Liverpool snuffed out any opportunities we did have, restricting our creative players and stopping them from receiving the ball in the areas they had been in the first half.

Then came goal three; Lennon didn’t chase Flanagan back, meaning Bentaleb had to close the ball, leaving Coutinho in space to receive it and get a shot away. We defended too deep at the set piece from which goal four stemmed; Sherwood could be accused of not organising his troops for these situations, but the players need to more accountable for all four goals today.

But I digress from my central point, which is that whilst I don’t think Sherwood is an ideal management candidate, he is our manager (Head Coach), and yet another change does not guarantee improvement. Managers and coaches need time to work with their squads and develop a pattern of play, a defensive structure – an identity. This is why I’ve not wanted to judge our coach too soon; to write him off.

Brendan Rodgers was widely-derided last season, as was one of his favourites, Jordan Henderson. Yet this season he has Liverpool organised, motivated and, importantly, confident. Henderson’s been exceptional and will likely start for England in the World Cup. It might be wrong to compare Sherwood and Rodgers, since Rodgers had four years of managerial experience (including another Premier League job) before taking on his role at Liverpool, but they do share youth coaching backgrounds. Sticking with Rodgers, investing in his player choices, and giving him room to implement his ideas has worked wonders.

Divided since Redknapp’s sacking, the only move that would seem to unify our fan-base is the appointment of someone who seemed previously totally unattainable – Louis van Gaal. And, thus, the revolving manager-door continues.

Liam Priestley (18)
Kyle Walker-Peters (16) Christian Maghoma (16) Cameron Carter-Vickers (16) Kane Vincent-Young (18)
Anton Walkes (17) Filip Lesniak (17)  Lloyd Ross (17)
Joe Pritchard (17) Daniel Akindayini (18) Cy Goddard (16)

Subs:
Shayon Harrison (16) for Lloyd Ross, 46.
Channing Cambell-Young (17) for Joe Pritchard, 67.
Armani Daly (15?) for Cy Goddard, 81.

I had a nightmare this morning – I was all set up ready to watch the game, only for some building works next door to knock my power out! Fortunately I have a very understanding girlfriend, who rescued me by pausing the match and letting me come over to pick up where I left off.

Spurs set up with a formation something between a 4-3-3, and a 4-1-2-2-1. Lesniak held in front of a back four, but it was fluid, and personnel changed positions throughout the game. When the subs were made, it became increasingly difficult to tell who was playing where.

In the opening minute young Liverpool winger Kent had a good touch on the left leading to a free kick which Liverpool played a cross-field pass. Ojo attempted a cross but it was blocked out for a corner, which Priestley claimed at the second attempt.

On 7 minutes, Akindayini switched to Walker-Peters who rampaged down the right but slightly over-hit his cross.

Goddard was fouled on the edge of the box on eight minutes and stepped up to take the kick himself – he hit it straight into the wall but did then manage to work a crossing opportunity, albeit the ball was cleared comfortably.

An unfortunate slip from Ross led to O’Hanlon curling an effort narrowly wide on 11 minutes.

Then, a fine delivery from Vincent -Young – cutting back onto his right in an advanced area – caused mayhem, but Pritchard was caught on his heels and perhaps could have got the finishing touch. It was cleared out for a corner which Goddard slightly over-hit.

Another good ball from Vincent-Young on 16 minutes – this time with his left – just evaded Goddard at the back post. Not to be outdone, Walker-Peters whipped in a cracker himself a couple of minutes later, but nobody attacked it.

Walker-Peters and Ross linked well to get the full back clear into an area to cross the ball, but it was an awkward ball for Pritchard to meet at the back post, and he couldn’t get his header anywhere near the target.

Lesniak’s shot was a weak one on the 21 minute mark – one of few shooting opportunities for Spurs.

A fantastic run from Ryan Kent from Liverpool’s left took him into the box, but Kyle Walker-Peters nipped in just in the nick of time to take it off his toes.

Liverpool then had a decent spell of possession where they moved the ball well but didn’t create anything clear-cut – much like a lot of Spurs’ possession play this season.

Maghoma played himself into trouble by letting the ball run across his body and then trying to beat the attacker; instead, he looped his clearance awkwardly into the air and had to head it clear.

Pritchard spread the play first time to Goddard but Akindayini gave up possession and Liverpool broke – Ojo drove forward and was fouled by Walkes; a foul he had to make. O’Hanlon struck the ball into the ball with his left.

From that move, Spurs went right up the other end with Walker-Peters yet again marauding forward, and Pritchard playing him in behind. The full-back’s cross was blocked for a corner, which Goddard took. Maghoma charged to meet it at the near post but a fantastically brave block led to the ball being cleared. The blocking player – Hart – stayed down, but play continued and Spurs carved out a fine chance for Akindayini with a fabulous cross from Walkes that the forward totally missed when in space.

With Hart back on his feet, play continued. Kent and Walker-Peters resumed their ongoing battle when Kent charged at him, but Walker-Peters battled back to win the ball and begin another Spurs attack – as he so often does.

On 32 minutes, Priestley played a poor pass out which gave Liverpool the ball and O’Hanlon should then have put Liverpool into the lead when he controlled Kent’s cross in space but hit his shot into the ground.

Kane Vincent-Young turned fabulously in the left back area and was fouled resulting in a free kick which Spurs took short, as usual. They rarely hit anything long, and only result to a clearance when truly necessary, preferring to play out from the back.

A cracking delivery from a free kick led to Akindayini heading the ball out at the back post, but Maghoma cleared the resulting corner. The ball bobbled around and an eventual shot was blocked inadvertently by a hand – no penalty was given.

Hart beat Walker-Peters and delivered a low cross for Ojo, which was well blocked by Carter-Vickers.

Kent and Dhanda linked well to try to get Dhanda in, but Maghoma got rid in a no-nonsense fashion.

A lovely first-time cushioned pass from Pritchard sent Walker-Peters down the right – the cross was over-hit but worked wide to Vincent-Young on the opposite side who had a cross-shot blocked for a corner. Goddard’s ball caused problems, but Maghoma couldn’t quite turn on it to get a shot away.

Pritchard cut in from the right and picked out Akindayini, but Cleary came across to make a fantastic last-ditch challenge; it looked like a corner to me, but the referee deemed it to be a goal kick.

Pritchard had an opportunity after a clever touch from Akindayini but his loose control meant that the chance was lost.

Dhanda, Liverpool’s 15-year old Indian number 10, worked so hard to win possession in the midfield, picked out O’Hanlon who found Kent at the back stick, but he struck his shot straight at the keeper, Priestley, although he was offside anyway.

That was that for the first half – an even contest, with Liverpool improving as it went on, aided by a strong wind behind them.

Shayon Harrison – who scored 30 times for the Under-16s last season – replaced Lloyd Ross for the second half. He went to the right, with Goddard dropping deeper.

The first chance of the second half came when Pritchard tried to stand a cross up to Harrison with his left foot, but didn’t wrap his foot around it, and it sent Liverpool keeper Wheeler scuttling backwards, eventually drifting over the bar.

Walker-Peters fired a dangerous ball in low towards Goddard, but Liverpool cleared the ball well. Play switched straight down to the other end where Carter-Vickers outmuscled Ojo and carried the ball out from the back.

O’Hanlon – impressive for Liverpool in the first half – went down with an injury two minutes into the half, which led to full-back Roberts coming on. Liverpool had to totally change their team shape with Ojo moving out to the right and Kent moving into the central striker role.

On 53 minutes, Walker-Peters made yet another fine run down the right, but his cross was sent high and over the bar, mishit this time.

Spurs took the lead on 56 minutes when Cy Goddard got stuck in in central midfield, showing great tenacity. Shayon Harrison took the loose ball and played in Walker-Peters who strode forward and sent in a curling, low cross into the “corridor of uncertainty” which Akindayini and the Liverpool centre-back both missed in the centre, but from which Pritchard made no mistake, smashing home at the back stick.

Goddard was fouled out on the right and Harrison’s low, whipped-in cross struck Roberts and went out for a corner. Harrison’s low corner was poor but the front post clearance went out for another corner. The next one was a much better ball, curled left-footed towards Pritchard at the back post, but the big midfielder was just out-muscled. The third corner went straight out for a goal kick.

The wind was causing a few problems, and Walkes was able to easily control Wheeler’s goal kick as it caught in the wind. Akindayini ran the ball straight out of play, though.

Virtue was booked for a strong challenge on Pritchard – or a totting up of a number of fouls, perhaps – which upset the Liverpool co-commentator, Mark Wright.

Maghoma played Spurs into trouble with a loose ball across to Carter-Vickers. Ojo ran from halfway, with Walkes on the back foot, but could only fire his shot high and wide when he cut in from the right.

Waldron replaced Dhanda for Liverpool, with Randall pushed forward from right-back and Ojo moving forward again into a position more familiar to him.

Walkes picked a fine pass for Walker-Peters, who kept the ball in play, worked himself into a useful position, and played a pass back for Walkes to cross. The ball was blocked, but it was yet another illustration of Walker-Peters’ fantastic attacking ability and constant runs in behind.

Carter-Vickers went to ground to stop a Liverpool attack, commanding as ever.

Channing Cambell-Young replaced Joe Pritchard on 67 minutes. He went to play at right-back, with Walker-Peters moving in-field. Akindayini went to play more towards the left, and Goddard/Harrison/Walkes each had a turn at leading the line.

Ojo missed a good chance on 71 minutes after Carter-Vickers’ presented the ball to Kent. Kent picked out his strike partner, but he cut in and hit a weak shot straight at Priestley.

Walker-Peters nearly made it 2-0 won 72 minutes. He played the ball into Harrison, made a run around the outside, received it back and then burst through, hitting a low shot across the goalkeeper which was touched wide for a corner.

Goddard’s corner from the left was curled in beautifully but missed by Maghoma and then put over by Harrison at the far post.

Walker-Peters had another effort at goal from a Walkes pass before Ojo carried the ball forward on the left before being seen out by Mahoma.

Liverpool put together a very tidy and incisive move involving Ojo, Kent and Randall, but Spurs got the block in again. Randall then nearly slipped Kent in, but his pass was a little too ambitious.

Campbell-Young almost picked out Walker-Peters, but the square ball was just cut out as Walker-Peters approached.

At the other end, Ojo made progress again down Liverpool’s left, beating Goddard but unable to beat Maghoma this time.

Burke volleyed a ball well over when Waldron had dallied too much with his cross.

Armani Daly was introduced for his debut at this level on 81 minutes, with Goddard heading off. Daly got his first touch when the ball fell to him on the left, and he used the ball well, bringing it under control and playing it to Walkes.

Little Daly went to play mostly centrally, with Harrison wide on the right, and Akindayini on the left, although all three were pretty fluid. In midfield, Walkes, Walketer-Peters and Lesniak patrolled centrally.

Harrison picked up a booking for not retreating for a free-kick. The eventual free-kick came to Burke who switched wide to Waldron. He did well to beat Vincent-Young, cut inside, and found Randall out wide. He played a one-two and worked a yard well but his cross came off Carter-Vickers and rebounded back off him for a goal kick.

It was nearly two when Harrison carried another loose ball forward, played a delightful reverse pass to Daly, got it back first time, but couldn’t quite find the corner with his shot.

On 90 minutes, Liverpool possession led to a fantastic Randall strike across goal bringing out an even better save from Priestley, who had done little up until that point.

Walkes picked up a booking for a very strong challenge on Griffin. He was stretchered off and given gas and air, and there was a five-minute delay whilst he was put on a buggy and taken away. Spurs defended the resultant free-kick well and there were no further chances for either side.

Liam Priestley 7 – Had little to do until the end, where he made a fantastic save. He deserves huge credit for that, it’s not easy to stay alert!
Kyle Walker-Peters 9 – A constant threat throughout the game; a very progressive right back who got the vital assist. A real gem of a performance. Once he moved inside we lost a lot of our attacking impetus.
Christian Maghoma 6 – Maghoma’s just come back from a long-term injury, so it’s nice to see him back. Not his finest game, but he was mostly solid nonetheless.
Cameron Carter-Vickers 7 – Like Maghoma, he didn’t have his best game (giving the ball away more often than usual), but he made some solid interceptions and was a commanding presence on the whole.
Kane Vincent-Young 6 – In the first half he was a threat with his crossing, but he drifted out of the game as it went on. It was not easy playing on his wrong side, so he deserves credit for that.
Filip Lesniak 6 – Metronomic figure in the middle who used the ball intelligently and broke play up with good positioning.
Anton Walkes 7 – Seems to be improving nicely; a strong presence in the centre who used the ball well today.
Lloyd Ross 5 – Struggled to impose himself on the game today and was withdrawn at half-time for a slightly more physical player.
Joe Pritchard 5 – Got the vital goal, but looked a little out of sorts playing in an advanced wide role.
Daniel Akindayini 5 – Missed a great chance in the air, but kept running and chasing things down throughout.
Cy Goddard 7 – Very good, technical player who frequently got us out of trouble with his quick feet in tight spaces.

Shayon Harrison 7 – Made a good impact and was heavily involved in the goal, as well as other good moves in the second half. Now needs to do it consistently.
Channing Campbell-Young – Was relatively steady at right-back.
Armani Daly – Looked lively although didn’t see much of the ball.