Tottenham's Edgar Davids is tackled by
Liverpool's Dietmar Hamann HAVING ENCOUNTERED more trouble playing away from home than Sven-Goran
Eriksson, Liverpool are discreetly getting on with their business this season.
An away point at Middlesbrough slipped quietly into the category 'encouraging', and
this stalemate at a revitalised White Hart Lane proved equally reassuring.
After a fortnight when Liverpool's lack of transfer activity prompted a groaning
epidemic, it came as somewhat of a relief the only gloom during this fixture was in the
London skyline.
This could have been a worryingly symbolic encounter. While Liverpool are allowing
their transfer funds to accumulate interest, Martin Jol has sporadically splashed the cash
to assemble a youthful side.
 A Reds defeat here would have led
to inevitable comparisons between Spurs' risk taking in the market and Liverpool's more
modest approach.
Instead, a high quality encounter offered enough evidence to suggest if the
Londoners are two seasons away from challenging the top three, not for the first time
Liverpool appear a mere two players short of doing so.
If there was any regret as Rafa Benitez left the capital, it must surely have
focused on familiar territory. What a difference a world class wide man could make in
turning tight draws into narrow wins. Every other area of his side functioned admirably in
a fine game which provided a thorough examination of Liverpool's credentials. So far,
satisfactory.
As usual, the defence was up to the challenge. The midfield superiority ebbed and
flowed until Momo Sissoko arrived to run the engine room in the second half. And in
attack, Peter Crouch showed he's going to provide exactly what his CV says. A menace, toil
and aerial threat which will ensure those pre-season jibes are misplaced.
Where Liverpool continue to be wasteful is on the flanks. John Arne Riise nearly
scored the goal of his career in the second half, denied by the underside of the crossbar,
but on several other occasions the service from both the left and right was erratic.
Perhaps the Reds still need to come to terms with the fact a 10-storey striker is
waiting in the box. The merits of an occasional, early high ball from wide positions into
the danger zone hasn't yet sunk in.
Two set-pieces, one headed inches over and another chalked off by a watchful
linesman, denied Crouch a debut Premiership goal. But the ?7m striker will have delighted
Benitez.
He was available for a pass every time his defenders or midfielders needed an
outlet, and 90 per cent of the time he either won the ball or a free-kick.
Crouch's presence also helped Djibril Cisse, who will benefit from being paired
with someone more suited to the task of leading the line.
Cisse was able to concentrate solely on reading Crouch's flicks and the duo linked
up to good effect on a number of occasions. Most spectacularly, Crouch's neat nod created
space for the French hitman to crack a 25 yard volley which Paul Robinson was grateful to
push to safety.
Cisse performed well enough to prove his attitude hasn't been duly affected by
recent events, although his habit of showing public displeasure with himself or fate when
a move or pass goes astray has to be nipped in the bud.
|
Throughout an improved second half, Cisse and Crouch created problems, but with
Jermain Defoe showing nimble footwork and ability to turn and shoot from any angle at the
other end, Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia had to be in nothing less than top form. They
were.
Defoe is too good to be completely marked out of the game. One swivel and blast in
the first half was thrilling, shaving Pepe Reina's post. Quite why Liverpool weren't
pursuing this fantastic young striker when he left West Ham is a question only the
previous regime can answer.
There were periods when Spurs piled on the pressure. Liverpool's back four
withstood the mini onslaughts, with Stephen Warnock once more suggesting those
similarities with Alan Kennedy in his prime are no flights of fancy. Steve Finnan had one
tough moment against South Korean Lee Young Pyo, but also recovered to play to his usual,
impeccable standards.
This was by no means a rearguard action, however.
Didi Hamann's concussion brought Sissoko into action at half-time, and the Mali
international ended Tottenham's midfield superiority in the 10 minutes before half-time,
inspiring Liverpool dominance during the second period
The post-match talk centred around Michael Carrick and Jer-maine Jenas' England
ambitions, but this merely underlined the continued ignorance nationwide as to how good
20-year-old Sissoko is.
Perhaps we shouldn't complain. The less attention he gets and the fewer coaches are
aware of the gem Benitez has signed, the more he will damage opponents.
Carrick and Edgar Davids may have caught the eye in the first half, but once
Sissoko appeared he delivered the complete midfield performance.
What a weight it will be off the shoulders of Steven Gerrard as he knows there's
someone alongside him with similar qualities. Sissoko passes, tackles and seems to be
involved in every move, either starting one for the Reds or bringing the opponents' to an
end.
Not since Gerrard burst into the side at a similar age have Liverpool possessed
such an exciting young talent in midfield.
On balance, a draw was a fair result between two quality sides. Liverpool should be
happier, having taken a point from a venue which may prove notoriously tough in the
seasons to come.
And, while the lack of goals must continue to be a concern until they start to
flow, as at The Riverside, that was hardly due to a lack of threat.
The Reds aren't quite at the level they need to be yet, but when the key men are
fit, thankfully, they're not as far off as many feared when that transfer window slammed
shut.
The next two home Premiership games - against Manchester United and Chelsea - will
offer further clues as to how much Liverpool can deliver on this early season promise.
Tottenham's Grzegorz Rasiak heads a disallowed goal
|
