Match Report: Spurs 1 Liverpool 0 (League Cup S-F) plus match preview against Tamworth FC

 

Match Report: Spurs 1 Liverpool 0 (League Cup S-F) plus match preview against Tamworth FC

As I travelled up to Tottenham with Mel, our discussion was about how badly we were going to lose. Previously in my blog, I predicted that we would be thrashed 3-5 and that the replay at Anfield would be a disaster. Even at the ground, the discussion was about how many would Liverpool win by. Sitting beside me, Simon, said we would be lucky to get away with a draw…

The fact of the matter was that after 15 minutes, I turned to Simon and said that I thought we were doing well. In fact, by the time we reached halftime, my thoughts turned to us being “Spursy” and completely collapsing under Liverpool pressure in the second half… but none of that happened…

Overall, I thought we were the better side, even though they had rested many of their players while we had ten out through injury.

Did I think they underestimated us? No, we were just the better side. They did bring fresh legs on, but that didn’t change a damn thing. The game finished with us scoring two goals to their nil. Granted, one of our goals was deemed offside, but we still won. By the time we face them again in the next leg (February), our injured should be returning, and we would have also purchased in the January window.

We edged out the Bin Dippers in what they call a controversial finale to our League Cup semi-final first leg.

The controversy was when Lucas Bergvall gave us the goal to take to Anfield. Sour grapes Liverpool were left raging that our young lad was on the pitch to make the goal four minutes from time.

What irked them was when Bergvall, on a yellow card (I think unfairly), caught Bin Dipper defender Kostas Tsimikas late in an incident not seen by referee Stuart Attwell. But we saw it, and even those at home saw it, including Janette, who thought he didn’t deserve it.

Tsimikas, who had gone off the pitch, was still off when Bergvall scored moments later, inciting a desperate reaction from Liver Bird's head coach, Arne Slug-Slot. For his troubles, he was cautioned, and rightly so; bastard! Typical Bin Dipper-biased manager. They are the sort of club that, if they can’t win fairly, they try all other means to come up with something else to get their advantage. Nevertheless, we deserved our win after Pedro Porro missed a great chance and Dominic Solanke saw a goal ruled out for offside, but the manner of our win will leave a bitter taste in the Bin Dippers' mouths, who suffered only their second defeat under Slug-Slot.

They—the Dole Ringing wonderers—came closest to scoring when substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold's shot was cleared off the line by the brilliant Radu Dragusin. Nevertheless, this was a very disappointing display by the Premier League leaders, who had so many advantages (no such injuries as us, players rested, and a bigger squad).

On top of our 10 injuries, on that night, we also lost Rodrigo Bentancur when he went down in the penalty area and was taken off on a stretcher wearing a neck brace after 10 minutes of treatment. It was later confirmed he was conscious, talking and would undergo further checks in hospital.

Credit to Ange Postecoglou: He showed faith in our young players—even though he didn’t have much choice—in the glasshouse of an EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Tickle-my-Bum and I’ll show you the way to Amarillo Liverpool, Ange was fully vindicated as he delivered in style and shocked everybody who was watching, whether in the stadium or at home watching it on TV.

Full credit to Bergvall, whose name was on everyone's lips at the final whistle, not just because he played with great wisdom in midfield but because the Bin Dipper Dolers will feel he should have been shown a second yellow card (moaning unappreciated bastards).

Our purchase of him in the summer showed what an inspired, excellent, and bargain buy it was (£8.5 M).

On top of all that excitement on the night, we had just purchased a 21-year-old goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky, barely through the door after a £12.5m move from Slavia Prague. Nevertheless, he was thrown straight into this crucial game. Some thought it was a stupid move… but with hindsight, it turned out to be an inspired one. Ange will now find it hard to know what keeper to pick as his main number-one stopper.

He showed great confidence with the ball at his feet and when mastering his area. His biggest contribution came when he turned away Darwin Nunez's header excellently.

Even though the Bin Dippers thrashed us 3-6 in the League, we will be satisfied with what we achieved in the League Cup's first leg. We can only build upon that win when we go to Anfield for the second leg. By then, most of our injured players will be back to full fitness, and hopefully, we will have also purchased other players in the January window.

After that bit of excitement, we shall move on to…

… Tamworth FC in the 3^rd round of the FA Cup.

First, a bit of history…

Tamworth FC is based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England. The club competes in the National League, the fifth English football league system level.

The club was formed in 1933 after the previous Tamworth club, Tamworth Castle, ceased to exist. After playing in the Birmingham Combination and West Midlands (Regional) League, the team reached the Southern League in 1972 but fell on hard times and returned to lower-level football. In 1988, Tamworth returned to the Southern League and won the FA Vase a year later. Tamworth reached the final of the FA Trophy in 2003 and, in the same season, won promotion to the Football Conference, spending four seasons at the highest level of non-League football before being relegated to the Conference North. In 2009, the club gained promotion back to the Conference Premier and spent five seasons at that level before they got relegated. Further relegation in 2018 took the club back to the Southern League.

The team originally played at The Jolly Sailor Ground but moved into The Lamb Ground after a year, named after a pub that formerly stood nearby. The stadium currently has a capacity of just under 5,000 and a 3G artificial pitch that was laid in 2016.

Team news…

Ange will probably play more youngsters, but our new keeper will, I imagine, keep his place. I can’t see anybody coming back from injury to play in this game.

My prediction…

Again, depending on the team, I think we can score over five goals… and concede none.

I’ve got my ticket and am looking forward to the game. The price was high, but it does include a match-day programme, an English breakfast, and something at half-time (all in tents erected for the occasion). But we still have to stand.

It is a 2-hour drive from my house, so I shall leave at about 5:30 a.m… Hospitality opens at 10:30 a.m.

Thoughts…

I can’t see any hiccups or bloopers… just us getting a reasonable ride going into the 4^th round of the FA Cup draw.

Are we on a revival? Watch this space! We are still in three-cup competitions and 12 points off fourth place. Nothing is impossible until the fat lady sings.

Up the Spurs!

Glenn