· Last season's game - Liverpool 2 Spurs 0, 09.04.2000
· This season's home game - Spurs 2 Liverpool 1, 19.11.2000
· See the current injury list for all Premier League Teams
· All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here! THFC6061 Sports Stats

This preview was written by Brian Judson

Full Record of Spurs -v- Liverpool

Prem          Pl   W   D   L  For-Ag  Pts
Home           9   4   3   2   14-13  15
Away           8   1   2   5    8-19   5
=========================================
Total (Prem)  17   5   5   7   22-32  20
=========================================
Football Lge
Home (Div 1)  49  24  10  15   73-58  62
Away (Div 1)  49   4  14  31   38-95  24
=========================================
Total (Div 1) 98  28  24  46  111-153 86
=========================================
Total (Prem)  17   5   5   7   22-32  20
Total (Div 1) 98  28  24  46  111-153 86
=========================================
Grand Total  115  33  29  53  133-185 106
=========================================

The manner in which the Anfield side overcame everything that Barcelona threw at them on Thursday night suggests that Liverpool are not very far away from being a team that will dominate both domestic and European football over the next few years in the same way as they dominated the late 1970s and early 1980s. They still have a few problems to solve before they can claim to be the finished article but, on their day, Liverpool are a team who will frighten the living daylights out of anyone.

A few years ago Liverpool were regarded as a joke in the same way that Tottenham have become to be regarded by the media in the last few years. The turning point for Liverpool was undoubtedly the Hillsborough disaster of 1989. After that experience, Kenny Dalglish became haunted by the effect and no one who saw the recording of his resignation from Liverpool will forget how drawn and frightened he looked as he blinked into the barrage of flashbulbs.

Under Souness, Liverpool spent millions as he tried to buy his way to success, losing spectacularly on the way. Under Roy Evans, Liverpool slowly improved without ever looking likely to regain their place at the top of the pile. The experiment of having joint managers in Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier was nonsensical from the outset. It is one thing to have a Director of Football to oversee aspects outside the purview of the First Team but to have two managers is a recipe for disaster. It came as no surprise when Liverpool decided to sack the loyal Evans, who had spent all of his career at Anfield. He has not had a football post since and is now having to earn his crust as a media hack.

Unlike all of Liverpool's previous managers, Houllier can claim to have stood on the Kop as part of the supporters. When he was a young student in Liverpool, he supported the club and stood on the Kop, learning the songs the Koppites sang. Slowly since becoming responsible as manager, Houllier has improved Liverpool's standing each season. This season looks like being Liverpool's best under Houllier. They have already won the Football League Cup by beating Birmingham City at Cardiff. They have reached the Final of the FA Cup, where they will be playing an anonymous team whose name escapes me. Last night, they reached the Final of the UEFA Cup where they will play Alaves, who beat Kaiserlautern, on aggregate, 9-2. There is also a faint chance of finishing high enough in the Premiership table to qualify for the Champions League.

Spurs, on the other hand, have several long term casualties who are unlikely to play again this season. Glenn Hoddle suggested that he might have to have players on the bench who are unknown quantities to him as he has yet to see them play. There are 13 members of the normal first team squad injured at the moment. The squad as it currently stands is far below the quality that Spurs should have if we are to qualify for Europe in the near future.

When Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool field a squad, they have household names sitting on the bench. When Tottenham name their squad, most names are strange and unknown to most people outside Tottenham. On the other hand, the problems of having so many injured players enables us to bring forward some of our promising youngsters. The experience of playing at First Team level will enable Hoddle to see if they can 'cut the mustard' at this level. The results are not so important at this stage of the season as we are now safe from relegation. We have been in the doldrums for so long that I don't think it matters one jot if we have another transitional season next season.

The hope is that by this time next year we should be seeing definite signs that a return to Europe is on the cards. Hoddle needs time to consider what needs to be done and putting things right won't be easy to achieve. The watchword for all interested in seeing Tottenham regaining their rightful place at the top of the table is PATIENCE!

As to what will happen on Sunday, it will probably be a case of Liverpool winning as usual. However, Liverpool have a habit of dropping silly points after a European match but the best I can hope for is a goal-less draw. More likely, though, is that Liverpool will win 2-0. Spurs have none of their first choice strikers available which means they will probably have to play Korsten and Doherty up front.

COME ON YOU SPURS!

Cheers, Brian

Follow @spursodyssey