Spurs v Liverpool (1st Team)

[Chimbo!]

It's always fun so why not compare ourselves to our competitors. Pundits have universally backed Liverpool ahead of us.

Let' see if that opinion measures up to closer scrutiny.

(And try to take your Spurs hat off!)

Goalkeeper
Reina or Gomes = Reina

Right-back
Johnson or Walker= Even (Whilst Johnson has shown erratic form while at Liverpool, Walker has only just started to emerge has a potential star)

Left-back
Enrique or Ekotto = Ekotto

Centre-back
Carragher or Gallas = Even
Agger or Dawson = Dawson

Right-midfield
Henderson or VDV = VDV

Left-midfield
Downing or Bale = Bale

Defensive Midfield
Lucas or Sandro = Sandro

Attacking Midfield
Gerrard or Modric = Can't decide because there are complicated factors (Modric is certainly better on recent form but Gerrard has had injury problems of late)

Forward
Suarez or Defoe = Suarez

Forward
Carroll or Crouch = Carroll

In the end I think our 1st team is better. However, while last season it was obvious in most positions now it is more debatable. For instance, some will argue that Carragher is better than Gallas or that there is nothing to choose between Sandro and Lucas.

There is also the issue of who actually starts in a 4-4-2 and whether Spurs actually play a 4-4-2 but I think this reflects an accurate comparison between the two sides.

 

[Marty]

The way I look at it is that we finished above Liverpool last season, so we were better than them. Liverpool have bought a lot of players and undoubtedly have a stronger squad than they had last season but i refuse to believe that they have a stronger first eleven than last season, regardless of who plays. We, on the other hand, have stood still. It will be interesting but I'm still convinced we're better than them.

Btw not meant as a dig but I hate player-by-player comparisons, they're always painting a very distorted picture of the situation and a team is a completely different entity to a collection of individuals.

 

[Pringle]

Carragher level with Gallas?? for real???? Gerrard level with Modric???? Gerrard 3 years ago maybe, but he is not the same player now! Plus if you include Gerrard then you can include King for us as well!

If i had to put the 2 teams to make 1 i would go with

Reina
Corluka
BAE
King
Gallas
Lennon
Sandro
Modric
Bale
Carroll/VDV (depending on opposition)
Suarez

 

[bubble07]

But everyone outside of Spurs think Lucas is better then Sandro including the Brazilian national side

Reina Suarez Carroll and Gerrard would easily get into our side

 

[brett.spurs]

Reina and Suarez.

 

[shaqTHFC]

Based on current squads

Reina

Johnson - Carragher - Skrtel - Enrique

Lucas - Adam

Suarez - Gerrard - Downing

Carroll
​

and

Gomes

Corluka - King - Dawson - BAE

Sandro - Modric

Lennon - VDV - Bale

Crouch​

I would definitely say our 11 is a lot better

 

[marvel]

I think the only players of theirs that would make our starting 11 are Reina, Suarez and probably Carroll. Gerrard in years gone by without question but too injury prone and would rather have Modric.

Also imo:

King>Gallas>Dawson>Carragher

 

[brett.spurs]

Liverpool would be better off benching Carroll.

 

[TwoSaintsComeMarching]

Best combined team:

Reina

Corluka - Gallas - King - Ekotto

Sandro - Modric

Suarez - VDV - Bale

Carroll​

 

[jondesouza]

Think there's a bit of a Spurs bias here to be honest. My combined XI would be:

Reina

Johnson Dawson King Assou-Ekotto

Lennon Gerrard Modric Bale

Carroll Suarez

The important way in which Liverpool have caught up this summer is in strength in depth. Arguably, for the first time in many years, their second XI is better than ours.
​

 

[brett.spurs]

Best combined team:

Reina

Corluka - Gallas - King - Ekotto

Sandro - Modric

Suarez - VDV - Bale

Carroll​

Take Carroll out and you're there, This is spot on from a Liverpool fan;

The only frustrating thing about having him in the team (and this was the same with Crouch), is really nothing to do with him, but the others around him. It's too easy for some of the players to take the easy option and pump shit long balls up to him.

I hope we start using his ability on the ground more, because he'll be a beast.

The Crouch effect, people can deny it all they like but this is what happens. If/when we finally get rid of Crouch I just hope we don't try and replace him like for like.

 

[shaqTHFC]

Take Carroll out and you're there, This is spot on from a Liverpool fan;



The Crouch effect, people can deny it all they like but this is what happens. If/when we finally get rid of Crouch I just hope we don't try and replace him like for like.

Do you reckon that this would happen if we were to sign Adebayor. Despite his obvious ability on the ground could the likes of Dawson and BAE control themselves because Ade is tall?

 

[elDiablo]

Reina and Carroll i would take. And Carroll only because he is what we need - i dont think all the hype is justified.

Its close between Suarez and VDV, but if we had a striker like Carroll, then vdv would be better.

Off topic but did anyone notice the respective benches for Pool and Ar5ena1?

Arsenal Substitutes

• 21 Fabianski,
• 20 Djourou,
• 25 Jenkinson,
• 14 Walcott,
• 15 Oxlade-Chamberlain,
• 26 Frimpong,
• 29 Chamakh

Pool Substitutes

• 32 Doni,
• 34 Kelly,
• 49 Robinson,
• 04 Meireles,
• 20 Spearing,
• 18 Kuyt,
• 24 Ngog

Our Substitutes

• Friedal
• Gallas
• Huddlestone/Palacios
• Krancjar
• Lennon
• Pav
• Defoe

Ar5ena1 look very inexperienced (albeit with wilshire injured) and liverpool dont seem too special either.

 

[brett.spurs]

Do you reckon that this would happen if we were to sign Adebayor. Despite his obvious ability on the ground could the likes of Dawson and BAE control themselves because Ade is tall?

Yeah I'd expect to see it quite a lot. Carroll is a beast in the air to be fair to him but it's not something I like to watch.

Reina and Carroll i would take. And Carroll only because he is what we need - i dont think all the hype is justified.

Its close between Suarez and VDV, but if we had a striker like Carroll, then vdv would be better.

VDV and Suarez for me, I still don't get the unequivocal need for a big man - especially when it no doubt leads to shit football.

 

[3Dnata]

I'd have

Kuyt from them .

 

[elDiablo]

VDV and Suarez for me, I still don't get the unequivocal need for a big man - especially when it no doubt leads to shit football.

I do agree that the default punt up top is not attractive - i suppose replace big man with a strong forward who can hold it up

 

[tobi]

On the flip side one could replace Crouch with some actual movement (big or small) up front and watch the spaces open up.

Everything then becomes more fluid.

 

[Dan Yeats]

Where I differ from the OP:

Goalkeeper
Reina or Gomes = Only by a whisker, but Gomes. His occasional high-profile clown act masks the very frequent world-class stops. Last season wasn't great for him, but build his confidence and put a regular solid back four in front of him and there'll be no better keeper in the EPL.

Centre-back
Carragher or Gallas = Gallas. Carra's age is making him have to be even more dirty. Gallas doesn't need to because his positioning is far superior.

Left-midfield
Downing or Bale = Downing. Nah, just kidding. :grin:

Attacking Midfield
Gerrard or Modric = Modric. Gerrard is good, but nowhere near as good as his profile suggests. Undeserved hype because of his nationality.

 

[shaqTHFC]

Where I differ from the OP:

So you think Downing is better than Bale, and Lucas is better than Sandro?

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Yeah I'd expect to see it quite a lot. Carroll is a beast in the air to be fair to him but it's not something I like to watch.



VDV and Suarez for me, I still don't get the unequivocal need for a big man - especially when it no doubt leads to shit football.

I agree in theory, but the reality is if we had two little guys up front we'd still get Dawson and Ekotto hoofing up to them exactly as they did the first time we played VDV and Defoe. One of which ended up with Defoe's sending off. The other thing is we aren't Barca, and this isn't the spanish league. We don't have the craft or movement to make it work. We have Bale and Lennon bombing head down and slinging balls into the box for the most part.