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LAST Saturday’s 2-1 win over Wolves at Anfield was the proverbial mixed bag – a game with its fair share of both positives and negatives.

I went to the match with my brother, in what was probably the first game we’ve attended together in two years. We both had fairly high expectations, as since the drubbing against Spurs the Reds had produced a strong response against Brighton in the League Cup.

However, when the final whistle blew, moments after Andy Carroll squandered one last chance to open his account for the season; we both felt a little bit deflated – an odd sensation to experience in victory.

Discussing the action later over an Egyptian Molokhia curry at Kimos restaurant in Mount Pleasant, it was obvious to both of us that the positives had outweighed the negatives. Liverpool had won, and ultimately that is the only thing that matters. Football is a results game and we fulfilled our primary objective – obtaining three points.

Yet the performance, while a vast improvement on the previous weekend’s showing against Spurs, was still not a patch on the home wins Kenny oversaw last term.

Given their strong showing down on the south coast, many had expected at least two from the trio of Dirk Kuyt, Craig Bellamy and Maxi Rodriguez to be included in the side. But the team sheet produced by the King showed virtually the same side that had struggled so badly at White Hart Lane – with only Martin Kelly replacing Martin Skrtel at right back and Skrtel moving into the centre to deputise for the injured Daniel Agger.

Defensive errors characterised our start to the game, as Skrtel, Charlie Adam and Jamie Carragher all offered Wolves the chance to take the lead.

Fortunately Wolves did not have the quality within their ranks to oblige, and even more fortuitously we in turn opened the scoring, when a Charlie Adam shot took a huge deflection off Roger Johnson and landed in the visitor’s net. Replays later revealed that Andy Carroll had fouled Johnson in the build-up, but for the first time in weeks, Lady Luck granted us a break.

Unsurprisingly, the biggest positive for the Reds was once again our diminutive yet dazzling Uruguayan. It was the first time my brother had witnessed the force of nature that is Luis Suarez in the flesh, and he along with every other man, woman and child in the Kop voiced their approval when Luis made a mockery of the Wolves defence. A piece of skill when he back-heeled the ball past the dumbfounded Johnson and almost provided Stewart Downing with the chance to double our advantage was worth the admission fee alone.

Doubling our advantage is exactly what Suarez did a short while later, collecting a lovely lofted ball from Luis Enrique (who impresses me more with every passing game) before tearing towards goal and turning the Wolves backline inside out. From our vantage point at the back of the Kop it looked like Suarez had made life difficult for himself by not shooting initially, but that is what the little magician excels at – making the arduous appear oh-so-simple. His finish was ruthless, and the second half now appeared little more than an opportunity for the Reds to rack up our ‘goals for’ column.

  

Whatever words the typically dour Wolves manager Mick McCarthy summoned at half time - a stirring Churchillian battle cry no doubt - certainly worked wonders after the break.

In the first half Wolves had seemed to find it too easy to outmanoeuvre our central pairing of Lucas Leiva and Adam, an issue that I have touched upon before. Lucas seems to sit so deep in order to provide the protection Charlie does not offer, and our Scotsman again faded in a game as it approached the hour mark.

Before this occurred Wolves reduced the deficit, as our fleeting luck departed us as quickly as it had arrived. Enrique cleared a Karl Henry cross but it bounced to Stephen Hunt, who set up substitute Steven Fletcher for a chance he finished with aplomb.

We responded with an immediate onslaught – led by our best performers on the day. Downing fed Suarez who had a shot saved from short range by Wayne Hennessey, then Downing found Andy Carroll with a fine ball at the back post.

Sadly, Andy’s header was wayward, and when it smashed against the post it was all the more frustrating because this game was a vast improvement from him, in terms of movement, application and his hold-up and link-up play.

He seems to often take up deeper positions than Suarez, rather than what I would have expected, which would be Luis dropping deep behind the targetman. I’d like to see Andy push further forward, or alternate more often, as the benefit of playing Luis on the shoulder is clear with his pace.

Downing then wasted a great chance, choosing to shoot when others were perhaps better placed to score, but by now we were not in control of the game.

Having spent the majority of the last five or six years watching Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool, and sides that especially at home controlled the midfield as a matter of course, it is concerning to see us surrender so much ground in the middle of the park as we drop deeper and deeper, a fault that springs from the defence as much as Lucas and Adam. What worries me is that this was not the case last year, when Jay Spearing and Lucas formed a very effective partnership, yet Spearing has mainly been a spectator this year.

Our other problem area in recent weeks has been the right wing, with Jordan Henderson really appearing to flounder out of position on the flank. You could have been forgiven for wondering if he was still on the pitch when he was replaced by Kuyt, and the reaction he is getting from some fans is not what the young lad needs. I’d like to see him taken out of the firing line, and used more sparingly in a central role.

Moving away from the negatives, surely there is no greater positive than the return of Steven Gerrard. He looked every inch the player we need, although we did not get to see the mouthwatering prospect of him combining with Luis, as it was our number 7 who he replaced. Suarez was not happy, but I like that about him, as he always wants to give more to his appreciative audience.

Gerrard looked like the beast of old, striding forward at every opportunity, as if determined to cast aside any doubts of him being affected by a lingering injury. 

But even the man whose magnificent career has seemed like one long, real life Roy of the Rovers tale could not help seal the victory, and the closing exchanges were a lot more nervous than they should have been.

Thankfully all those fears proved redundant, and now that the dust has settled, it’s perhaps easier to see the game for what it was: a decent win against decent opposition. Wolves are a tough side, who have proved resilient when facing big teams, and following an abject loss at home, they were not likely to roll over. 

The counterpoint is that once again if we had taken our early chances (like against Brighton) the score could easily have been 4-1, not 2-1. We must be more clinical, and with far better opposition and trickier ties in both the league and cup to come this month, we must raise our game. 

Let's hope the positives continue to outweigh the negatives.

Will & Kate

“THE last time Steven Gerrard played for Liverpool, Kate Middleton was yet to become a princess.”

Bill Leslie is one of the better commentators on Sky, but his choice of words when announcing the return to action of our captain on Wednesday night was strange to say the least.

There is no doubt Gerrard’s first appearance since the 3-1 demolition of Manchester United back in May was a sight for sore eyes – we have certainly missed him, as any team would miss a player of his ability and stature.

But was it a historic moment on a par with the Royal Wedding? It was a fourth round League Cup tie away at Championship Brighton, not a European Cup final. And did it need to be placed in context with one of the major news events of the year?

If so, personally I’d have preferred “the last time Steven Gerrard played for Liverpool, Osama bin Laden was still the world’s reigning Hide and Seek Champion.” Or maybe “the last time Steven Gerrard played for Liverpool, the best toilet paper on a Sunday was the News of the World.”

Nevertheless, the man they call Captain Marvel has returned, and after a 4-0 away drubbing at Tottenham, with both the derby at Goodison and the visit of Manchester United to Anfield on the horizon, it was a welcome boost.

More welcome was the victory, and the manner in which it was achieved. In the first half Liverpool were excellent, and but for wasteful finishing and the woodwork we could have gone in at half time at least four goals to the good.

It was great to see the free-flowing, attacking football we witnessed last year again under Kenny, with the key protagonists, Suarez, Maxi and Kuyt, reunited alongside Craig Bellamy, who was outstanding. Linking with Suarez he showed great movement for his goal, and a tidy finish. And of course, the last time he scored for Liverpool, Michael Jackson was still on good terms with Doctor Conrad Murray...

Highlights of the first half included a delicious through ball from Dirk to Suarez. Sadly our number seven was once again not wearing his shooting boots, having missed a golden chance against Bolton two week’s previously. Other than that however Luis was excellent, and it is surely a matter of time before he finds the net. Such are the standards he has set, three games without a goal seems like a crisis!

A stunning 35-yard free kick by Bellamy that crashed against the crossbar followed, along with a drive from Jay Spearing that clipped the post. But occasionally our recent defensive frailty was apparent, with Steven Gerrard’s favourite Scouse roofer, Craig Noone, denied by Reina and Martin Kelly making an important clearance.
 

In the second half Brighton upped their game, and Sebastián Coates, who was good overall considering he was making his first start, gifted them a chance with a slack pass. Fortunately, after a sustained spell of pressure, the arrival of Gerrard sparked Liverpool into life once more, and his movement and intelligence played its part in our second goal, Maxi playing in Dirk whose drilled shot bounced in off the inside of the post. Dirk gave the travelling Kop the expected baby-rocking celebration following the birth of his latest son, and the win looked to be secure.

Sadly that was not to be, as a poor error from Spearing, who appeared to try to keep the ball in play and slipped when he should have let it go out, again gifted Brighton a great scoring opportunity. Carragher, who was excellent until that point (having made a series of crucial blocks and interceptions) dived in to try and make amends, and conceded the penalty. He has come under some harsh and some justified criticism these past few weeks, but for me, this was one penalty that was not his fault.

While it was frustrating to see us concede late on, Brighton’s late goal did not take the shine off an impressive Liverpool performance. It was also a showing that threw up yet more questions ahead of today’s game at home against Wolves. Should Bellamy, Kuyt and Maxi retain their place in attack, and should Coates be selected again alongside Carragher despite Skrtel being back from suspension?

Personally I think Downing has been playing well, and should line up on the left ahead of Maxi. But if the squad operates along the lines of a meritocracy, Andy Carroll should really make way for Bellamy. It is a tough call, and I would be inclined as stated previously to play Andy into form and give Craig half an hour off the bench. On the right I think Kuyt should come in for Henderson, giving him another match before a crucial fortnight. As far as I am concerned Dirk with his mix of attributes, experience and ‘big game’ reliability should always be involved when we clash with Everton and United.

I’d like to see Coates given time to form a partnership with Carra, and with Kelly at right back and Enrique on the left, we really should keep a clean sheet today. Wolves are a decent, well-organised side, who started the season well, but successive, emphatic home defeats may have dented their confidence, and three points today is a must. Especially given their win here last year.

As for our captain, he may well have to settle for a place on the bench, and will hopefully take part in the second half with another cameo appearance. The last thing we want to do is rush him back and risk injury, as we cannot afford to have him endure another lengthy spell on the sidelines. 

After all, we’ve seen what happens when Gerrard gets injured. Celebrities marry, dictators fall, economies crash, and Currys and Dixons get ransacked. Who knows what political and cultural events could transpire during his next absence?

Bad Karma

EARLIER this season I was forced to miss our 3-1 home win over Bolton Wanderers.

As a man of limited means I don’t get to many away games, but I attend nearly all our home matches in both league and cup. However, on this occasion, the choice was taken out of my hands.

Because of the rescheduling of the fixture by inconsiderate TV bosses, the encounter now clashed with an important family occasion, my girlfriend’s sister’s 21st birthday party. Being the dutiful boyfriend, I therefore found myself watching the game at their parents’ house.

I’m a believer in karma, of good deeds being rewarded, and thankfully my sacrifice did not go unnoticed. We strolled to victory, and the circumstances could not have been sweeter.

Midway through the game a confident young man walked into the room, and introduced himself as one of the birthday girl’s university friends. This forthright gentleman was a Londoner, and a Tottenham fan, and his first comment after glancing at the action took me by surprise.

“Charlie Adam is so overrated – he’s so average.”

I said I thought he was a good player, but before I had the chance to defend our new Scottish midfielder at length, Mr Adam placed the ball on the corner spot, took a swing of his cultured left foot, and whipped a cross onto Martin Skrtel’s head. 2-0. Exactly a minute later Dirk Kuyt played in the man from Dundee, who obliged by unleashing a low right-footed shot that nestled in the corner of the net.

3-0 to Liverpool. 1-0 to me.

My smile was now as wide as the Mersey, and my newfound friend slightly less cocksure. But the next day things got even better. Sitting down to watch his cherished Spurs face Manchester City at White Hart Lane, what unfolded before us was nothing short of a football lesson. And it was Harry Redknapp’s side who found themselves sat in the corner wearing the dunce’s hat.

City were mesmerising, Dzeko, Aguero, Nasri and Silva’s link-up play a joy to behold, and the 5-1 scoreline flattered Spurs. I gave my new pal a handshake and wished him a safe journey home. I’m pretty sure I was still laughing by the time he got off his train back at Euston.

Sadly, all of this gloating has been a preamble to an obvious riposte – and a dose of bad karma brought about by crowing in victory.

Shorn of the misfiring Peter Crouch, and with a motivated Emmanuel Adebayor in his place, Spurs recorded an impressive 2-0 win away at Wolves last week. The Tottenham side Liverpool faced yesterday was a team transformed, and it was us who were shown how it should be done.

Looking at the two line-ups and judging the opening exchanges, it was clear how far they had come in just three weeks. Luka Modrić is no longer the subdued figure angling for a transfer, and once again looks like one of the finest footballers in the country. Alongside him was the man who officially holds that title, the reigning PFA Footballer of the Year, Scott Parker. Guile allied with grit.

Niko Kranjčar, so ruthlessly exposed when asked to play centrally against City, was back on the right wing, with the pace of Gareth Bale a constant threat on the opposite flank. Their 4-4-2 spearheaded by Adebayor and Jermaine Defore looked extremely dangerous.

We shaped up in a 4-3-3 formation - the first of many mistakes made by Kenny, in what was surely the worst performance of his second spell at Anfield. That isn’t a slight on the King, because even the great managers get it wrong on occasion. This was one of those occasions.

Firstly, any Red seeing Martin Skrtel at right back, set to face Gareth Bale, must have shuddered. I like Martin, and think he can do a job as a squad player, but for me he is rash, physically weak despite looking so imposing, and should be fourth in line out of our central defenders as the season progresses.

When it comes to the right back position, he shouldn’t even be considered. But to be fair to Kenny, the absence of both our first and second choice players in that position through injury, Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly, didn’t leave him with many options. I’d have preferred to see Jamie Carragher, a fullback who became a centre half, out there if necessary, or the other right back in the squad, the youngster Jon Flanagan, selected. Perhaps following a shaky performance from him against Sunderland on the opening day, Kenny didn’t feel he was ready to face the Welsh winger.

Whatever the reasoning, Skrtel was the choice, and surely ahead of him therefore must have been Dirk Kuyt, tasked to double up on Bale and provide industry and commitment to protect our weak link. Instead we got a player who increasingly looks like a central midfield prospect, Jordan Henderson, tucking in on the right where he is not comfortable, and he was largely anonymous.

On the left hand side Jose Enrique had an okay game compared to most, but again he was left exposed by the man ahead of him. Which brings us back around to Charlie Adam.

I was delighted when we signed Charlie, as I saw him as a player with great vision, a lovely range of accurate passes both short and long, and deadly set pieces. I thought he would give us another dimension, and increase our goal threat, because he set up and scored so many goals for Blackpool last year.

What has become more apparent however since watching him up close week in, week out is his defensive frailty, his lack of mobility, his over ambition or reliance on picking the perfect long pass (which can lead to him conceding possession cheaply) and his dirty streak. He makes bad tackles, and occasionally nasty tackles, often when stretching for a ball he has lost or when trying to recover ground when caught out of position.

Admittedly things were already going very badly, as Spurs had flown out of the traps and Modrić scored a sensational goal. Then the sight we all dread came to fruition once more, with the brittle Agger leaving the field injured. What followed was a very short spell in which we started to settle, and I hoped we could ease our way back into the game. Only for Adam to make life ten times harder.

The referee appeared to have decided to issue a booking for every foul, at least every foul committed by a Liverpool player. I think we made eight fouls and received six bookings, Spurs 10 in return for only one yellow card. But possibly the first Adam tussle aside, which I think could have seen him escape with an early warning, the referee was not at fault, and he should not be blamed for this defeat. Spurs were superior in every department, and our fouls were stupid and reckless.

Adam may not have meant to hurt Parker, but he shouldn’t be lunging at a player like that when on his last warning. When he caught Parker’s leg it was the closest he got to him all afternoon.

I feel we need to consider resting Adam when away at places like Spurs, as he’s a player who will shine against dross at Anfield and help unlock the door against teams that park the bus, but doesn't seem suited to a battle away from home. 

I would much rather have seen a Lucas and Spearing combination yesterday, which worked to great effect last year against some illustrious opponents, or even a pairing of Lucas and Henderson. Spearing’s tenacity was missed, and it puzzles me that players like him, Maxi and Dirk, who shone so brightly last season under Kenny, are sat on the bench, when those ahead of them are hardly pulling up trees. 

Skrtel’s red card came at a time when I was beginning to think we could ride out the storm and nick something. Down to nine men, the floodgates opened. Skrtel was again perhaps unlucky with his first booking, but the second yellow was never in doubt. Enrique was then turned by Jermaine Defoe for Tottenham’s second, and the match as a contest was over. But in reality it had been from the start, with even Lucas chasing shadows in the middle, Downing isolated, Suarez frothing at the mouth and in danger of receiving a red himself, and Andy Carroll looking so out of sorts it was painful to watch.

I can see the reasoning behind dropping Andy when others are performing well and he is not, but on the other hand he is supposed to be the future, the player we are set to build our attack around under Kenny. Dirk is not the future at 31, so much as I prefer him with Suarez and think they link up well, I believe we should give the 22-year-old the nod for a run of games, and try and play him into form. I think it would be good for him to know that if he misses a chance or two, or struggles for sharpness, that he will still be in the side the following weekend. He needs to get back to the rampaging beast we saw at Newcastle, instead of this timid, lumbering giant, and confidence is key.  

The goals that followed once Skrtel needlessly kicked Bale only served to underline how poor we had been and how impressive Spurs were on the day, the peerless Modrić head and shoulders above the rest. All day long the gap between our defence and midfield formed a massive chasm, and Modrić revelled in the free space he had between the lines.

It seems Jamie is dragging our defence back nearer and nearer to Pepe Reina’s net with every passing game. If we are to improve defensively we must push our backline higher up the pitch, but that is not in the best interests of the man organising our back four on the field, due to his diminishing pace. It was hard to gain much of an impression of Coates given the circumstances, but I really hope before long we see him partner Agger, flanked by Johnson or Kelly and Enrique, and the whole defensive line advance 10 yards. At least. 

 

Between now and next Saturday against Wolves, I’m praying Steven Gerrard makes his return, to bring some much needed leadership, presence, attacking impetus, and above all, quality. But with such a lengthy layoff, there is no guarantee he will hit the ground running. It will be interesting to see where he fits into the team. Ideally Kelly will return at right back, Coates keep his place alongside Carragher if Agger is unfit, and one of Adam or Henderson make way for Gerrard to play as a central attacking midfielder ahead of Lucas and the partner of Kenny’s choosing. I’d like to see an attacking three of Downing, Stevie and Suarez supporting Carroll, and maybe get a glimpse for the first time at the attacking quartet Kenny has in mind.

Before I finish I’ll say this - we must remember that following such a heavy defeat, our worst in eight years, all is not lost. We are not as bad as Sunday indicated, nor as good as the routine dismissal of Bolton suggested. We are a work in progress, and it’s evident that us, Arsenal and Spurs, the probable contenders for fourth place, all look capable of dropping silly points and switching from Jekyl to Hyde at the drop of a hat.

All of which brings this rather depressing second post to a conclusion. I should clarify that – it has been depressing for me and other Reds, no doubt. But if he reads it, it will probably be a source of great amusement for a certain cheeky chap from north London. Mr David Domb - I believe that is 1-1 sir!

The Ghost Goal

EVEN now after all these years, it still amuses me to hear Jose Mourinho whinging about Luis Garcia’s controversial goal in the Champions League semi-final of 2005. 

Whether it's the 'ghost goal’, ‘the goal that never was’, or ‘the goal that didn’t cross the line’, I love recalling the reality - the goal that saw Liverpool defeat Chelsea and move on to win our fifth European Cup in Istanbul. 

Mourinho, of course, has repeatedly moaned about its validity, and despite all his success since that fateful night, the now Real Madrid manager just cannot let it drop. In his eyes, his ‘heroes’ or the 'better side' as he claimed, were unquestionably robbed. He will probably complain about the injustice of it all until his dying day, and I hope he does continue, because his bitterness makes the memory of our triumph just that little bit sweeter.

I realise that it's a shame to start my first post on this new blog by talking about the self-proclaimed Special One, but I was reminded of his oh-so-sour grapes when talking to a Chelsea fan last week, as we discussed the Raul Meireles transfer (a good move for everybody concerned - the player, Liverpool and Chelsea, we agreed) and his team’s chances of success in the Champions League this season.

When the old chestnut eventually cropped up I decided to issue the stock response: that the referee probably decided to award the goal because it was an easier option than sending off Chelsea’s goalkeeper Peter Cech and awarding a penalty for his foul on Milan Baros in the build up to King Luis’ strike.

I thought I’d heard it all where Garcia’s this matter was concerned, but his reply left me flabbergasted – apparently Baros should have been penalised for a high foot and a free kick awarded to Chelsea. I was tempted to either laugh manically, or make a point of rolling my eyes,  but seeing as I was sat in a barber’s chair and he was brandishing a pair of sharp scissors, I decided to let his preposterous claim ride.

Now, I understand that Chelsea fans feel cheated to this day, and if it was me, I'm sure I would be equally, if not more, bitter. But until last weekend I had very little sympathy for their misfortune. A goal is a goal is a goal. If the referee gives it, you move on. 

Sadly that all changed on Saturday, when the Reds faced Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. It was a match in which Liverpool supporters relying on a certain public-funded media service received a dose of our own medicine – experiencing a haunting phantom goal.

I was already unlucky enough to be sat in work rather than stood with the traveling Kop, and as it was the end of my shift, I was glued to a foreign TV channel, streaming footage of the encounter on my computer screen. Watching matches in this way is not without its hazards – a time delay and some skipping is almost inevitable, the commentary on this occasion was in English but came with a pronounced echo, and if it wasn’t displayed on a full screen with all other internet windows closed, it ground to an abrupt halt.

With 80 minutes on the clock, Liverpool trailing 1-0 to an avoidable penalty and my frustration rapidly mounting, I received a phone call from my better half. She asked me when I would be coming home, seeing as I’d finished work over an hour previously, and I could sense an argument was in the making. Clearly so could she given the circumstances, as she quickly added “Calm down, the score’s 1-1 now anyway, I’ve just seen it on the BBC website.”

Factoring into account the time delay of several minutes, my immediate conclusion was that we had indeed equalised, and all was once again well in the world. I said I would call her back, celebrated (but not too much, seeing as I hadn’t actually seen the goal), and waited for the inevitable joy. And waited. And waited. And waited. “This must be it” I cried. “Here it comes!” "Maybe it’s from this corner..."… Until finally, frantically looking at my watch: “How long can this delay be?!”

I didn’t want to lose the footage now the stream was up and running, I couldn’t open a Sky Sports application on my phone, so I held out for as long as possible. My workmate even confirmed it said it was 1-1 on the BBC website – but the ghost goal never came. Even in the dying minutes I tried to convince myself a goal was about to materialise, and that this was in fact the worst time delay ever – a delay that would have involved my girlfriend speaking to me from the future when she announced the goal. But she is not Marty McFly nor Doctor Who, and when Luis Suarez spurned a glorious last chance I had to concede it wasn’t to be. Credit where it's due - my girlfriend quickly sent the following evidence (before I drove home and wreaked vengeance for the worst practical joke ever):

Turning to the game, simply put, we deserved at least a draw. Our first half performance was sloppy, none-more-so than Charlie Adam and his wayward passing, and blighted by errors, none worse than Carragher’s wrestling contest with Jon Walters. It was a needless penalty to concede, and quite frankly reinforces doubts over Jamie’s long term future in the first team, with our defensive stalwart out muscled and out positioned - two aspects of his game where he has always excelled. 

But our second half performance was much better, we enjoyed an incredible amount of possession away from home, and we fashioned enough chances to maintain our unbeaten record. Yes, we need somebody to provide goals on the occasions Suarez fails to shine, and for me the return of Steven Gerrard can't come soon enough. But while our terrible run away at Stoke continues for another year, it was nothing like the abject defeat 12 months ago at the same stadium, when Roy Hodgson’s charges served up one of the worst performances of his shocking reign. We are a work in progress under Kenny Dalglish, and if that is how well we play in defeat, there will be many better days ahead.

Speaking of the King, his post match ‘rant’ was nothing of the sort – it was a targeted response that achieved its aims, much like the many tirades launched by Alex Ferguson down the years. This week he held face-to-face talks with Mike Riley, the general manager of Professional Game Match Officials, and I’m willing to bet the next time an opposition player should be sent off against us, as in the case of Kieran Richardson on the opening day against Sunderland, or the Reds awarded a penalty, as in the case of Luis Suarez against Bolton, the right decision will be made. This is one of the many reasons why we all love Kenny – he fights our corner at any and every opportunity, which is exactly how it should be.

Next we face Tottenham away at White Hart Lane, which like the Britannia is generally an unhappy hunting ground for Liverpool. Our victories there have been sporadic during the Premiership era, with three defeats in the league in the last three years – the one in the 2008-09 season particularly galling and unmerited. Our last win at Spurs, a 2-0 victory in an end-of-season dead rubber in 2007-08, came courtesy of goals from Torres and Voronin, which I’m sure we can all agree, seems like a lifetime ago!

For me a positive result would be a draw, and I would be delighted if we could keep a clean sheet. We need to cut out the mistakes that have cost us clean sheets in all but one Premiership fixture so far this season – our defence is well drilled and we are letting our hard work go to waste. One thing is for sure, I will be watching the game in real-time, and the BBC live feed will not be relied upon in any way, shape or form!