Rafa Benitez was critical of Pedro Porro and Eric Dier’s defending during Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-3 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
It was Newcastle United all over again. Are the Spurs players going to refund their fans again? After 15 minutes, they were 3-0 down and it was looking like they were going to be on the end of yet another battering.
Harry Kane, who else? Restored some faith again with a brilliantly-taken goal after Ivan Perisic put Virgil van Dijk on his backside before Son Heung-min added to the scoreline in the second-half and Richarlison thought he had remarkably scored the equaliser in stoppage-time before Diogo Jota’s winner, but Benitez was critical of the positioning of Pedro Porro and Eric Dier for Liverpool’s opening two goals.
Inside a few minutes, following a cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones was ghosting in at the far post to prod home the opener, before Cody Gakpo’s ball across from the right channel saw Luis Diaz double his side’s lead after just five minutes.
Spurs were getting torn apart again, with Benitez stating what was wrong with the five at the back, as he told Premier League Productions (30/04/23 at 5:20 pm).
On Curtis Jones’ goal: “We can talk about the mistakes when defending,” said Benitez. “The wing-back (Porro) has to be aware of what he has in behind. He has to be aware of the player (Curtis Jones) that is coming, especially with five defenders.
“With four, the fullback has to be aware, but with five, it’s impossible to have a player free at the back post.
On Diaz’s goal: “The main thing, for me, is the ball. You have to be aware. Where is the ball? After you have to control the space, then after, the opponent. You have two players (Porro and Romero), they are too deep. They don’t shuffle or go closer to the ball to protect the other teammates.
On Dier’s positioning: “He needs to be a little higher and go on the little bit on the inside (towards Liverpool’s right-hand side). Then this pass (to Gakpo), behind the wing-back (Perisic), becomes very, very difficult and he can protect him. They have to shuffle a little bit (across) and they have to cover each other.
“This position (of Dier) and also Porro, the wing-back, they have to a little bit inside and then they will control that.”
DEJA VU FOR TOTTENHAM
Only a few days ago, the Spurs players were refunding their fans for their abject defeat to Newcastle United.
At 3-0 down, Daniel Levy was probably wondering if he needed to get the chequebook out from the director’s box at Anfield because the same was going to happen again.
Whether it’s a back-five or flat-four, Spurs are all over the place from a defensive aspect because they have to concede a few goals before they can get their game going at the other end.
That’s what is going to cost them Champions League football, and if they don’t get their act together, European football altogether.
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