Alan Shearer has stated that Eric Dier was ‘terrible’ in the first half of Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday before changing, as he told Match of the Day 2.
The Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer stated that it’s ‘amazing’ the difference in Spurs, from the first half to the second half of games.
That proved to be the case with Antonio Conte’s side once again yesterday, as Shearer highlighted how someone like Dier changed his game by being ‘further up the park’.
Against Bournemouth last week in the Premier League, the north London club were 2-0 down against the newly-promoted side, before they mounted a second-half comeback and clinched all three points.
Well, it’s all great doing that against that calibre of team, but you simply aren’t going to get away with it against a team like Liverpool, even if they have had their troubles this season.
The home side were duly punished by a Mo Salah brace, as Shearer commented on two sides of Tottenham turning up to each game.
“It’s amazing the difference between the first half and the second half performance,” said Shearer. “Very similar to when they conceded two goals against Bournemouth.
“I mean the time they gave Liverpool on the ball to hurt them and punish them. There was no intensity or energy from Tottenham. You have got very good (Liverpool) players taking touches (in Tottenham’s final third and penalty area) and nobody around them.
“The manager obviously gets into them at half-time. Straight from the kick-off, it was a totally different attitude from Tottenham. All of a sudden every single player is a further 15 or 20 yards up the pitch, and then they can win the ball back.
“Dier was further up the park. He had a terrible first half.”
A GAME TO FORGET FOR DIER
Gareth Southgate recalled Dier to the England set-up in the summer and the £4 million Spurs man (BBC Sport) deserved that recall for his performances under Antonio Conte.
But, with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar around the corner, it’s fair to say that he has had a game to forget against Liverpool.
No more so than his header into the path of the on-rushing Mo Salah for his second goal of the game, as that moment, after Harry Kane’s second-half strike, ended up proving to be the game-changing moment.
Dier should still be part of the England squad that heads to the Middle East later on this month, but you just never know sometimes when it comes to World Cup selections.
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