This week I spoke to Tottenham fan Damien Wiese, as Liverpool look to move on from a disappointing result against Manchester City with another tough away fixture, at White Hart Lane. Here is what he had to say:
To start off, can you tell us about the main dangers Tottenham can pose to Liverpool on Sunday, and who you think the real danger-men for your side are?
The main danger we pose is our front four, who can turn it on in the blink of an eye. Pochettino loves his high pressure football and we will be pressing Liverpool for the entire game. Eriksen and Lamela have played very well so far and both get better every game; they could tip the game in Tottenham’s favour.
It has obviously been a fantastic start to the season for Spurs, with 6 points out of 6 so far. How confident are you about adding to that on Sunday?
I’m fairly confident, Pochettino seems to be doing a good job with the squad and even a side of Liverpool’s quality will struggle at the Lane. That being said, Liverpool have a number of attacking players that can cause us problems too. It’s likely to come down to who can defend better.
What is the general feeling around the summer transfer business that Tottenham have been involved in, despite being quieter in the market than last summer, would you say the business that has been done is shrewd?
We have signed a few players in this window and while none of them are stand out stars, they add plenty of quality and depth to the squad. If we go far in the cups, the few extra players could be crucial. Players like Yedlin, Dier and Davies have the potential to be great players for us over the next decade, so this might just be our shrewdest window for quite some time.
In contrast, how do you feel Liverpool’s transfer window has gone, would you say you’re impressed with the business done or underwhelmed?
Liverpool’s window has been similar to our own one last year; best player gone for a mountain of money and lots of new boys brought in. Time will tell whether players like Lambert, Lallana and Moreno are good enough to succeed at the club but Liverpool fans shouldn’t expect too much from the new players too soon. I speak from experience.
Having lost the corresponding fixture by some margin at White Hart Lane last season, is there a sense of apprehension from your supporters going into this game?
Last season was a bad one for us against the top 3. This fixture last season was the hardest to watch, as it looked like our season was already dead in the water. There is a sense of optimism now though and the humiliation last season will be on the player’s minds. As far as I can tell, our supporters are quietly confident going into the game, playing Liverpool now could be a blessing, as their new players continue to gel. Better to play them now than later in the season, when the team will probably be in better form and linking up well together.
When looking at the current Liverpool squad, who do you feel poses your side the most threat on Sunday?
Sterling and Sturridge are the main men for Liverpool. Pochettino’s high pressure game could leave gaps at the back and their pace will cause problems for our centre backs. I fully expect Hugo Lloris to come charging off his line more than once on Sunday.
Finally, can we get a score prediction from you?
Liverpool don’t look quite as good as they did last season just yet and Tottenham will be on a high. It’ll be a close game and it could go either way but I’m confident enough to say 2-0 Tottenham.
Big thanks go to Damien, who you can follow at @damienwiese11 on twitter. I am in agreement with many of his comments, particularly on the danger men for both sides. Ever the optimist, though, my score prediction differs slightly. 1-0 Liverpool. Here’s hoping…
