Liverpool know they’ll face a tough test against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday but the usual Jose Mourinho tactics won’t work.
The Reds know what Mourinho can do as well as anyone. If he decides that the other team is better, then it’s time to shut up shop and go for the draw. Maybe, if they’re lucky, they’ll snatch a win.
We infamously saw it at Anfield in 2013/14 and virtually every meeting against his Manchester United side produced similar. So it’s notable that Mourinho has already admitted that Liverpool are huge favourites (per Sky).
While that certainly says some nice things about Liverpool, it also suggests that Mourinho will use those same, familiar tactics.
Only, he can’t really take that chance. Spurs need wins, while a point for Liverpool isn’t a big setback at all.
Spurs currently sit in sixth, six points behind fourth-place Chelsea. If they have eyes on Champions League football – and they certainly do – then they can’t afford to drop points at home.
So Mourinho is surely taking far too big of a chance in playing for the draw, or deliberately killing the game. For one thing, most teams do try that against Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp’s side have proven time and time again that they can still win those games consistently.
It’s not clear what Mourinho should do then. It’s a difficult situation and one without an obvious answer.
But drawing the game doesn’t look like a good result for them as they’d likely be eight points behind fourth. They need to attack, to go for the win and playing in a way that increases those chances is surely necessary.
Even if that more attacking, open game also increases their chances of defeat. It’s exactly what Liverpool would want but Mourinho might not have a choice.
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