Tottenham fail to learn their lessons as sloppiness and lethargy returns against Liverpool to haunt Mauricio Pochettino

Spurs’ defeat against Watford at the start of the month was an eye-opener for Pochettino but their failure to turn up against Liverpool will be of even graver concern

Mauricio Pochettino has plenty to reflect on after Tottenham's defeat by Liverpool (Reuters)

The most painful thing for Mauricio Pochettino, after seeing his Tottenham side outplayed at home by a rival, losing their second straight league game while barely putting up a fight, is that he could have seen it coming.

To hear Pochettino speak in his press conference on Thursday afternoon, underlining exactly what he expected from his players on Saturday, was to hear a manager who was desperately trying to remind his team of his high standards, demanding that they not make the same mistakes twice. He was still angry with the 2-1 defeat at Vicarage Road just before the international break. He had hammered his players in his press conference that Sunday evening, for treating the game like a testimonial, and asking them whether a side like Manchester City would let a game slip that easily.

But it is easy for a message to get forgotten over a long international break and so on Thursday afternoon in his press conference, Pochettino returned to the same message. He made it as clear as he could that he would not accept a repeat of the Watford no-show on Saturday afternoon. To make the same mistake twice would be unforgivable.

Pochettino rhetorically asked his players that if they did not have the “desire and focus” to put it in here at Wembley, against Liverpool, then what really was the point of any of this? “I will be on the phone to say, ‘Houston, we have a problem.’” He looked back at the Watford game, just in case anyone had forgotten what he made of his team that afternoon. “So slow, so sloppy from the beginning,” Pochettino said. “It was like we thought it was a nice afternoon, with Elton John in the stands. It was like going to Hyde Park with my child.”

To hear Pochettino press the same point in the same way 11 days apart was to realise how important this was to him, and how much he wanted an improvement. Which is why this display must have been so infuriating.

Because all of the sloppiness and all of the lethargy that marked out the Watford game were on display again for Tottenham at Wembley. It was so different from the great Spurs performances we have seen in the past in games like this, at home, against the best, when they would bring more energy and ambition with them than opponents could handle. Last season they beat Arsenal, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool here, wiping out Jürgen Klopp’s side 4-1 last October. This game could barely have been more different from that.

Pochettino warned his side against making the same mistakes they made against Watford (Reuters)

That exciting Tottenham team had been replaced by a ponderous, restricted one. Here they played in a new 4-4-2 diamond system, meant in theory to grab a hold of the game and cut off Liverpool’s supply lines. Spurs did get hold of the ball, but they never did anything dangerous with it. Before Erik Lamela’s added time consolation goal, they had one meaningful chance: Lucas Moura hitting the outside of the post early in the second half.

They looked like they desperately missed Dele Alli, a man who keeps the tempo up, who makes things happen, who is able to surprise opponents with a clever flick or run. Spurs are a far more predictable team without him, which means they are far easier to stop. Here, their attacking plans were limited to releasing Lucas or Harry Kane in behind, and not much else.

Even worse than that was the defensive sloppiness which allowed Liverpool to score that crucial first goal. At Watford Pochettino was furious with how his team conceded two from set pieces, telling them that the most serious sides would refuse to let in goals like those. Spurs used to be watertight at the back, but the way they let in the first goal here was disastrous. Sadio Mane got in to force the corner, Michel Vorm got his punch wrong, Toby Alderweireld could not clear it, and that was that.

Spurs were predictable in attack and weak in defence (AP)

Liverpool are a terrible team to chase the game against because they are so good on the break, and Spurs had to be immaculate after going behind. But Mane could get in behind Trippier so easily every time he attacked and it was no real surprise when Liverpool had their second. From there, Liverpool looked like scoring every time they broke and on another day they would have scored four or five.

There are plenty of minor points that blame can be stuck on: Hugo Lloris’ injury, Kane’s lack of bite, Dele Alli’s absence, Eric Dier’s dip in form, the failure to move stadium yet or of course the lack of summer signings. You can argue all day about how exactly to share that blame around. But however you do, the conclusion is the same: this is not the Tottenham team that has blown opponents off the pitch over the last few seasons. This is a different, lesser team, slower, sloppier, less sure of themselves. Pochettino needs to get the old Tottenham back.