Posted on Thursday, 2nd February 2012 by Harry Hotspur
This just in courtesy of NexGen…
Tottenham Hotspur progressed to the Semi-Finals of the inaugural NextGen Series following a tight clash with Liverpool at White Hart Lane.
Liverpool were unfortunate to bow out of the tournament creating the better chances in the 90 minutes but struggled to turn their dominance into goals and were subsequently punished by Spurs.
Shaquille Coulthirst pounced on a parried save from Liverpool keeper Belford to give Spurs the lead after 72 minutes. Raheem Sterling and Toni Silva caused havoc throughout the 90 minutes for the Reds, and spurned several golden opportunities to give Liverpool the lead.
Tottenham will now face the winner of FC Barcelona vs. Ajax which will be played at the Mini Estadi next Wednesday.
The full time score, and scorers, for the game were:
Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Coulthirst) vs. 0 Liverpool FC - Full match report on the game -
The two remaining English teams in the NextGen tournament faced off at White Hart Lane as Tottenham played host to Liverpool in a game that promised to showcase the crème de la crème of English academy football in a bid to progress to the semi-final stages.
Despite boasting a squad of undoubted quality, Liverpool were yet to show their best form in the tournament, qualifying out of NextGen Group 2 by virtue of Wolfsburg and Molde’s inability to capitalise on the Mersey giants stuttering campaign with coach Rodolfo Borrell hoping his fledglings used the opportunity against Spurs to show their true potential.
The visitors form is in stark contrast to their hosts, Tim Sherwood guiding his Spurs squad to four wins and two draws to qualify top of NextGen Group 4, highlighted by thumping 7-1 victory over Inter Milan in late August.
Given the disparity between the two teams results and the home advantage, it would have been easy to regard Spurs as favourites to progress to the semi-finals, but as Inter’s victory over Sporting proved, in a knock-out scenario, the form book can go out of the window, especially when faced with a side as dangerous as Liverpool.
And so it proved in an eventful first half with both sides having chances to score in the first ten minutes with Tottenham centre back Milos Meljkovic involved in both incidents.
The 16-year-old first forcing a fine save out of Tyrell Belford from a Alex Pritchard corner, moments before gifting Michael Ngoo possession in his own area, with the defender recovering before the big Liverpool striker could get the ball out of his feet.
Tottenham’s much vaunted midfield pairing of Massimo Luongo and Jake Munns had the majority of the ball in midfield, but looked vulnerable down the flanks with Raheem Sterling and Tony Silva pressing high up the pitch to support lone striker Ngoo.
It was a tactic which should have paid dividends in the 32nd minute, Sterling, in easily his finest performance of the tournament, beat his marker before finding Ngoo in the area with the striker again taking an age to get his shot away before dragging it tamely wide of goalkeeper Jonathan Miles near post.
The pair combined again, Ngoo collecting a pass from Suso, to play in Sterling but having jinked past a trio of Spurs defenders the winger couldn’t keep his shot on target and Spurs escaped.
Liverpool would let Spurs off the hook again before half-time with Toni Silva the guilty culprit, having found himself one on one with Miles, the Portuguese elected and failed to round the Spurs keeper when a shot might have been easier.
The half came to a close with another Liverpool attempt at goal, Suso firing straight at Miles from the edge of the area having been teed up by captain Conor Coady.
Having wrestled the initiative from the home side, the second half began as the first ended with Liverpool again on the front foot, Ngoo again failing to find the target after a sharp edge of the Spurs box.
Under incessant Liverpool pressure, Spurs became increasingly reliant on set pieces and nearly capitalised on 54 minutes, Veljkovic flashing a header wide from another Pritchard corner.
The Reds continued to batter on the Spurs door, forcing Jake Nicholson to bravely block an effort from Toni Silva with his keeper in no mans land following another Sterling raid down the Spurs right.
Having wasted a glut of opportunities to take control of the tie, Liverpool were punished for their profligacy in the 71st minute, Shaquile Coulthirst reacting first to give Spurs the lead after Liverpool goalkeeper Tyrell Berlford could only parry a deflected shot back into his own six yard box.
Liverpool continued to dominate and would have drawn level had it not been for the heroics of Jonathan Miles in the Spurs goal, first spreading himself superbly to deny Raheem Sterling, deflecting the wingers shot past the post, before reacting equally impressively from the resulting corner to deny Tony Silva.
The Reds rang the changes in an effort to draw level, introducing Adam Morgan and Krisztian Adorjan for Jesus Fernandez and Michael Ngoo with 15 minutes remaining, but the change did little to change their luck in front of goal, seeing two opportunities deep into injury time go begging.
Having won a free-kick near the corner flag, substitute Adorjan rolled the ball to Sterling at the edge of the box, striking the ball first time, Sterlings drive drive appeared destined for the bottom corner only to be deflected over the bar, with the last incident of the game coming from the resulting corner, Adam Morgan rolling a shot agonisingly wide of Miles post.
Spurs can count themselves lucky to be in the next round and await an enticing semi-final against either Barcelona or Ajax, but Liverpool, with by far their most impressive performance of the campaign, only have themselves to blame for failing to convert their dominance into goals.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): J Miles – J Barthram (sub: W Ekong, 79′), M Veljkovic, J Nicholson, K Stewart – A Pritchard, M Luongo, J Munns, T Gomelt (sub: N Bentaleb, 64′) – S Coulthirst, S Coulibaly
Subs not used: B Granger, C Ceballos, K McEvoy, L Angol
Booked: Nicholson, Veljkovic, Bentaleb
Coach: Tim Sherwood
Liverpool (4-4-1-1): T Belford – R McLaughlin, S Sama, A Wisdom, J Flanagan – T Silva, C Coady, C Roddan, R Sterling – J Fernandez (sub: A Morgan, 77′) – M Ngoo (sub: K Adorjan, 77′)
Subs not used: D Ward, M McGiveron, M Pelosi, K Emilsson.
Booked: Sterling, Adorjan, Coady
Tags: 79'), Gomelt, J Miles – J Barthram (sub: W Ekong, J Munns, J Nicholson, K Stewart – A Pritchard, M Luongo, M Veljkovic, N Bentaleb, S Coulibaly, S Coulthirst
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Posted in Blogs, Premiership, Tottenham Hotspur | Comments (53)53 Responses to “NexGen Series Full Match Report Just In”
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February 2nd, 2012 at 9:59 am
First amongst London clubs
A new generation of talent on the way through – great news.
My parents used to say that about me. Then they grew up and I just grew
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February 2nd, 2012 at 10:11 am
Great stuff!
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February 2nd, 2012 at 10:13 am
Does this count for next Monday night? Proper order – keep Liverpool under the thumb.
We took the wrong guy from Everton – Fellaini ate Silva, Nasri, etc. without salt on Tuesday.
I think that we’re going to need to pack the tin helmets for Monday – Charlie Adams and pals have a few scores to settle. It could be brutal – Carroll is beginning to feel the love and looks like he wants to prove a thing or two.
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 12:06 pm
I watched Fellaini against us recently, and it struck me that his greatest talent was for pushing opponents in the back.
Anyway, not sure BAE could stand the competition for “Who’s got the biggest”?
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February 2nd, 2012 at 10:14 am
Nexgen – is that a catchy name for a fertility pill?
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February 2nd, 2012 at 10:16 am
I don’t normally do this, but I’m going to re-
gurgitatepost what I just posted on the previous thread. Was in response to SOID pointing out that Arsenal are 23 points worse off relative to us this season than last.Just in case anyone has any gooner colleagues/friends/family who are not sufficiently humbled after the battering they took from Bolton in the last 20 minutes yesterday, you see…
—————————-
Oooh! If we’re doing gooner stats, how about these?
Only Wigan (27) have conceded more goals on their travels this season than Le Arse (25)
or
Sunderland (19) and Fulham (22) have scored more goals at home than Arsescum (17)
or
Wenger’s harem have taken more points away from home than any other team.*
*Except for United, Shitty and Spurs. And Chavski and ‘Poo. And the Geordies. And West Brom and Villa. And Stoke. And Everton.
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February 2nd, 2012 at 10:22 am
HH, the picture (Nextgen with club logos.jpg) for the article isn’t displaying. Might be my browser, of course. Our IT aren’t exactly known for consistently sterling work. Thought I’d point it out at any rate.
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Harry Hotspur Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 10:36 am
It might be your browser sir, I can see it. I’m using Chrome…
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 12:08 pm
I’m on Chrome too, but no pic.
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SuperSpurs Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 7:16 pm
iPad, no pic.
February 2nd, 2012 at 10:23 am
When do we celebrate St Arse day?
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February 2nd, 2012 at 10:27 am
Tottenham, Barcelona and Ajax – that’s poetry isn’t it? I could get to like this bunch of achievers.
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February 2nd, 2012 at 10:42 am
Your picture is linked to google mail. So you can probably see it because you have access to your email.
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Harry Hotspur Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 10:50 am
Thanks. Should be fixed now. Schoolboy error.
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Gilzeanwasgod Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 11:07 am
Jumpers for goal posts?
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 12:09 pm
Still no pic here.
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MynameisLuka Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 1:50 pm
no pic on opera either!
I think its absolutely brillant what these young lads and their manager have achieved so far- well done, and keep doing it!
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February 2nd, 2012 at 11:21 am
Watched the first half of this and it was dominated by Liverpool! For those people who thought Coulibaly should of had first team opportunities by now, think again! He looks a good prospect as do several of the lads but he is still in the very early stages of his development and a long way off making a 1st team bow.
Liverpool’s Ngoo is a giant of a lad and although he dominated at times his finishing was very poor. Out of all the lads on show the 2 who made the biggest impact were Suso and Silva for Liverpool, they both looked technically very good.
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 12:19 pm
Don’t want to do the lad down, but I am wary of his title as the next “Drogba”. I can think of many 17 year old strikers who have gone on to be great players, but they were frequently in the first team at that age (Rooney, Greaves, Francis, Owen, Law etc).
At the moment, it would appear that Harry Kane (18) is more highly thought of, and I am yet to be impressed HK. I’d love to be wrong, but so far, there is no genuine impression that he will make it as a PL player let alone another Drogba. Of course the fact that he is only about half the size of Drogba might lead us to conclude that there may have been a degree of hype.
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February 2nd, 2012 at 11:29 am
Looks like Timmy Sherwood is doing a good job there. Nice to see some good news after that sham of a transfer window. What a week! Harry is shouting at Policemen in court and then we swap Pav, Bassong & Pineaar for Nelsen & Saha. I feel like i’ve come home to find that my wife has been replaced by an older, uglier model. Mugged!
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lecoqhardi Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 11:39 am
With our injuries, it’ll be BARE BONES time come Monday evening. I’m struggling to think of who could fill the bench at the moment, so what chance has Arry got, given his current preoccupations?
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Billy Legit Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 12:11 pm
VDV and luke skyWalker are fine by all accounts, Lennon not so good i’m afraid.
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February 2nd, 2012 at 12:18 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZnMRLqILRI
Not sure if this has been posted about recntly but its priceless
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 12:28 pm
Those “Hitler rants” are very entertaining. They are always funnier when you have a personal connection to them, because you can understand the jokes.
My favourite is the Ryanair, but thanks for posting.
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SuperSpurs Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 7:18 pm
Yeah it’s good, but your about a week too late .
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February 2nd, 2012 at 1:03 pm
I’m designing a new club logo; anyone know what ‘To make do is to dare’ is in Latin?
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Billy Legit Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 1:04 pm
‘Audere est Fakinel’
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TMWNN Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Ta. And ‘To do is too dear’?
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Billy Legit Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 1:27 pm
Not sure what the latin is for that, but i suggest Daniel change our official title to ‘Bank’ and then get those f*cking crooks in Westminster to give us hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer’s money……..nothing will be too dear then!
Harry Hotspur Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Hahahahahha.
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Hartley Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 2:47 pm
CLASS!!!
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February 2nd, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Sorry lads but I don’t mean to rain in your parade but….! liverpool youngsters absolutely murdered spurs in this game. The level of Liverpool dominence is not done justice by the report! Young reheem Sterling is going to be a superstar.
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Essexian76 Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Maybe it’s because he’s a Londoner!
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February 2nd, 2012 at 1:40 pm
arsenal away ticket for sale any 1 interested?
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February 2nd, 2012 at 2:17 pm
I cannot believe the what has just happened with the transfer window….leading in to the final straight with 16 odd games to go we get rid off players who granted weren’t playing regulary but would no doubt have played a crucial role in the final games. We have used pretty much the same 15-16 players this campaign, fatigue is creeping into our play and the niggly injuries are starting to become and will be an issue. releasing 4 established players has just cost us the final push we needed to compete with both Manchester clubs in the title race.
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Billy Legit Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Never fear, Ryan Nelson is here!!!
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Frank the Tank Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 3:26 pm
In reality we swapped Pav for Saha and Bassong for Nelson. So I make it only 2 players down. Corluka was never really gonna get a sniff unless Walker was seriously injured (touch wood) and we have cover for RB if needed. Peanut never set the world alight and I would rather loan him out and play Krancjar, so no real loss there. All in all not a great window but I don’t think we were ever going to get a world class striked in January and I was actually glad we weren’t linked to every player in the world for once! I guess only time will tell if getting rid of those 4 players will affect us greatly or not! COYS
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Frank the Tank Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 3:27 pm
I meant striker there, not striked!
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February 2nd, 2012 at 4:10 pm
Can’t see where the cover at RB is. Kaboom? NOOOOO. He’s our only fully fit CB and has to play there. Livermore has played one and a third games there.
We also look light in midfield. Blud has persistent injury problems and once Bale starts to miss games (it always happens) we’ll have no width. Who exactly are our midfield reserves? We’ve sent a couple of teams out on loan.
Mr Doom, can I introduce you to Mr Gloom?
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Anthony In That Number Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 4:45 pm
We do look very light at Right Back (amazing considering we had half a team of them at one time.. Charlie, Hutton, Kyle, Kyle, Smith).
Would not even think about switching Kaboom to right back, he is probably the best centre half in the league at the moment (him and Kompany of City). It would surely have been sensible to bring Kyle Naughton or Adam Smith back as cover. As you say we also lack cover on the wings. Shame that Dos Santos has not really set the world alight even though his limited opportunities have all been against limited opposition. We could have kept Townsend back rather than loan him out to Leeds, especially as they have now sacked their Manager.
I guess Rose could play wide left but HR always seems to revert to playing either Modders or DVD wide if we are without Bale or Lennon. It makes us completely unbalanced , very narrow and wastes Modders or DVD as well. We have had our usual crop of injuries but so have ManU and Woolwich Wanderers, so just hope we can get/keep our key players fit from now.
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 6:10 pm
Not including replays, if we get to Wembley, there are 19 games left to be played over the next 100 days. I don’t see that it is a big ‘ask’ for the players to manage three games every fortnight, especially when most of them were not involved in the EL or CC.
When we won the UEFA cup in the 70′s most of the players did 60 games and some even played 70.This was when only one sub was allowed. With the possible exception of Walker and Kaboul, I don’t think any of the squad will reach 50 games this season.
Just my opinion, but I find myself underwhelmed by players who claim they are tired because they are playing too many games.
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Essexian76 Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 4:51 pm
I cannot see any benefits loaning out Bassong, Peanut or Charlie other than a solid agreement to offload them in the summer, when Nelson and Saha’s contracts will be terminated. But at this stage of the season, it really is a head scratcher, to provoke sod’s law by leaving us without cover on both defensive flanks, what if Benny’s ‘tackle’ got the punishment it really deserved? Flummoxed is putting it mildly as every game and every tackle, my heart-rate is going to go into overdrive.
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SpurredoninDublin Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 5:04 pm
I think Nelsen and Saha are both on 18 month deals.
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Essexian76 Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 5:28 pm
Not according to the earlier press releases where it was quoted that Saha’s was six month deal and the same with Nelson, but not 100% either way;Saha would’ve been out of contract at the season’s end and on a freebie,so I’m 2nd guessing we’ve just taken on his existing deal.
SpurredoninDublin Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 5:36 pm
You could be right. I just recall seeing 18 month deals somewhere.
SpurredoninDublin Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 5:56 pm
Just seen six months reported for Saha. Apologies
Essexian76 Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 6:08 pm
No need
SpurredoninDublin Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Just seen this re: Nelsen. Not good news.
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/7475381/
Essexian76 Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 6:24 pm
It makes even less sense than before after that reading (say’s he draining his glass back to half empty)
Steve Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Smith’s loan deal has a recall clause
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February 2nd, 2012 at 5:27 pm
It sounds as if Charlie and Bassong couldn’t cope with not playing much, and wouldn’t have been a lot of use, but why not bring back Naughton, as has been said, and Caulker? Play them in the cup games. If we should lose out on 4th place…Heaven forfend.
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February 2nd, 2012 at 5:32 pm
from code 46:
“that a picture of your kids?”
“yeah, they really are special.”
“it’s funny. i hear about so many special kids, but meet so few special adults”
says it all.
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Essexian76 Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 5:46 pm
My old mans version of that was “Today, parents spend too much time telling their kids they’re special, the kids then spend a lifetime discovering that they’re not!”
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