SOCCER: Liverpool 0 Tottenham 0:"POR FIN llego el dia," was the message Luis Suarez had posted on his Twitter account. "Finally the day has come," it translated. This was his first game back since the nine-match suspension that threatened to blow a gaping hole in Liverpool's season and, almost immediately, was reacquainted with yet more of the controversy he finds it hard to shake off.
Suarez had been on the pitch only three minutes when he swung out with his right boot, missed the ball and caught Scott Parker flush in the abdomen.
The referee, Michael Oliver, issued a yellow card but this is the generation of Twitter and Wayne Rooney was already typing in his disdain. “If ref sees that kick from Suarez and books him for it, it should be red,” said the Manchester United player.
It was a harsh critique – the kick looked painful but did not appear malicious – and Liverpool will just be glad to have their most incisive player back on the field even if his introduction, after 66 minutes, could not conjure up a winner in a game played in the absence of Harry Redknapp, whose travel arrangements from Southwark crown court never saw him get past London City airport because of a technical problem with his plane.
It was an unorthodox night in other ways given that play was delayed because a cat had strayed on the pitch, with conspicuously few stewards willing to find out how tame it was. A clinging fog had threatened the game at one point earlier in the evening and, once it cleared, it was not difficult to imagine Redknapp seated in front of a television somewhere in London wincing with discomfort about the length of time it was taking Spurs to offer even a glimpse of the exhilarating football that has brought them to third in the league.
This has been a renascent Liverpool side since the nadir of their 3-1 defeat at Bolton three weekends ago and most of the pressing in the opening exchanges came from the side that have just navigated their way to the Carling Cup final as well as eliminating Manchester United from the FA Cup.
They were quick to the ball, strong in the challenge and clearly buoyed by their recent successes but, for the most part, there was still that sense of a team needing a touch more creativity and, in those moments, it was understandable if segments of their crowd found themselves peering longingly in Suarez’s direction.
Dalglish had reasoned that a footballer whose professional life has been suspended since St Stephen’s Day might find it difficult to reacclimatise straight away, and it may also be that the Liverpool manager was also emboldened by Andy Carroll’s improvement over the last few games.
Either way, the home side were crying out for the Uruguayan’s ability to get behind opposition defences. Carroll is a far more static player and, though Bellamy darts around with an indefatigable desire to make things happen, he does not carry the same menace.
Their best chance in the first half came as early as the fifth minute when Steven Gerrard, impressive in front of Fabio Capello, sent Carroll clear with a beautifully weighted pass. Michael Dawson’s recovery tackle was timed exquisitely because, as the last defender, the repercussions had he mistimed it would have been grave.
Jay Spearing sent in a long-distance effort that struck the stanchion behind the goal and Liverpool played with the greater energy, with Gerrard dictating midfield. Spurs were unusually blunt, restricted to only a couple of half-chances. Kyle Walker’s surging runs from right-back were a prominent feature but there were only flashes of Gareth Bale’s penetrative qualities and Emmanuel Adebayor was even more peripheral.
They did, however, start to take better care of the ball at the start of the second half, even if there was the sideshow of Bale trying to deceive the referee, Michael Oliver, into awarding a free-kick from a non-challenge.
Bale has too much raw ability to add diving to his repertoire and Liverpool’s players were entitled to feel aggrieved. Briefly, tempers flared, with Daniel Agger and Glen Johnson both remonstrating with Bale, who earned a booking for his deception.
The game needed a spark and it came when Suarez started unzipping his tracksuit top. Tottenham’s supporters taunted him with chants that brought John Terry into the equation, but they could hardly be heard at that point.
Anfield was welcoming back a player the crowd here have largely deemed to be the victim of an injustice. It was a standing ovation and the decibel levels went up another notch when, with his first involvement, he dispossessed Benoit Assou-Ekotto to set up a Liverpool attack.
Suarez went on to have four efforts at goal but the most inviting chance came at the other end when Bale sprinted clear only to shoot straight at Pepe Reina.
Guardian Service
LIVERPOOL:Reina, Kelly, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Adam, Spearing, Kuyt (Suarez 66), Gerrard, Bellamy (Downing 73), Carroll. Subs not used: Doni, Aurelio, Henderson, Coates, Carragher. Booked: Suarez, Skrtel.
TOTTENHAM: Friedel, Walker, Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto, Parker, Livermore, Kranjcar (Rose 87), Modric, Bale, Adebayor (Saha 71). Subs not used: Cudicini, Nelsen, Khumalo, Luongo, Lancaster. Booked: Parker,Bale.
Referee:M Oliver (Northumberland).
