“He had a terrible first half” – Alan Shearer singles out Tottenham star for criticism after Spurs’ loss against Liverpool

Alan Shearer singled out Eric Dier's example to showcase the flaw in Tottenham Hotspur's strategy against Liverpool in their 2-1 Premier League loss on Sunday, 6 November.

Spurs have been notoriously lax in the starting stages of games on a number of occasions this season. They were 2-0 down against Bournemouth within 49 minutes before scoring thrice in the second half to win 3-2 on 29 October.

A similar situation arose at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against the Reds when they trailed 2-0 via a first-half Mohamed Salah brace. Dier was notably at fault for the Egypt international's second goal.

The Englishman misheaded a back pass to Hugo Lloris in the 40th minute, which was intercepted by Salah. The former Chelsea winger chipped it over the Frenchman to hand the visitors a two-goal lead before half-time.

Spurs were evidently defensive in the first 45 minutes, perhaps seeking to break on the counterattack after soaking up pressure. That didn't work, and the team came out firing on all cylinders in the second half.

Harry Kane's 70th-minute goal made things interesting, but it wasn't enough to rescue a point for the hosts. Speaking after the game, Shearer said on BBC Match of the Day 2 (h/t HITC):

“I mean the time they gave Liverpool on the ball to hurt them and punish them. There was no intensity or energy from Tottenham. You have got very good (Liverpool) players taking touches (in Tottenham’s final third and penalty area) and nobody around them."

The former Newcastle United striker continued:

“The manager obviously gets into them at half-time. Straight from the kick-off, it was a totally different attitude from Tottenham. All of a sudden every single player is a further 15 or 20 yards up the pitch, and then they can win the ball back. Dier was further up the park. He had a terrible first half.”

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Liverpool close gap on top-four rivals after winning vs Tottenham

Liverpool were one of the favorites to win the Premier League title before a ball was kicked this season.

However, they had a nightmare start to the campaign, amassing just 16 points in their first 12 games. This run of results has raised question marks over the team's capability to finish in the top four.

A 2-1 win against Spurs has added a vital three points to their tally in that regard. They now trail the fourth-placed Lilywhites by seven points with a game in hand.

The Reds last failed to make the UEFA Champions League in the 2016-17 season when they finished eighth in the league a season prior to that.