For a couple of years now, Spurs have been on the cusp of something. No one can really say what it is exactly but it tends to involve the slightly mythical 'top four/five'. That's doesn't necessarily mean a Champions League place but it's rather to do with how they're perceived in relation to the Premier League's elite. For all their top five finishes, Spurs forever seem to be knocking at the door of an exclusive club.
If you're to go by pure interest levels, that group still includes Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs. Yet the problem with that is that just once in the past six seasons have Liverpool finished ahead of Spurs in the Premier League.
Has the time come for fans and the media to start treating Spurs with more respect, or perhaps treating Liverpool with less reverence? If you look at the respective teamsheets at the moment, the answer to that has to be yes according to Danny Murphy.
The former Liverpool and Spurs midfielder was speaking on Talksport yesterday when he picked out just three Liverpool players who would get into a combined Liverpool/Spurs team.
I personally would have Henderson instead of Dier, only just. I know Dier’s been brilliant.
The only problem with Henderson is Dier’s a sitting midfielder, Henderson likes to get forward. What you could do is put Henderson and Dele Alli ahead of Dembele and play Dembele in the holding role. I couldn’t leave Dembele or Alli out.
Coutinho definitely and finally – it wouldn’t bother me not putting him in in terms of Walker’s ability – would be Clyne. He probably just edges Walker but both are superb right-backs.
That's it. For all the money that has been spent at Anfield over the past couple of years just Henderson, Coutinho and Clyne are better than their Spurs counterparts.
You’ve got Lloris, Vertonghen, Alderweireld. I’d have Clyne in and leave Rose in, he’s a bit better than Moreno going forward. You’ve got Henderson, Dembele, Alli in a midfield three, all with fantastic energy and athleticism, all can attack and all can defend.
You’ve got Kane up top, playing wide and just tucked in you’ve got Coutinho and Eriksen.
We'd have to give a shout for Emre Can to get in there in midfield considering the start to the season he's had but that may even be at the expense of Henderson. Other than that, it's hard to argue with Murphy's selection.
