FOOTBALL: HODDLE: IT'S A FAIR KOP; LIVERPOOL 1 SPURS 0 Beaten Glenn

WHEN England star Michael Owen limped off injured and out of next month's World Cup crunch with Greece, he received a consolation pat on the head from Spurs manager Glenn Hoddle.

The White Hart Lane boss had watched his side control a fascinating game, only to be beaten by a moment of brilliance from Finnish star Jari Litmanen.

Hoddle's vision for his Spurs team is based on the recent Anfield trophy haul.

His team are a pleasure to watch with their immaculate passing, and the arrival of Dean Richards will make them even more solid at the back.

"They have spent pounds 50m here and perhaps looking at them three years ago is what we are now," said Hoddle.

"Part of me is happy after this result, with the balance of the side, but I felt we deserved something from the game."

As well as Hoddle's acknowledgement at Owen's plight, a collective groan rang out from the crowd when Owen limped off with a hamstring injury only 14 minutes after coming on.

By then Spurs were trailing to a brilliant goal from Litmanen 11 minutes after the restart.

Darren Anderton lost possession and as the home side broke away John Arne Riise found Litmanen on the edge of the box. He controlled before crashing an unstoppable shot past Neil Sullivan and in off the post.

Hoddle knows he must quickly halt what could become a slide after last week's loss to Chelsea.

While Teddy Sheringham and Gus Poyet linked superbly, the team appear to lack firepower.

With Sergei Rebrov out of the line-up, the pressure is on Les Ferdinand to deliver.

He has not scored away from home since August 1999 never seriously looked like ending that run after seeing an early header cleared off the line.

Even by the time Gregory Vignal hit the Tottenham crossbar after six minutes Spurs had assumed command, with Poyet having gone close.

Liverpool seized the moment when Litmanen fired them in front - he had only started the game so Owen and Emile Heskey could have a breather on the substitutes' bench after their midweek exploits. Captain Robbie Fowler received abuse from two fans in the 59th minute as he went back to dug-out after being substituted.

Phil Thompson calmed the situation but it was a second substitution seven minutes later which was to prove significant.

As Litmanen went off, Owen replaced him and immediately made a number of darting runs into the Tottenham box.

But in the 80th minute, after being on the pitch for only 14 minutes, his next trademark break was to prove costly. For England, oh so costly.

As he ran with the ball into the box, Sullivan and Ledley King went to stop him but the Liverpool player went down as his shot went just wide.

He took time to climb back onto his feet and then limped off, and out of the crunch World Cup match with Greece on Saturday week. Hoddle's parting gesture signalled that for both the afternoon had ended in frustration.

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