Ex-Tottenham striker Gary Lineker believes that regardless of the strategy deployed by Ange Postecoglou, Liverpool would have emerged victorious over Spurs in their 6-3 defeat on Sunday, simply due to their superior roster.

Spurs were left red-faced at home by Arne Slot's Reds, with Postecoglou's team trailing 5-1 just an hour into the match. Despite a late surge from Spurs, reducing the gap to 5-3 after goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke in the final 20 minutes, it was insufficient. Luis Diaz then scored his second goal of the game to secure an exhilarating win for league leader Liverpool.

Postecoglou has been heavily criticized for his tactical decisions in some of Spurs' most significant losses this season, despite dealing with numerous injuries, particularly in defense. However, Lineker is of the opinion that irrespective of the formation or tactics used by their Australian manager, Spurs would have found it tough against Slot's side.

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In an exciting encounter, James Maddison managed to pull one back for Spurs in the first half, reducing Liverpool's earlier 2-0 lead provided by goals from Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister within the first 35 minutes.

Hopes of a Tottenham comeback were briefly ignited until Dominik Szoboszlai breached their defense in a quick counter-attack, slotting the ball through Fraser Forster's legs as Spurs were caught out once again having recklessly pressed too high up the pitch just before half-time.

Spurs' mastery of match tempo has come under the microscope, with a slim 2-1 deficit at half-time seen as potentially crucial in offering a lifeline for regrouping against Liverpool. However, heading into the break 3-1 down proved an insurmountable challenge for Tottenham facing a Liverpool team hitting its stride.

Gary Lineker, sharing his views on The Rest is Football podcast, didn't mince words when discussing Spurs' chances against the Reds. "When those two teams lined up today, you thought, well, however Tottenham shape up they're going to get beaten by that [Liverpool] side, particularly if they're playing that well," he said.

The former England striker did give a nod to Tottenham's expansive style of play under Postecoglou, which has yielded them the most goals in the Premier League so far with a tally of 39. Despite currently sitting 11th in the table, Lineker recognizes how supporters relish the team's dynamic football.

Yet, dissatisfaction brews among many fans who lay blame squarely at the feet of Daniel Levy and the board for their standing, accusing them of inadequately backing the manager in the transfer market, thus crafting a squad lacking enough depth to truly challenge the league's best — a sentiment that fueled protests against Levy just last Sunday.

"It's Tottenham. I mean, they're gung ho, we know that," Lineker remarked. "And [Postecoglou] doesn't change things just because he's got a few injuries and played boring football. I mean, every time Tottenham play, I think, and some of the fans will disagree with me, and that's absolutely fine because we know it's a results business. But you must look forward to going to see the games and not knowing quite what to expect."

On the other hand, his podcast mate Alan Shearer pointed out that player naivety and recklessness were partly to blame for Spurs' collapse against Liverpool, particularly in the moments leading up to half-time, which left them vulnerable and allowed the Reds to effectively clinch the match. "Sometimes, as a player or a team, you have to take responsibility without your manager, without whatever way he wants to play," Shearer commented.

"You know, they get to 2-1 today and a minute before half-time, it's still gung ho. You just say, 'OK, we've actually taken a beating in that first half. If we can get to 2-1, we've probably been extremely lucky'. So once you get that goal, you say, 'OK, two minutes to half time, let's just see'."

"But yet, they still commit so many men forward and then get hit on the break. And once Liverpool get that third one, just before the break, you're thinking, done. I thought that minute cost them the game. And then they were never going to come back from that."

Spurs are now gearing up for a challenging visit to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Boxing Day. Liverpool will host Leicester City at Anfield later the same day.

Liverpool.com says: The Reds were always likely to come out on top against Spurs but it was a great performance. Szoboszlai and several others were superb, and Liverpool could have scored more than six, which, even against a wide-open team like Tottenham, would have been impressive.