Jose senses Spurs’ trophy desire
TOTTENHAM Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho said he senses the desire of his players to end the club’s 13-year trophy drought after they reached the English League Cup final beating Championship side Brentford 2- 0 on Tuesday.
Spurs have not lifted a major trophy since their League Cup triumph over Chelsea in 2008 and goals from Moussa Sissoko and Son Heung-min secured their ninth final appearance in the competition, which they have won four times.
Mourinho, who is seeking his fifth League Cup crown as a manager after previous triumphs with Chelsea (2005, 2007, 2015) and Manchester United (2017), said there was a simple secret to success in the competition.
“I came to England in 2004 and I remember ... I had to learn the meaning of the cups here and I always took it seriously. If there’s any secret it’s to take it seriously. To respect what English football is,” Mourinho told reporters.
“What I sense in the team is exactly that desire. I’m not saying winning mentality, I’m not saying we are this or that. I just say we’re honest people.
“The guys since the first game against Chelsea, then Stoke City, and now ... took it seriously. That’s what I hope to do on Sunday in Crosby against Marine (in the FA Cup third round). Try to be serious, respect the opponents and try to progress.”
In the final at Wembley Stadium on April 25, Tottenham will face Manchester United or Manchester City who were meeting in the second semifinal later yesterday.
Tottenham defender Eric Dier said his teammates were desperate for silverware. “Since I’ve been here we’ve been wanting to, that motivation hasn’t changed,” Dier told Sky Sports.
“There’s a lot of football to be played before it but it’s fantastic to be in the first final possible.”
Mourinho said big clubs still wanted to win the League Cup even though they
might have other priorities — only City, United and Chelsea have won it in the past seven seasons.
“If you see the winners you realize the big clubs want to win it,” the Portuguese manager said.
“The big clubs care about it,” he added. “The final says a lot. Tottenham against Manchester City or Tottenham against Manchester United.”
But Tottenham will have to wait 110 days before contesting the final.
Second- division team Brentford knocked out four English Premier League sides to reach the semifinals, but gifted Tottenham an opening goal in the 12th minute at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday when Sissoko was left unmarked for a header.
Tottenham, however, had to wait until the 70th minute to extend its lead when Son lifted the ball into the net after Harry Kane and Tanguy Ndombele combined
for the breakaway.
Brentford had been denied an equalizer when a VAR review spotted — through a forensic examination of footage — that Ivan Toney was marginally offside with his knee before scoring.
The west London club finished with 10 men after Josh Dasilva’s high studs-up challenge left Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg with a gash on his left shin.
“I am not happy. I think we have to play better,” Mourinho said. “Sometimes bad decisions, sometimes technical mistakes, many times recovering the ball and not being vertical and playing backwards.”
But still the final whistle was able to be greeted with the song “Spurs are on their way to Wembley” being played at the empty stadium. The final has been pushed from February to April 25 in the hope that fans will be allowed in — unlike any sporting event now in the country.