Fletcher rescues Boro before brawl
Mourinho has big puzzle to solve as star’s KO means Spurs lack a killer touch Rodgers hopes dodgers learn lesson
JOSE MOURINHO plans to solve hisTottenham puzzle and help his out-of-form side to start scoring goals again.
It is over five hours since Spurs found the net in open play in the league after a four-game winless run.
Harry Kane’s absence has been sorely felt since the England skipper injured a hamstring in the New Year’s Day loss at Southampton.
Mourinho said: “We don’t have that killer that guarantees you a certain amount of goals.
“We are playing without that guy that is great in the box, that holds the ball under pressure, that is good in the air.We don’t have that profile of player. Of course it’s more difficult.
But the Portuguese manager insists he has the pieces to fill the hole left by his top striker – now he has to stop his players falling apart whenever they get near the box.
The Tottenham boss said: “It is one thing to try to create a puzzle where there are some missing pieces.
“It is another to do it with quality players and when I look to Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura, Dele Alli, Erik Lamela, we are speaking about quality players.We are trying and I believe we improve.”
Over the last three seasons, Tottenham have won in Kane’s absence only when Fernando Llorente has been there to replace him.
With Llorente departed and no fit senior striker available, Mourinho admits Spurs are up against it. He said: “To do something in the market, you have to do something that is good for our future too.We will see if good opportunities arise.”
Danny Rose was left out of the squad for the stalemate
BRENDAN RODGERS has recalled Ben Chilwell and Hamza Choudhury for tonight’s clash with West Ham after giving them a dressing down. Chilwell, left, and Choudhury were left out of Sunday’s defeat at Burnley and after both a training fined missed session.
Rodgers hopes the pair have learned a lesson. “It was dealt with internally,” he are going to with Watford and is set to miss out again against Norwich tonight. But Mourinho said: “Disagreement between me and Danny? No.
“My relationship with my players is good and I love to work with my group.
“On the Thursday before Watford, late evening, I got a call from my medical staff saying that said. “They weren’t available for the weekend but now both are and we move on.
“They are young players and young players make mistakes, but they have learned a lesson. We are creating a standard and that is not acceptable. We can’t carry anyone.
“If you want to be a top player in a top team, it is my job to try to develop that. We are a team that, in terms of budget and everything, are way off what would be top six, so we have to have different ways of trying to reach that level. One of them is about development, progression and professionalism.
“For young players, it’s critical if they want to reach the highest level. That’s education and why I’m here.”
Sunday’s defeat was Leicester’s fourth in six games and Rodgers admitted his side are having “a blip”.
The run has coincided with the absence of their holding midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who had a minor knee operation earlier this month to flush out some floating bone.
But Rodgers said Ndidi was ready to return to the squad tonight – just 13 days later.
“He has made an incredible recovery,” added Rodgers. “He’s a colossal player.” LEICESTER (probable): Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell; Tielemans, Choudhury; Perez, Maddison, Barnes; Vardy.
WEST HAM (probable): Randolph; Zabaleta, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Noble; Snodgrass, Lanzini, Fornals; Haller.
A DUGOUT brawl broke out after Lukas Jutkiewicz struck what he thought was an 86th-minute winner.
The Middlesbrough bench were furious when Birmingham played on with Marcus Tavernier laid out cold on the pitch.
Boro coach Leo Percovich and Brum’s Sean Rush appeared to be red-carded while referee Andy Woolmer disallowed the effort.
Jutkiewicz, above, had finally scored against his former club.
The Blues striker had two frustrating seasons on Teesside before leaving six years ago.
But he broke his duck on his sixth return, nipping ahead of Jonny Howson to plant home a closerange header from Jeremie Bela’s cross. But Ashley Fletcher equalised on 82 minutes, stretching Boro’s unbeaten home run to nine games. Fletcher cleverly converted Marvin Johnson’s near-post cross for his fifth goal in nine games. Boro’s Paddy McNair had a penalty saved by Lee Camp on 22 minutes after Gary Gardner tripped Patrick Roberts.
LEEDS want Boro striker Britt Assombalonga to boost their stuttering promotion hopes after Eddie Nketiah’s loan was cut short and he returned to Arsenal.