MAY 2013.. HE SCORED THE WINNER, OF COURSE
TOTTENHAM v WEST HAM
JOSE MOURINHO has revealed Gareth Bale’s arrival has given him the best strike force he has ever managed.
The Spurs boss (right) lavished praise on his cha irman
Daniel Levy and said: “With the number of players, yes.
“I’ve had incredible attacking forces. I remember my first season at Inter, not the
The Welsh serial winner is set to make an appearance – most likely from the bench
– in tomorrow’s showdown with in-form West Ham.
Bale lifted 16 trophies, including four Champions League titles (scoring a spectacular overhead kick against Liverpool in the 2018 final, below), and scored 105 goals in 251 games in all competitions for Real. Mourinho has made clear that the 31- yearold will be given the chance to pick up where he left off in 2013 by playing in his favoured position – on the right, with Heung-min Son on the left and Harry Kane through the middle.
“One of the first questions in my first conversation with Gareth,” said the Spurs boss, “was ‘ What’s your favourite position?’. I wanted to start from there and he answered.
“Does that mean he will always be used there? No. Because he will play where the team needs him to play.
“But he was very clear by saying that his favourite position is on the right. It’s not as a No.10, it’s not as a striker, it’s not any more on the left side, like he did in the first years of his career at Southampton and Tottenham.
His favourite position now is on the right side. When he reaches his normal intensity and dynamic, I think he can be the player people saw being decisive when he went to Real Madrid, in a very similar position.
“Real Madrid was basically, Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo, with Bale playing fundamentally from the right and that’s the position he prefers.”
Spurs ( Bale training with Lucas Moura, left) host the Hammers having won five of their last seven with their last match a 6- 1 demolition of
Manchester United at Old Trafford. In their previous game, Spurs thrashed Maccabi Haifa 7-2. But Mourinho is even more excited at the rich array of options now available to him as the season restarts in earnest.
He said: “We have a squad where every player has to fight a lot and play very, very well to deserve a place in the team. The squad is so, so good, so strong.”
He believes his interchangeable strike force will torment defences this season, with Kane set to continue enjoying his free role. “Harry is a No.9 and he will always be a No.9,” the Spurs boss added. “But there are No.9s who, if they score goals, play well, and if they don’t score goals, don’t play well.
“Harry can play as nine, 10 and even coming from the left. So, if he can do that and explore these areas to help the team to develop his game, why not?”