Rose to stay on at Toon
LLORIS EYEING TOP-FOUR SPOT TO END SORRY SEASON WITH A BANG
EXTENDED: Rose
DANNY ROSE has extended his loan deal at Newcastle until the end of the season.
The Spurs defender will be available to play Sheffield United on June 21, along with fellow loanee Valentino Lazaro.
Rose will return to Spurs when the season is finished and the England international is waiting to hear if the Geordies want to sign him permanently.
That decision is on hold ahead of the proposed takeover by the Saudi Arabian investment fund.
Keeper Martin Dubravka will also be fit to face the Blades after recovering from a knee injury.
■ CEDRIC SOARES could leave Arsenal without playing a single game after failing to agree a contract extension.
The Southampton defender joined the Gunners on loan in January but his future is now in doubt with Arsenal no closer to signing a short-term extension beyond June 30.
HUGO LLORIS says Spurs must not waste the second chance they’ve been handed to save their season.
The keeper says his side were on their knees going into the campaign and struggling badly again before the Premier League was suspended.
But even though they have Harry Kane back, Lloris says Jose Mourinho’s team cannot afford to lose at home to Manchester United on Friday with the Champions League in sight.
He said: “It’s like a new season is going to start. When the season stopped, we were in different form. We were not at our best, it is fair to say that, but it belongs to the past.
“We are hoping to change that. It is only a question of time, a question of confidence, too, because the only way to get better is to win games and keep winning.
“We have to be honest, we are not in a good position at the moment. Five points behind United, seven points to Chelsea.
“We don’t have the right to lose games, even more when you face a direct opponent like Manchester United. We are going to start with a
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BLAST FROM PAST: Lloris roars back and (inset) with Pochettino before it all went wrong decisive game for the future. Even if behind this game there are eight games to play, this game is going to count in the balance.”
After an initial bounce following the arrival of Mourinho, Tottenham had gone six games without a win in all competitions before the break.
Lloris, 33, admits it’s been a season from Hell but insists that most of the damage was done early on.
Spurs struggled to cope with losing last year’s Champions League Final to Liverpool, dressing room unrest and poor results ultimately costing Mauricio Pochettino his job last November.
“It’s difficult to explain,” said Lloris. “But there is also a risk when you go over your potential. Last season we went on an incredible run in the Champions League and we finished the season on our knees and you don’t have time to recover from one season before you have to start a new one.
“Then there was the accumulation of things that provoked the situation. A lot of injured players. The change of manager.
“It’s difficult to stay stable and to be always looking at the top. There is sometimes one season when everything goes against you.
“Obviously, if we are in this situation it is because we didn’t give everything to do better and the responsibility is to share between us.
“But we have to make sure that it is just only one season. We want to be involved in the biggest competition and it’s the Champions League. This is the minimum.”
Lloris also warned his team-mates to beware the return of fellow Frenchman
Paul Pogba for United but insists having Kane back fit is a huge boost.
The France No.1 said: “Harry is in a good place. He is ready. In his mind he is ready. He recovered very well from his bad (hamstring) injury.
“For Paul, it’s even a longer period than Harry without playing. But I know Paul and as soon as he gets on the field, he just wants to win.
“He’s going to make everything possible to be at his best level to help United to get the top four.
“There is a lot to win and to lose in these nine games. It’s the final sprint, you can win or lose everything.”
■ HUGO LLORIS helped launch Tottenham’s ‘Hotspur Heroes’ campaign with a video call to a Spurs-supporting NHS worker. The campaign aims to celebrate fans on the frontline.