MOURINHO: WE MUST DEFEND BETTER BUT ‘SPURSY’ JIBE UNFAIR

JOSE MOURINHO has rejected the suggestion Tottenham’s capitulation against West Ham was another example of the kind of performance which gave birth to the ‘Spursy’ moniker.

The north London club have earned the nickname over the years for being rather unreliable but, ahead of tonight’s Europa League group-stage opener at home to LASK, Mourinho rejected the description.

‘What happened is a little bit out of context,’ he said of Sunday’s game in which his side squandered a 3-0 lead after 80 minutes to draw 3-3.

‘Against Southampton we were losing and were strong enough to change the result. At Manchester United the worst thing happened, which was after a minute we were losing and were strong enough to change that result. Against Newcastle, we were solid and what happened [a late equaliser] is one of the beauties of VAR.

‘Winning 3-0 in minute 80 we could play 50 more matches and it’s not going to happen again. So I don’t want to be sticking on stories about “Spursy”. We have to just defend better at set-pieces.’

Mourinho has left Danny Rose out of his domestic and European squads and sees no way back for the left-back after buying Sergio Reguilon for £25million. ‘Danny is not part of our squad. He wanted very, very much to leave in January. Why? Because he wanted to play and play,’ he added.

‘He went to Newcastle and I had the feeling a player with his mentality, his desire of being first-choice, because he was thinking of the national team and the Euros, I thought our future would be Ben Davies and at that time Ryan Sessegnon.

‘Then we got the opportunity to get Reguilon and that gave Ryan the possibility to leave (on loan). If [Rose] didn’t find any solution that he was happy to move, it’s something you have to ask him.’