Mourinho: Happiness back at Spurs
Dressing-room joy is music to new manager’s ears Champions League last 16 is next target for players
Jose Mourinho said the “happiness” was back in the Tottenham Hotspur team, describing the music being played in the dressing room as the side notched up their first league win away from home since January in their first game under their new manager.
Mourinho oversaw a 3-2 win away at West Ham which featured a return to form for Dele Alli, one of those who had struggled in the final year of Mauricio Pochettino’s reign.
There was praise for the England player who Mourinho said had to get back to the level that had made him one of the best young talents in the world, and return to the England squad.
Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane gave Spurs a three-goal lead before the 50th minute. Then a poor West Ham side rallied with two goals in the last 23 minutes from Michail Antonio and Angelo Ogbonna, the second in the sixth minute of time added on.
Mourinho said that the emotion of the week and adapting to a new manager coming in had contributed to his side failing to maintain their level in the last 30 minutes.
“It [the away win] was very, very important,” Mourinho said. “Eleven months without music in the away dressing room. Without a smile, without happiness, and they did it. I’m very happy with them.” He added later that he was glad to hear the players celebrating in the dressing room.
“When you go away, the music after the game I like. A victory is something that you have to value. It’s hard to win matches. You work hard in these two days. The boys worked hard. You can’t just say: ‘OK, we won’. In the same way, if you lose you can’t be at a nightclub with your friends in a few hours. When you win you have to feel it. The music was loud. I don’t care what music it is. I just like the feeling the boys are happy.”
He said that he had not complicated the picture for the players since taking over the team on Wednesday. There were just three changes from Pochettino’s last line-up in the game against Sheffield United before the international break and one of those left out, Tanguy Ndombele, is injured.
Mourinho said: “I try to give them comfort and that is to play them and ask them to give things they can give. Sometimes we overcomplicate things and ask them to do things they cannot give. I try to ask the boys the easy job to them, relevant to their qualities. Eric [Dier] is very comfortable in this role, following principles we do in training. I think they’re fine. We have a game in two days. I think we can go and win that match at home and qualify for the Champions League [knockout stage], and then the confidence comes high for the boys.”
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini is under increasing pressure, having picked up just two points in his past seven games.
He said: “We haven’t got the result we wanted, especially at home and against Tottenham.
“We wanted to do better but we couldn’t. We never gave up. We are making too many mistakes.”
He refused to comment on the form of goalkeeper Roberto, who should have saved the first, from Son.