UNLESS YOU’RE JOSE
THE club motto could not have been more at odds with what happened on the pitch.
To Dare Is To Do. That has always been Tottenham’s philosophy – to play with flair and style. No matter the opponent, it is all about the glory.
We always knew that would be at odds with Jose Mourinho’s managerial mantra just as it had been at Manchester United.
Tottenham expect their teams to entertain, to be brave and, at the very least, try to win.
This was not what Tottenham fans expect – keep it tight, play on the counter-attack, try to stay in the contest and nick a goal. It nearly worked, of course. No one in the stadium could work out how Giovani Lo Celso missed a glorious late chance.
Heung-min Son also wasted a big opportunity. But that is not Tottenham. The fans would rather go down fighting than not fight at all.
It has taken two months, but we are seeing the real Mourinho again. He did not quite park the bus, but it was a deliberate tactic to stop Liverpool rather than try to win the game.
And that is why the Tottenham faithful are still not fully convinced that Mourinho is the right man to be their manager.
Never mind Mourinho’s incredible record of success. Just as at Old Trafford, this club wants their trophies to be won with glorious, all conquering, free-flowing, attacking football.
In fairness, Tottenham were missing Harry Kane and these are still early days. But even if Mourinho wins the FA Cup this season (it is hard to imagine them emulating last season’s run to the Champions League Final) it will come with a ‘but’.
That will always be the issue. Mauricio Pochettino made Tottenham fun to watch, they played with energy and fire. But they did not win trophies. Mourinho is a pragmatic manager, more determined not to lose than trying to win.
Will trophies be enough? It’s the age-old question. Tottenham’s ageing squad needs an overhaul, but Mourinho will not be able to rely on too many of these sort of performances while in charge, especially at home. The Spurs fans demand more – and, forget what anyone says, that is to be admired. Tottenham are now in serious danger of missing out on the top four, while
Harry Winks insists they can overcome Kane’s absence and must not worry about the Premier League table.
Winks said: “Harry is a massive player for us. Everybody is disappointed he is out for the time he is.
“It’ll be a massive loss, but we’ve got top players in the team who can fill that void.
“Lucas Moura was excellent up top against
Virgil van
Dijk and Joe Gomez and showed he can compete in that No.9 spot. “But everybody was excellent. We put in a real shift. Another day we come away with a result. “It’s important you don’t get carried away with the league table. We have to focus on Middlesbrough, getting through the FA Cup, then on Watford away, which will be another difficult game.”