JOSE HAS A POP AT KLOPP
Mourinho dismisses his rival’s injury crisis claim and insists fans’ presence helps hosts
JOSE MOurinhO has ramped up the mind games ahead of tonight’s t i t l e showdown at Anfield by dismissing Liverpool’s injury crisis. The Tottenham head coach also claims the Merseysiders will have an unfair advantage because Anfield is one of only four Premier League grounds allowed fans following London’s move into Tier Three last night.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has bemoaned his side’s injury list this season and led calls to introduce five substitutes. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are set to miss the rest of the season, Diogo Jota is a long-term absentee and Joel Matip is a doubt for the visit of Spurs.
But Mourinho said: ‘ Alisson is not injured. (Trent) AlexanderArnold is not injured. Matip, i believe he’s going to play. Fabinho is not i nj ured. ( Andy) robertson is not injured. (Jordan) henderson is not injured. (Georginio) Wij n a l d u m is not injured. (Mo) Salah is not injured, (roberto) Firmino is not injured, (Sadio) Mane is not injured.
‘Where are the injuries? injuries are normal. Every club has injuries now and again. Liverpool’s big injury is Van Dijk.’
Mourinho (above) added: ‘ in relation to the fans, is it fair in terms of the competition? i don’t think it is because the team that has home fans has a different intensity, a different temperature, a different atmosphere and that is an advantage.’
There is something enthralling about Mourinho in the 24 hours before a big game. he is box office and his pre-match media briefing yesterday was a vintage example.
‘We are a good team that works hard but Liverpool is the result of, if i’m not wrong, 1,894 days of work with Jurgen Klopp,’ said Mourinho.
‘And we are the work of 390 days. But these 390 days are f ake because lots of these days were not even days of work — they were days of quarantine, being at home unable to work.
‘So from almost 2,000 to 300, for us to be able to compete at the level we are doing, i can only give credit to the players and be very happy with what they are doing.’
had the calculator out, Jose? But beyond the maths, the message was clear: Tottenham shouldn’t be competing on the same level as Liverpool — but they are.
it is a compelling argument. Avoid defeat tonight and Spurs will maintain their position ahead of the reigning champions in the Premier League table. Tottenham have come a long way under Mourinho and he used y e s t e r day’ s media briefing to ram home that point.
That is not to say the Spurs boss was at all disrespectful towards Liverpool. Far from it. The Portuguese said: ‘i believe that for a team to achieve what Liverpool have achieved already and what more they keep trying to achieve, the work has to be perfect.
‘Everything they do, they do very, very well. i think it’s very close to perfection.’
history tells us he is unlikely to emulate Klopp’s 1,894-day reign in his current job; Mourinho is not known for his one-club longevity.
But the man himself has hinted that Spurs could be the one that sticks.
‘At Tottenham, i know the profile of the job that i have in hand and until now i am enjoying it very, very much to be at the club, he added.
‘i believe that the club structure is also happy to work with me, so i see myself staying for along time.’