Mourinho sings the praises of ‘rock star’ rival Ainsworth

Jose Mourinho acknowledges he and Gareth Ainsworth will cut two very different figures on the touchline at Adams Park tonight.

Mourinho, with his white hair combed to the side, labelled “oldfashioned” by the man himself, in front of the dugout in his long overcoat and scarf, demanding more of his Tottenham players. Then there is Wycombe manager Ainsworth, who looks more like a wannabe rock star, with his shoulder-length hair and leather jacket.

They are from two different worlds, with Ainsworth finding release from the pressures of management by singing in a rock band called the Cold Blooded Hearts – before Covid-19 curtailed their gigs.

Mourinho, though, is full of admiration for his counterpart who has taken the Chairboys from League

Two to the Championship for the first time in their history.

“The coach is good,” Mourinho said of Ainsworth, ahead of their FA Cup fourth-round tie. “You only stay in the club for so long if you are good. You play in different divisions, you are promoted, you stay and fight in a difficult competition like they are now in the Championship.

“He knows what he wants. His team has a certain way to play. He knows clearly the way he wants to play. He knows clearly how to make the best out of his players, so the coach is good.

“Then, the man. He must be a guy that enjoys his life. He looks to me a happy guy and if to be happy, part of his life is to play the rock, to sing, to be part of that beautiful world which is music, he just has to do it.

“He has this long rock star hair, amazing. I’m really pleased he’s a good coach and a happy guy.

“I feel sorry I cannot sing with

him because I will destroy his music.”

On paper, Mourinho’s men should have no trouble getting past a side who prop up the Championship and have not played in over a fortnight due to a coronavirus outbreak. But the Portuguese insists there is no such thing as a giant-killing when it comes to Premier League teams playing Championship opposition.

“Wycombe is Championship and Championship are as professional as we are,” Mourinho added. “We get more money than them and we are more exposed than them, but they are professionals like we are.

“They have quality to be in the Premier League. We have quality to be in the Championship. So, the difference is not what it was decades ago.

“Championship is one of the best leagues in the world. It is much better than many Premier Leagues in other countries, so I don’t look at Wycombe as a team that is going to try to kill the giant. I don’t feel much difference between the Championship and Premier League. See Brentford, see the difficulties everybody has when they play against them.

“For me, that story doesn’t exist when we are speaking about Championship [clubs].”