Mourinho wary ofwolves as Tottenham try to arrest their mini slump
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho says life is not about to get easier for his side in the Premier League when they visit Wolves today.
Spurs travel to Molineux having played Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Leicester over the last six games – a run that saw them take seven points and lose their position at the top of the table.
On paper, the next few games look more favourable as after the journey to mid-table Wolves, Mourinho’s side face Fulham and Leeds at home. But the Portuguese does not see it that way.
“It is very hard in this league to have consistent runs because every game is very difficult,” he said.
“We were in a period where we had to play against the considered top-six teams where we got them in a row and some people can say now we are going to get an easier run of matches.
“What is easier? Go to Wolves and play Fulham and Leeds? It’s not easier, this is a league where we are and we should be very happy with that and not sad with that.
“We should be happy because it is a fantastic league.”
Having challenged for Europe last season, Wolves have struggled for consistency this campaign, having already lost six games.
But Mourinho, who used to manage Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo at Porto, is still a fan of his compatriot. He said: “You look to the table, how can you analyse managers with this table, it changes every week, every two matches. In one week one team is in a certain position after two weeks they are in a completely different position.
“It is up and down so you cannot judge the work of a manager. Everybody is there. Nuno is a very good coach – it doesn’t matter if Wolves are second, third, eighth or ninth.
“I think this is a question I answer for three years in a row, every time I play Wolves this question comes.
“You just need to copy and paste what I say. Very good coach, great work, the results are there. You know my answer he is a very good coach.”
Wolves have stopped their players from shopping again with a new variant
of coronavirus spreading throughout the country.
The Premier League club told their players to protect themselves by avoiding trips to the supermarket during the first national lockdown in March.
And Santo, who wants the Premier League to introduce twice-weekly Covid-19 tests for players and staff with the virus surging in England, says the club has responded by organising shopping trips for their entire squad.
“We have staff to go shopping and to the supermarkets for them,” Nuno revealed.
“We have to avoid any kind of risk because we have a small squad and we have problems with some players out.
“We cannot afford to lose any player, we tell them on a daily basis, ‘Don’t relax, try to be more careful’. Our kitchen staff puts together a big box of the basic things that we need.
“During the high moment of the pandemic everybody had it. When the situation improved we said to players, ‘ You are free to go and do your own shopping’.
“But now as the levels are increasing so high, and we have this new mutation that everyone is so worried about, we start putting this together again. It’s about protecting ourselves.
“We are privileged as professionals in football, so many people take care of us. It’s impossible for the rest of society, everybody has to take care of themselves.”
Asked whether Wolves had taken on extra staff to cope with the situation, Nuno replied: “No. As long as there’s goodwill there’s no short numbers.”