Mourinho distracts from draw with words over Eriksen future
Jose Mourinho knows that there are many easy ways to deflect attention from a lead being tossed away late in an FA Cup tie, and few better in the final days of January than a complaint over the transfer saga of a player who is certain to leave the club anyway.
It was Christian Eriksen’s future that Mourinho offered up in the aftermath of a poor second half from Tottenham Hotspur in this fourth-round contest that will go to a replay after substitute Sofiane Boufal’s 87th-minute equaliser. Afterwards Mourinho reflected on the absence of his Danish playmaker with a rumination on the darker arts of the January window and allegations were made, directly or otherwise.
He invited all concerned to read what they wanted into Eriksen’s absence ahead of the window closing at 11pm on Friday. “I do not want to say anything,” he added, which is usually a preface to him saying something. “I just want to say that, that… this situation should not happen on Jan 25, and it is not Tottenham’s fault that on Jan 25 we are in this situation.”
One presumes that the delay in Eriksen’s transfer to Inter Milan may have something to do with Daniel Levy’s dissatisfaction with the £13 million offer for a player out of contract in the summer, although that was not up for discussion. Mourinho also made clear his feelings on Danny Rose, again absent from the squad following last weekend’s disagreement, muttering darkly how he had no idea whether the left-back would still be at Spurs come Friday’s transfer deadline.
“I don’t know, I don’t know,” he replied to the question. “[Rose is] Not injured. My decision. My decision is based on performance, and it is based on my analysis. We have Ben Davies, left-back injured for a long time; we have Danny; we have Japhet [ Tanganga] who is not a left-back but is very solid and Ryan [Sessegnon] is a 19-yearold kid learning how to defend.”
If his place in the pecking order is now behind the academy rookie, the teenage new signing and even the injured candidate for the position, Rose may wish to consider his options.
Spurs took the lead through Son Heung-min but Danny Ings went close with a header before creating Boufal’s equaliser and the Saints top goalscorer could have had a penalty too.
“A disaster” was how Ralph Hasenhuttl described the possibility that the video assistant referee Jonathan Moss had not reviewed a second-half handball in the area by Tanganga. “It’s a clear handball,” said the Saints manager, “if you have VAR and you don’t use it, it ’s a joke.” There was a suggestion that the ball struck Ings’ hand first.
Son’s goal just before the hour was largely made at the feet of the robust, skilful Argentine Giovani Lo Celso, who arrived on loan in the summer but never got the chance to blossom under Mauricio Pochettino. There is a cheaper option to buy him this January which might tempt Levy given that in these winter months without the likes of Harry Kane and Moussa Sissoko, the man on loan from Real Betis is becoming ever more important.
“He is making it an easy decision for the club to execute the options,” said Mourinho. “It has been an incredible evolution since I arrived.”
Lo Celso carried the ball from deep in his own team’s half for the pre-assist to Dele Alli who played in Son for his left-footed strike across Angus Gunn.
Boufal’s goal was his first of the season although his general effect has been much less than expected after he skipped past the West Bromwich Albion defence in October 2017 for what was then the goal of the season.
The replay will interrupt Southampton’s midseason break, which is a source of regret for their manager. “Flights are being cancelled but when you reach the next round you don’t think about flights,” said Hasenhuttl. Like Mourinho, he is a manager who would benefit from an FA Cup run.