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Spurs’ 6-1 win at Man Utd was freak result, says Mourinho London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho said Friday that he does not believe Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be using Manchester United’s 6-1 humbling by Spurs in October as motivation for their Premier League clash on Sunday. Spurs dished out United’s joint heaviest Premier League defeat at Old Trafford thanks to a fine attacking display and a defensive horror show from the home side. Former United manager Mourinho, now in charge of Tottenham, believes the match early in the season, in which United’s Anthony Martial was sent off, produced a freak result. “I believe that 6-1 doesn’t reflect the reality,” he said on Friday. “I go much more in the direction of the other two previous matches between us and United. “We lost 2-1 at Old Trafford, with the penalty, and we draw 1-1 at home last season, also with a penalty. I think this is more the reality. “If Solskjaer is going to use that result I don’t know. If it was my team losing 6-1 to them I would just say to my guys that it happened once and it’s not going to happen twice.” United boss Solskjaer described the Old Trafford humbling as his most embarrassing experience in football. But his side have made enormous progress since then. They are 11 points clear of sixth-placed Spurs and on course to finish as runners-up behind Manchester City. A huge factor behind United’s resurgence has been their form on the road — they have not lost away in the Premier League since January last year. But Mourinho said that record would not intimidate his team, who are desperate to break into the top four after an inconsistent season. “I am not going to comment on the record other than to say congratulations for the record,” said the Spurs boss. “We are going to try and win the match. It is the only thing that I can say. “It is very difficult for many reasons but that record is not going to stop us to think we can win and it is not going to stop us to fight to win.”

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho said Friday that he does not believe Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be using Manchester United’s 6-1 humbling by Spurs in October as motivation for their Premier League clash on Sunday. Spurs dished out United’s joint heaviest Premier League defeat at Old Trafford thanks to a fine attacking display and a defensive horror show from the home side. Former United manager Mourinho, now in charge of Tottenham, believes the match early in the season, in which United’s Anthony Martial was sent off, produced a freak result. “I believe that 6-1 doesn’t reflect the reality,” he said on Friday. “I go much more in the direction of the other two previous matches between us and United. “We lost 2-1 at Old Trafford, with the penalty, and we draw 1-1 at home last season, also with a penalty. I think this is more the reality. “If Solskjaer is going to use that result I don’t know. If it was my team losing 6-1 to them I would just say to my guys that it happened once and it’...

Spurs dressing room divided by ‘selfish’ players, says Mourinho London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho said Tottenham’s dressing room is divided by “selfish” players and agents who have their own relationships with the press. Mourinho was speaking after a vital win in the chase for a top-four Premier League finish. Spurs responded to an embarrassing Europa League exit at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb with a 2-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday, courtesy of goals from Carlos Vinicius and Harry Kane. Captain Hugo Lloris had strongly criticised the underlying culture at the club in a stinging interview following Thursday’s loss in Croatia, pointing the finger at fringe players who were not fully committed. Mourinho appeared to agree with that assessment, saying it was difficult to keep a harmonious dressing room in the modern game. “Football nowadays is not easy in relation to that,” he told Sky Sports. “The selfishness is around, the individual interests are around, the agents are around, the connections between agents and press are around. “And instead of developing a feeling of a team, empathy, ‘I do for you, you do for me’, ‘I win if I play 90 minutes, I win if I am in the stands’. “This is something that you need time to develop in a group. Nowadays you need time because society and the psychological profile of younger people is not an easy one.” Mourinho, who made a number of changes for the Aston Villa match, was happy with the response of his side, which leaves them just three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. “I’m very happy with the result, I’m very happy with the performance, I’m very happy with the attitude,” said the Portuguese. “I’m not happy with the feeling that if you did it tonight, why you didn’t do it 48 hours ago? That match on Thursday will be a scar for a long time. “It’s not going to heal just because we won, but total credit to the players. They were a team. They fought together. They put in the game that honesty, that dignity that football players should put in every match.”

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho said Tottenham’s dressing room is divided by “selfish” players and agents who have their own relationships with the press. Mourinho was speaking after a vital win in the chase for a top-four Premier League finish. Spurs responded to an embarrassing Europa League exit at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb with a 2-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday, courtesy of goals from Carlos Vinicius and Harry Kane. Captain Hugo Lloris had strongly criticised the underlying culture at the club in a stinging interview following Thursday’s loss in Croatia, pointing the finger at fringe players who were not fully committed. Mourinho appeared to agree with that assessment, saying it was difficult to keep a harmonious dressing room in the modern game. “Football nowadays is not easy in relation to that,” he told Sky Sports. “The selfishness is around, the individual interests are around, the agents are around, the connections between agents and press are around. “And instead of dev...

Spurs can still finish in top four, says Mourinho London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho still believes Tottenham Hotspur can finish in the top four of the Premier League despite a poor run that has sent them tumbling down the table. Spurs have slipped from top to ninth after a run of just three wins in the past 12 games, meaning they are now outsiders to secure Champions League qualification. Mourinho’s men visit West Ham on Sunday — they are six points behind the fifth-placed Hammers with a game in hand. “It’s very premature to think about the table,” said the Spurs manager. “People still have matches in hand. In our case, we played already two matches against Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City. “There are other teams that didn’t even play a second game against one of the top teams. “We have one match in hand. I know already that because Southampton has to play the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in the same week as we should play them, we’re not going to play that match.” Mourinho said Spurs, who play City in the League Cup final in April, would fight to qualify for next season’s Champions League. “Anything can happen,” the Portuguese boss added. “We can finish top four, top six or outside the top six. We have to make sure the best possible thing is going to happen.” The reverse fixture between the London rivals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in October finished 3-3 after West Ham scored three goals in the final 10 minutes. That draw had long-lasting consequences as Mourinho adopted a more pragmatic approach in order to tighten up defensively. Former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Mourinho said that game against the Hammers was a microcosm of Spurs’ campaign. “The first game against West Ham is a little bit of the reflection of our season and the reflection of some of our problems,” he explained. “If we win that game you would all say we played amazingly well, which we did, we had an incredible first half, lots of quality, lots of dominance, we played really well but we didn’t win it and this is a reflection of many of our matches.”

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho still believes Tottenham Hotspur can finish in the top four of the Premier League despite a poor run that has sent them tumbling down the table. Spurs have slipped from top to ninth after a run of just three wins in the past 12 games, meaning they are now outsiders to secure Champions League qualification. Mourinho’s men visit West Ham on Sunday — they are six points behind the fifth-placed Hammers with a game in hand. “It’s very premature to think about the table,” said the Spurs manager. “People still have matches in hand. In our case, we played already two matches against Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City. “There are other teams that didn’t even play a second game against one of the top teams. “We have one match in hand. I know already that because Southampton has to play the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in the same week as we should play them, we’re not going to play that match.” Mourinho said Spurs, who play City in the League Cup final i...

Kane ‘optimistic’ of quick return from injury, says Mourinho London (AFP) – Harry Kane is “optimistic” he can return from his latest injury setback in just two weeks, according to Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho. The Spurs striker was sorely missed during Sunday’s dismal 1-0 defeat at lowly Brighton after damaging both ankles in last week’s 3-1 loss to champions Liverpool. The England captain has undergone scans and, according to his manager, is upbeat about a swift recovery. He will almost certainly miss home games against Chelsea and West Brom, as well as the FA Cup fifth-round trip to Everton, but could be back to face Premier League leaders Manchester City on February 13. “The news is pretty good news,” Mourinho told club media. “After Liverpool, no idea. Then the next day we were thinking about three weeks, something like that. “I do not want to be super-optimistic but Harry is optimistic. “He has the experience of some injuries in ankles and in Harry’s mind it is a couple of weeks, so let’s see if he is right.” Kane has scored or assisted 23 of Tottenham’s 34 Premier League goals this season. Real Madrid loanee Gareth Bale was given a rare opportunity to impress in his absence against Brighton but was largely ineffective, while Brazilian forward Carlos Vinicius went closest to an equaliser after coming off the bench. Spurs, who topped the table in December, have now won just two of their past nine league games and are six points adrift of the top four. Captain Hugo Lloris said the team were lacking confidence as they prepare to host Chelsea on Thursday. “It’s the moment to stick together but there is a lot of disappointment from the players, from the manager and coaching staff, from the fans because we expect more from us,” he said. “It’s a situation we need to fix as a team. The confidence will be back as soon as we get one good result.”

London (AFP) – Harry Kane is “optimistic” he can return from his latest injury setback in just two weeks, according to Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho. The Spurs striker was sorely missed during Sunday’s dismal 1-0 defeat at lowly Brighton after damaging both ankles in last week’s 3-1 loss to champions Liverpool. The England captain has undergone scans and, according to his manager, is upbeat about a swift recovery. He will almost certainly miss home games against Chelsea and West Brom, as well as the FA Cup fifth-round trip to Everton, but could be back to face Premier League leaders Manchester City on February 13. “The news is pretty good news,” Mourinho told club media. “After Liverpool, no idea. Then the next day we were thinking about three weeks, something like that. “I do not want to be super-optimistic but Harry is optimistic. “He has the experience of some injuries in ankles and in Harry’s mind it is a couple of weeks, so let’s see if he is right.” Kane has scored or assi...

Bale must battle to earn his Spurs, says Mourinho London (AFP) – Gareth Bale must earn his place in the Tottenham team on the training pitch and will not be picked so he can boost his match fitness, said manager Jose Mourinho. The 31-year-old Wales international is back at Spurs on a season-long loan deal from Real Madrid. But the forward, hampered by fitness issues, has mostly been confined to Europa League games, playing just 45 minutes of Premier League football since early November. Bale came on in the FA Cup third-round win over non-league Marine earlier this month and may get more time on the pitch in the fourth-round clash against Championship side Wycombe later on Monday. But Mourinho said playing time was not a gift. “I cannot give players minutes,” said the Portuguese manager. “Minutes on the pitch is not something that I can give. “I am going in this direction. We all know the difficulties he had in the last couple of seasons, we all know that he arrived injured and we all know that even this season a little bit up and down with small things.” Bale is desperate for game time, with Wales involved in the European Championships, due to start in June. “The most important thing for him is to be consistent (in) training without problems,” said Mourinho. “When a player is consistently training at high intensity without any problems then the player is ready — not to be given minutes but is ready to earn minutes and that is a different thing.”

London (AFP) – Gareth Bale must earn his place in the Tottenham team on the training pitch and will not be picked so he can boost his match fitness, said manager Jose Mourinho. The 31-year-old Wales international is back at Spurs on a season-long loan deal from Real Madrid. But the forward, hampered by fitness issues, has mostly been confined to Europa League games, playing just 45 minutes of Premier League football since early November. Bale came on in the FA Cup third-round win over non-league Marine earlier this month and may get more time on the pitch in the fourth-round clash against Championship side Wycombe later on Monday. But Mourinho said playing time was not a gift. “I cannot give players minutes,” said the Portuguese manager. “Minutes on the pitch is not something that I can give. “I am going in this direction. We all know the difficulties he had in the last couple of seasons, we all know that he arrived injured and we all know that even this season a little bit up a...

Spurs stand together with Bergwijn after online abuse, says Mourinho London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho has told Steven Bergwijn “we are all together” after the forward received harsh criticism following two missed chances in Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat by Liverpool this week. Champions Liverpool made the most of their let-off, scoring a late winner through Roberto Firmino, leapfrogging Spurs to go top of the Premier League. Dutch international Bergwijn was forced to restrict comments on his Instagram page following a flurry of abusive messages. Mourinho, though, offered his full support to the player on Friday. “I don’t know what can I do apart from the player knowing that in this club we are all together,” he said. “I know that in some clubs, with some people, is the culture of, ‘they lost’ or ‘we drew’ but ‘I won’. In here, no. In here, we lose, we win, we draw all together. “So, in here, we don’t feel any individualised criticism. We never feel it that way. We always feel it’s always about us. So no problem.” Mourinho said Bergwijn was “one of my boys”. “He’s a good professional, he works hard for the team. He gives everything he can. That’s it.” There is a chance Gareth Bale will return for Sunday’s visit of fourth-placed Leicester. The Wales international has not been in the squad for the past two matches because of illness. “He’s fine,” Mourinho said. “Trained Thursday with the team, trained today with the team. “Looks OK. So if Saturday, he does it normally like he did normally in the last two days, he’s fine.”

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho has told Steven Bergwijn “we are all together” after the forward received harsh criticism following two missed chances in Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat by Liverpool this week. Champions Liverpool made the most of their let-off, scoring a late winner through Roberto Firmino, leapfrogging Spurs to go top of the Premier League. Dutch international Bergwijn was forced to restrict comments on his Instagram page following a flurry of abusive messages. Mourinho, though, offered his full support to the player on Friday. “I don’t know what can I do apart from the player knowing that in this club we are all together,” he said. “I know that in some clubs, with some people, is the culture of, ‘they lost’ or ‘we drew’ but ‘I won’. In here, no. In here, we lose, we win, we draw all together. “So, in here, we don’t feel any individualised criticism. We never feel it that way. We always feel it’s always about us. So no problem.” Mourinho said Bergwijn was “one of my boys”...

Maradona was there for me in tough times, says Mourinho London (AFP) – Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that Diego Maradona would call him after defeats, paying a warm tribute to the late Argentine great with a “big, big” heart. The World Cup winner died from a heart attack on Wednesday aged 60. “I spent the day today telling stories to my guys about him and the time we spent together and that’s the guy I miss,” Mourinho told BT Sport. “I especially miss the phone call that was always arriving after defeats and never after victories. “He knew that after victories I don’t need phone calls, he knew that in difficult moments he was always there and he was always saying after defeats and in difficult moments ‘Mo, don’t forget you are the best’. “It was always with this kind of approach, so I miss Diego.” The Spurs boss said those who had been able to spend time with Maradona had been privileged, drawing a line between the footballer and the man. “There is Maradona and there is Diego,” said Mourinho. “Maradona, I don’t need to speak about because the world knows and nobody will forget. “Diego is different. The people that are the big friends of him, the people that share dressing rooms with him, colleagues, these guys are privileged. “I can say he was a good friend of mine, but my contacts with him were by telephone and we met of course a few times.” Mourinho said he would miss Maradona’s generous larger-than-life character. “He had a big, big, big, big heart,” said Mourinho, whose side beat Ludogorets 4-0 on Thursday to move to the brink of qualification for the Europa League knockout phase. “That’s the guy I miss, because his football we can find every time we miss him, if we Google we will find it. But Diego, no.”

London (AFP) – Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that Diego Maradona would call him after defeats, paying a warm tribute to the late Argentine great with a “big, big” heart. The World Cup winner died from a heart attack on Wednesday aged 60. “I spent the day today telling stories to my guys about him and the time we spent together and that’s the guy I miss,” Mourinho told BT Sport. “I especially miss the phone call that was always arriving after defeats and never after victories. “He knew that after victories I don’t need phone calls, he knew that in difficult moments he was always there and he was always saying after defeats and in difficult moments ‘Mo, don’t forget you are the best’. “It was always with this kind of approach, so I miss Diego.” The Spurs boss said those who had been able to spend time with Maradona had been privileged, drawing a line between the footballer and the man. “There is Maradona and there is Diego,” said Mourinho. “Maradona, I don’t n...