In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News’ Gary Cotterill, Jose Mourinho called on Tottenham to be “calm and patient” in their pursuit of silverware as they get set for a vital north London derby against Arsenal.
Mourinho has never lost a home match against Arsenal, and a derby win on Sunday will see Spurs top the table for the third week running.
A couple of recent Europa League nights have not been to his liking, but Mourinho is much happier with his team’s Premier League performances.
Many fans and some pundits are beginning to believe Spurs can be title contenders, but the Portuguese is urging his players to stay focused.
“If the talk outside is positive talk, we have to be patient and calm and not excited,” he told Sky Sports News. “If the talk is negative and critical, we cannot be affected by that either.
“We have to be cool, we have to keep a balance and give everything we have, always, and at the end of the season we will see what happens.”
0:40
A season that ends in May 2021 – and, as Tottenham fans know, it’s lucky for Spurs when the year ends in one. Mourinho, though, has no time for such frivolity.
“I don’t care about these coincidences or superstitions,” he says. “It’s not for me at all. I don’t care.”
So, Mourinho is not a fan of superstition, but he does enjoy the occasional metaphor. Like last weekend for example, when he said Spurs were not a horse in the title race, but merely a pony.
0:39
It’s a simile he’s sticking with, even when I read him this official description of a pony.
“Ponies are incredibly strong for their size,” I explain. “They can pull or carry heavy loads with more strength than horses, relative to their size. They are hardier than horses. They can withstand greater ranges in temperature.
“So, Jose,” I put to him, “When the going gets tough, ponies are better than horses.”
He listens, contemplates a while, then laughs. “Are they? So why in the big races do the top jockeys not go with ponies!?”
Good answer.
Arsenal will be more defensive
So, if Spurs are ponies in the title race, what are Arsenal, who go into the game eight points adrift of Tottenham?
“I don’t know, Mikel has to say that,” Mourinho says. “To me they are a very good team that had a big improvement last season.
“This season if you look at Manchester United versus Arsenal or if you look at Liverpool versus Arsenal – even though they lost – you realise they can beat anyone. They are quite versatile, they can play in different ways.
“Personally I think they will go back to what they were a few months ago, playing with a back five and being much more defensive because that was the way they beat Manchester City and Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final and final. They are going to be a difficult opponent.”
0:48
Ahead of the north London derby, Mourinho also found time to offer support to some of the area’s most vulnerable children.
He’s become an ambassador to Tottenham’s ‘To Care Is To Do’ project, which offers children in care out-of-school-hours learning. Mourinho, who was a teacher in his home town, before becoming one of the world’s top coaches, will invite groups of youngsters to Tottenham’s Enfield training ground for regular mentoring sessions.
“I am extremely passionate about helping young people achieve the best they can in life, and realise their potential,” he says. “Children that have grown up in care often find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to education and employment opportunities.
“This has inspired me to work with this group of young people, offer them advice and help them believe in themselves.”
Have you tried Super 6 Extra yet?
You can win £5,000 for free with Super 6 Extra by predicting what will happen when Tottenham host Arsenal in their Super Sunday clash.
Jose Mourinho faces off against Mikel Arteta live on Sky Sports this weekend, giving the Gunners the chance to amend their inconsistent form against the Premier League leaders and fierce rivals.
All you have to do is answer six questions around the game to be in with the chance of winning with the free-to-play Super 6 Extra.
Super 6 Extra is similar to the game we all know and love, but the beauty of our Sunday special lies in needing to correctly predict the answers to six questions to scoop the jackpot:
- Can you predict the full-time score?
- Can you predict the half-time score?
- Who will score the first goal?
- Who will receive the first card?
- How many corners will be taken?
- Who will receive the Man of the Match award?
There is, as with Super 6, a tiebreaker to split the winners if there is more than one on any occasion. This will be a possession slider – simply slide it to what you think the possession stat will be at the end of the game.
from WordPress https://ift.tt/37Gg7LZ
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment