For a man who has won a pair of Champions League trophies with two different clubs, Jose Mourinho can be surprisingly childish at times.
The Portuguese man took over the reins at Tottenham earlier this season, replacing Mauricio Pochettino as manager. And after a fairly impressive start that saw the north Londoners pick up three successive victories, the Lilywhites have endured a topsy-turvy couple of months that has seen them drop five points off the top four.
Injuries have certainly played their part, with the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son being ruled out with serious injuries. And that situation itself has brought out the very worst of Mourinho’s stubborn-like qualities, with his handling of Spurs starlet Troy Parrott particularly embarrassing.
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But now, the Portuguese man has arguably outdone himself. Despite being manager of a club that reached the Champions League finals last season, Mourinho has been crying foul.
“In this moment I have to think about what’s next. To be honest, I have to speak with my club because I think some of these boys, to have a chance to fight Tuesday for a Champions League position, they just can’t play Saturday. I have to think about a Saturday match and a Tuesday match and try to decide which one is the priority and which one is the one where I can give some of my boys under huge fatigue the best possible chance.”
It certainly brings a tear to the eye. Clubs who look to compete at the very top level, for the biggest prizes on offer, are going to go through periods where injuries and fixture congestion can hit hard. It’s nothing new, and arguably the perfect chance for a team to show their title-winning credentials by coming through adversity.
Instead, Mourinho is already laying out the excuses, and it’s a mentality that will surely be a real kick in the teeth for Daniel Levy and Spurs. At the time of his appointment as manager, the north London side’s chairman proudly held up the Portuguese man’s unrivalled track record as a beacon of hope.
“In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football. He has a wealth of experience, can inspire teams and is a great tactician. He has won honours at every club he has coached.”
If one of the biggest factors behind the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino was that he didn’t win anything in his time at the club, then Mourinho’s latest remarks won’t go down well. The man who they placed their faith in to deliver some much-needed silverware, is complaining of how they can’t play two games in the space of a few days. That will really strike a nerve.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans slate Jose Mourinho over this starlet.