Jose Mourinho suggested last night that Tottenham’s injuries will force him to prioritise one of the upcoming games against Burnley and RB Leipzig.
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Spurs travel to Turf Moor in the Premier League on Saturday less than 72 hours after playing 120 minutes and losing on penalties to Norwich City in the FA Cup last night; an excertion which strained our squad even more.
Mourinho is quoted by The Independent as saying that Dele Alli, Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn and Giovani Lo Celso were all at their physical limits and at risk of joining Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Moussa Sissoko, Hugo Lloris and Ryan Sessegnon on an already crippling injury list.
It gives the Portuguese a difficult balancing act with Tuesday’s trip to Leipzig, where we must overturn a 1-0 home-leg deficit, also on his mind.
The Independent quote him as saying: “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.”
So, assuming for argument’s sake that Mourinho has no other choice, which game would you prioritise?
Burnley – we’re only five points adrift of the top four, and two behind fifth-place which could yet be good enough to qualify for the Champions League, which may be our only hope of keeping our best players in the summer.
Leipzig – we’d need to throw everything at the second leg in the hope that we can fluke our way through to the quarter-finals, where a better team than the Germans will almost inevitably dump us out of the competition.
So Burnley then? Nope. Leipzig for me.
We’re in a horrible spiral at the moment and need a result that has the potential to reignite our season, however unlikely that seems right now.
Grinding out a 2-1 win or draw away at Burnley isn’t going to swing the momentum of our campaign. Another famous European night just might.
And that’s what I’d be gambling on.
He said after Norwich that the players were ‘dead’. A bit like your managerial abilities mate! 😂
It’s hard for him to accept when he looks at the youthful inexperience of all the other coaches fighting for top 4. Excuses are essential.
Wolves have been playing thursday night football since july without complaint of exhaustion. In fact Nuno says he wants to streamline his squad this summer because he’s only been using about 14-15 players all the way through.
I would try to win both, prioritising the leipzig game…… But maureen will prioritise Burnley. 2 million bonus and levy will want that too. Same as poch had to. Its all about the money.
They dont have champs league or europe so no mid week games. Also less international players so they get breaks and rest.. The top clubs play more games and bigger games so need a bigger squad to cope and fight on all fronts… We dont want ropey league (though more likely to win that) as easty says below those later midweek games are a killer, play on thursday then again saturday.. Amateurs can play 2 or 3 times a week full 90 mins no problem. But not at the top level its too demanding. Injuries inevitably hit us every season, I dont get why our top brass don’t learn.
They dont have champs league or europe so no mid week games. Also less international players so they get breaks and rest.. The top clubs play more games and bigger games so need a bigger squad to cope and fight on all fronts… We dont want ropey league (though more likely to win that) as easty says below those later midweek games are a killer, play on thursday then again saturday.. Amateurs can play 2 or 3 times a week full 90 mins no problem. But not at the top level its too demanding. Injuries inevitably hit us every season, I dont get why our top brass don’t learn.
This is why botch prioritised (threw games and comps) too…. Forced to due to injuries, lack of back up and quality.
It’s a bit like like electing to have plastic surgery and then saying you preferred your old nose. Get on with it and shut up Moany.
It’s strange that some people blame the fans for a manager’s poor displays too. As if there’s some weird telepathy between the stands and the manager’s work on the pitch.
If we all get fully behind bad football, losing football that somehow it will magically transform into better football. It’s garbage, he’s paid 15m a year to get on with it and keep his trap shut. Get on with it…
FFS, we are a top professional football team! Play a team to win both games! Sick of Maureen and her excuses, she knew what she was joining.
Yep. It’s actually pretty much the same for everyone, and as he guides us towards that most prestigious tournament the ‘Ropey League’ we all thought we’d seen the back of, I would remind him that we’ll be playing even more games next season as a result.
Might not be his problem though, probably won’t even be here…
Don’t buy it at all. Wolves have been fielding the same 14-15 players nonstop since July.