Former Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov has defended Jose Mourinho and has called for him to be given time.
Off the pace for a top-four finish in the Premier League and having crashed out of the FA Cup and Champions League, it hasn’t been an ideal few weeks for Mourinho or Spurs.
Injuries to key players haven’t helped, while it now remains to be seen if they can improve after the football hiatus ends with the fixture schedule being suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Berbatov has hit out at any suggestion that Mourinho should be sacked already given the poor run of form, as he has insisted that the Spurs boss needs time to stamp his mark on the squad before he can be fairly judged for the job he is doing in north London.
“Against Leipzig, Spurs were completely outplayed. As a Spurs fan it was difficult to watch, but are people seriously saying Jose Mourinho should be sacked after just four months as manager? There’s no need to panic,” he told Betfair, as reported by Goal.com.
“I still have faith in the Portuguese and believe any head coach deserves a full season to bring in his players and implement his philosophy. Judge Mourinho on next season.
“Small details make all the difference in football and the players have to take responsibility for results. All Mourinho can do is prepare them because once they’re on the pitch it’s up to them.
“It’s going to be a long journey for Spurs under Mourinho and they shouldn’t give up on him yet.”
It remains to be seen if there is any improvement from Tottenham when they return to action, as they can ill-afford any further slip-ups given the seven-point gap between them and fourth-placed Chelsea with just nine games to go.
Much will depend on the coronavirus outbreak through as to whether the season can be completed, as the squad continues to train at the club’s training complex to ensure that they remain prepared, as per the Evening Standard.
