Judging by some of the reaction to the Hugo Lloris and Son Heung-min half time bust up you would be forgiven for thinking those two players now epitomise the mental focus that Jose Mourinho is looking for.
Well, that is wrong in my opinion and the mental focus that the Portuguese has been looking for was already in place if people looked hard enough.
To me, Giovani Lo Celso is the player that characterises what Mourinho wants from his Tottenham players.
The Argentine is one of those players that gets under the skin of the opponents, always doing niggly fouls with the added benefit of having the ability to be a game-changer.
Mourinho has always had players like that in his teams, for example, Drogba at Chelsea, Ibrahimovic at Inter Milan and to some degree at Man Utd, a whole host of players similar at Real Madrid and now Lo Celso at Spurs.
Players that can be nasty, that do sneaky fouls and constantly get away with it, that walk around the pitch with a scowl on their faces and have a never say die attitude.
Tottenham do lack that sort of spirit throughout the team but it is changing, the fact that the normally quiet Lloris loses it with the most affable man in the Tottenham squad tells you that but they are not the primary players that mental strength will come from.
Eric Dier is another one but he lacks that ability to change a game, it is Lo Celso that personifies a Mourinho player more than any other Spurs player, not Son, not Lloris, not Kane but Lo Celso.
You just have to look to see it.
Boy did the scousers cry.
Those guys have always fouled alot bar toby and he can still be known for it.. We have fouled alot for years now if you look at the stats.. Even back when we had rose verts toby walker, we were top foulers then too.
Yep there is always a Roy Keane or a Sergio Ramos to punish these types… Remember a year or two ago Salah tried annoying Ramos in the champs league. Stepped on his toes in the first 5 minutes. He destroyed him next time he had the ball. Off injured straight away.
Players that niggle me off the ball regret it next time they get the ball they get upended, taken out hard and fair I aim for the ball but I make sure I go through them everytime… They think twice then.. Theres nothing impressive about pulling shirts and putting hands on chests and faces. A form of cheating really. Its almost as pathetic as diving or simulation… And Gio has hardly showed us he’s a game changer. Yet to nail a goal or assist in the prem the lad shoots like winks. Not great at all… Maureen has helped dier for sure…. Quality football, fast and direct, whether passing or running with the ball, parading forward at pace impresses me. Gio has done this only once or twice in 4 games. No goals or assists in 20 prem games… I would tell the little guy to cut out the niggly little fouls, and concentrate on the important factors like improve his running, positioning, passing and shooting. If they got the ball hit them hard and fair… Niggly fouls don’t win games.
We only need another ten like him and then we’re flying.
I hate those types of players, always have. Even in a Spurs shirt. cheating off the ball in the guise of “getting under their skin”. Annoys me, I prefer a player with a straight up meaty challenge, in full flow of the game.
There was evidence of a little nasty streak coming from a few, Winks Dier Toby all left their mark on Richarlson.
The football will come once the others get on the same page then we might see a proper little player in Lo Celso.
It will be a grind but I for one am enjoying this transformation, shame others can’t see what is happening.
It was good to see Lo Celso last night stick it to Everton. Lamela has had a similar swagger, without looking as good. Those Argentinians don’t mess about on a football pitch. The first half was a kick fest from Everton and although Lo Celso could do with some beef I like what I see.