Media Continue to Misunderstand Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspur
By Aaron Coe
Following the match as the same people ask the same questions of José Mourinho about Tottenham Hotspur, you realize they really are not listening.
Hearing to the media again and again pepper the same questions at José Mourinho, it is clear the media does not understand the coach or simply is not listening. There are typically two themes to the questions asked at every media session of José Mourinho. The questions center first around if this is the year Tottenham will win a trophy. The second theme is on players and is usually about why this person is playing and that is one not. At this point more than a year into his tenure as coach, you would think people would figure out the answers to these questions and find some new ones.
José Mourinho on Trophies
Look, winning a trophy is not a feeling one has. It is not a lucky lottery number that pops into your head one day and bang you win a trophy. Rather winning a trophy is a reward – not an award – for being the most consistent team in whatever the competition is. Consistency does not always mean being the best team, it means doing the best each week, in each match.
I have no doubt that this is getting tiresome for Mourinho to answer as he even says it in his answer. José Mourinho said that, “I say every week we focus on the next match, if the next match is Europa League its important, if the next match is a cup, cup is important, if next is Premier League, Premier League is important”.
The point is, that Tottenham “play every match to win” which does not always happen, but it is still the intention. The logical result of this – within the appropriate mindset – is what we heard from Japhet Tanganga prior to the match, if we win a trophy so be it. Being the best and winning every game is the goal not the trophy.
If you are the best and win every game, the consequence of those actions is the trophy. It is a different mentality than many are used too, but it has been consistent since José Mourinho arrived and never changes. If you simply win every game, then yes of course you win the trophy. That said, maybe in the end you do not win but not because the game was too big for the team, because they treat every game the same, the objective is to win.
Why Bring on the Top Team?
Tottenham had done it; Gareth Bale had struck the free kick and Carlos Vinicius cleaned up the rebound and Spurs were up 1-0. The game seemed comfortable at that point, so why bring on Harry Kane, Tanguy Ndombele, and Heung-Min Son? If you are really asking that question you are not watching the way José Mourinho manages.
Going back to playing every match to win, José Mourinho also manages every game to win. Sometimes you win games by buckling up defensively and other times you win games by going for it a bit. Considering Antwerp only took two ‘shots’ the entire night and neither resulted in a save, adding some more offense to the team was not going to risk anything.
Rather, instead of leaving Tottenham more open, by bringing on stars who play at the level and intensity of Son, Ndombele and Kane play, José Mourinho was effectively sealing off the game. Just as he likes to bring in Lucas Moura as a closer in the Premier League, he does so often with Son and Højbjerg – who had the night off – in Europa League. Mourinho does this because he knows what they are going to bring no matter how long they play.
In some matches it is an extra defender because we are not on the ball and need to maintain. Other days, we are attacking and need that extra spark. Regardless of what move is made, we know the why behind it, which is trying to win the game. Given most – but not all – of the team have figured this out, hopefully soon the local journalists follow suit, and we can hear the coach talk about the game and tactics, instead of players and trophies.