If Tottenham Hotspur can follow the lead of their coach, then Spurs can win Wednesday at Liverpool, as José Mourinho was masterful with the media Tuesday.
Some people call it mind games, where José Mourinho is talking up this team or that. Really all José Mourinho is trying to do is what he always does, win. For Mourinho with the media winning is a matter of winning the perception battle for both he and his team. Whereas the objective for Tottenham Hotspur on the field is much more straight forward, as the team goes to Anfield “to try to win the match”.
If José’s success with the media is any indicator of success for the team on Wednesday against Liverpool, Tottenham should feel confident heading into the match.
Tottenham are the Underdog
One of the great things about José Mourinho is he really does not try to hide what he thinks or how he wants you to think about something. It is clear Mourinho is going to hang onto the idea of Spurs being an underdog until the horse is cold and buried. When asked how he is different and how the team is a results machine, you get a media 101 lesson in deflecting and redirecting.
Step one do not talk long about yourself. “I’m the same guy nothing changed it’s just perception”. With a few short words José Mourinho had taken the question about he and his team and completely flipped it to be about the reporter and his opponents and he was about to prove it.
The first word after perception was “Jurgen” as in Klopp the coach of Liverpool and now we are no longer really talking about Tottenham, but their opponent, the juggernaut that is Liverpool because “It’s too early” to talk about Tottenham as the team to beat.
From here José was just wonderful, as he compared the results of Tottenham, whom Mourinho admitted “are a good team that works hard” to that of the real “result machine” that is Liverpool who have gotten results “for the past couple of years”. Or if looking for a results machine one could look at “my Chelsea”, when “they won two consecutive titles”, the point is do not come looking at Tottenham right now.
It was at this point when Mourinho really blows your mind as he showed some of his research. If “I’m not wrong 1894 days of work with Jürgen 1894 if I’m wrong, I’m wrong for a few days and we are the result of a work of 390 days”. From there Mourinho talked about how 390 was not even real with the “quarantine were days being at home unable to work”. The point is Spurs are at a different spot in their journey, so do not compare my team and our place to his team and theirs.
Ultimately, the fact the question is even asked is simply a testament to his players. That ability to compete so quickly “at the level we are doing I can only give credit to the player and be very, very happy with what they are doing”. In one minute, Mourinho has now made a convincing argument that Tottenham are not the machine, it is Liverpool, but that Tottenham is working hard and is “able to compete”. Spurs are the underdog here, do not get it twisted, but thanks for noticing.
José on Historical Results
Asked about historical struggles from Tottenham at Anfield and José Mourinho gave us some real insight into the details that he pays attention too in football, and it is not the historical record. In speaking about playing at Liverpool “in the last couple or maybe more than that years everybody struggles there because nobody wins there and even other clubs with good records at Anfield they struggle to get good results”. In other words, do not make this about Tottenham, when it is about Liverpool and their success, not Spurs struggles.
Even though teams struggle there that history does not “mean much” anyway as Wednesday “is an isolated game” where Tottenham will not “change our philosophy, we don’t change our wishes we want to win”. In other words, history does not matter, this is a game being played today not yesterday and regardless it is just another match and there will be another on the weekend to follow.
Despite the rather rote answer about historical results, José was pressed on the fact that Spurs have lost the last five matches against Liverpool but are on a good run. We learn here that streaks are not the “kind of stats” that José likes, “because (in) football every event is an isolated event”. In other words, each game is unique.
Mourinho then explained his meaning, “You know when I play against Newcastle you tell me that I never win in Newcastle but then we won when you tell me I always win against the team A then I lose against the team A”. The point is, these numbers do not matter, what matters is the match on the day. However, if you like numbers José told us the kind he likes.
Instead of looking at the numbers, Mourinho wants to know the why behind the numbers. He looks “to why Liverpool gets so many consecutive good results at home why and start from there”. He continued “don’t start from the last five times Liverpool won against Tottenham or the last ten times these are that it’s just why they have so many good results at home and start from there”.
Ultimately, it does not matter how many matches or how many months, as they do not change the fact the team goes into the game to win. Further, a streak says nothing about how and why, and it is the how and why that must change to end the streak. In other words, streaks do not end on their own, so tell me why they are on the streak and I can tell you how to snap it. It is our hope as fans Mourinho has figured that out.
The good news for Tottenham is the focus is clear, now it is up to the players to execute and win. In the end beating Liverpool is “not a statement it’s just a match but I don’t hide that we go there, and our objective is to win”. If José Mourinho’s current form is any indicator, Spurs have chance to do just that.