Jose Mourinho is not overly concerned by Tottenham's difficult run in the Premier League as the continues to relish the pressure ahead of hosting Burnley.
Spurs are down in ninth heading into the weekend, nine points outside the top four after losing five of their past six matches.
Progress in the Europa League, with the EFL Cup final still to play, has given Mourinho some respite, but the Tottenham coach insists he has no issue with scrutiny.
"The problem is if you don't have pressure," he said. "I felt in trouble when I was at home and did not have pressure for a few months. That's the problem.
"It comes like oxygen, it is our life; I don't think there is any coach in the world without objectives or any kind of pressure.
"You just get used to it and also used to the way the press is at the time. You just have to adapt to it."
Mourinho certainly has the support of Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager and his opposite number this week.
"Jose Mourinho is someone I have the maximum respect for after what he's done and what he's won," Dyche said.
"There have been a few questions, but at Tottenham there always are if things aren't going exactly how you want.
"They're still a top outfit, a top manager, top players, a top club."
The respect is mutual, as Mourinho added of Dyche: "He is doing amazing.
"He knows the profile of football he wants to play, the profile of team he wants to have.
"He knows how to get the number if points that season after season after season they keep them always far from the dangerous position."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham - Dele Alli
Alli still has not started in the league since the opening day of the season and may be unlikely to come back in on Sunday after playing 81 minutes in midweek against Wolfsberger. But the midfielder will expect to have a role to play off the bench, having scored and assisted in the same game for the first time since December 2018, a stunning overhead kick evidence of his return to form.
Burnley - Matej Vydra
No team has failed to score in more different Premier League games than Burnley this season (13), including in an awful goalless draw against 10-man West Brom last time out. The failure of Vydra to score in 15 appearances this term has not helped. The Clarets need him to step up.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- Spurs have won five of their six home Premier League games against Burnley (D1), netting 16 goals and conceding just three in those games.
- Tottenham have lost five of their past six Premier League games (W1), more than they had in their previous 28 in the competition (W14 D10 L4).
- Tottenham's 10 Premier League victories this season have come against opponents with an average position of 15th in the table on the day of the game. Only West Brom (17th) and Crystal Palace (16th) have beaten lower placed teams on average this term.
- Burnley have won four of their past six Premier League games in London (L2), more than they had in their previous 35 in the top flight (W3 D4 L28). The Clarets have won at Arsenal and Crystal Palace so far this season; only in two top-flight campaigns have they won more in the capital (four in 1960-61, three in 1974-75).
- Since beating Arsenal 2-0 in December, Spurs have taken just 12 points from 13 Premier League games (W3 D3 L7). Only Newcastle United, Sheffield United and West Brom have taken fewer in that time.
Comments
Post a Comment