Last week, Jose Mourinho posed a question, safe in the knowledge he already possessed the answer. “Since when without a title?” he said of Tottenham. They last won the league in 1961, silverware of any variety in 2008.
To put it another way, Mourinho has won 25 trophies in the 21st century and Tottenham one. Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti was appointed Reggiana manager in 1995, a few weeks after Everton lifted the FA Cup. The Italian has 20 honours during a period when his current employers have none.
Everton against Tottenham is the clash of the superstar managers, hired to bring their winning habit and mentality to clubs starved of this particular type of success. “I know how Evertonians are desperate to win trophies,” Ancelotti said. “I don’t know if it is the right time this season. What I can assure them is we are doing everything to try and have a trophy here as soon as possible.”
Qualifying for continental competition is an aim for a manager defined by his exploits there but he explained: “For the stability of the club, it is the most important to reach the position in Europe. For the happiness, a trophy is really important.”
One of Everton’s great servants of the trophy-less era, Leighton Baines, was in tears when his missed penalty was a factor in their 2019 League Cup quarter-final defeat to Leicester.
Under Ancelotti, Everton exited the League Cup in a December quarter-final against Manchester United in December and the FA Cup to a weakened, youthful Liverpool team last year.
“The players know the difficulties and the beauty of this competition,” he reflected. There had been more difficulties than beauty in recent years. In the four seasons after Roberto Martinez’s side were semi-finalists in 2016, Everton won a solitary FA Cup tie; even that was against Lincoln.
______________
Tottenham v West Brom ratings
-
SPURS RATINGS: Hugo Lloris - 7: Had nothing to do until just before half-time then pulled off fine save from Diagne header, the only shot on target the whole match from the toothless Baggies. AFP -
Serge Aurier - 8: Offered Spurs regular attacking threat down right. Lovely ball across edge of penalty area to hand Kane early chance. Saw header saved by Johnstone just before break. Good effort from Ivorian who limped off with 20 minutes to go. Pipped by Son for Man of the Match. EPA -
Toby Alderweireld - 7: Solid as a rock from the Belgian who coped easily with Baggies limited attack who will have had harder day's at the grindstone. Getty -
Davinson Sanchez - 6: Baggies target man Diagne is a physical opponent but Colombian kept him relatively quiet, although was rescued by the lineman's flag on a couple of occasions. AFP -
Ben Davies - 7: In cruise control down the Spurs left up against Snodgrass with West Brom’s attacking threat minimal to say the least. Scottish opponent was booked for kicking out at a painful area for Davies in second half. EPA -
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - 7: Dane’s beautiful through ball for Kane allowed striker to break deadlock after 54 minutes. AP -
Tanguy Ndombele - 6: Quiet game in comparison to some of his efforts this season but kept things ticking over in midfield. AP -
Lucas Moura - 7: Started the match in lively fashion with some dangerous attacks at the Baggies defence and it was his brilliant, surging run and pass that set up Son for Spurs second just before the hour. Provided the sort of pace and energy in midfield that the opposition are sadly lacking. AP -
Erik Lamela - 7: Left-footed strike curled onto roof of net at start of game and sent Kane in on goal with threaded ball into box but striker couldn’t finish in opening period. Picked up game’s first booking for foul on Gallagher. AP -
Son Heung-min - 8: Had Spurs first shot on goal 11 minutes; a long-range effort comfortably saved by Johnstone after being found by Kane. Same combination nearly worked again straight after break but goalkeeper stopped well with his foot. Fine overlap and finish made it 2-0 after 58 minutes. Relieved to have attacking partner in crime back in action. PA -
Harry Kane - 7: Surprise early return from injury and the seemingly rusty striker missed three good chances in opening 20 minutes; putting two left-footed chances wide and saw another deflected away from goal with his right. Fourth chance on target and forced save out of keeper. No mistake with No 5 after fine pass from Hojbjerg 54 minutes in. PA -
SUBS: Matt Doherty – (On for Aurier 68’) 6: Like-for-like replacement and slotted straight in with little problem. PA -
Steven Bergwijn – (On for Lamela 74’) 6: No chance for Dutchman to shine as match was trundling to its inevitable conclusion by the time he came on. Dane Scarlett – (On for Son 90+3’) N/A. Getty -
WEST BROM RATINGS: Sam Johnstone - 7: Benefitted from Kane’s radar being off-kilter in opening half. First serious save to make was to deny the England captain at his near post after 38 minutes and then produced decent one-handed stop on Aurier header a few minutes before half-time. Good save with his foot from Son strike straight after break. Left badly exposed throughout and no chance with goals. Getty -
Lee Peltier - 6: Right-back stuck to his task and did little wrong up against some pacey Spurs attackers. Getty -
Kyle Bartley - 6: Perfectly timed sliding tackle in penalty area on Lucas Moura as Brazilian was bearing down on Johnstone and another vital block to deny same player shot on goal in first 20 minutes. Left trailing in Moura’s wake in run-up to second goal. AP -
Semi Ajayi - 4: Had been struggling to deal with Kane from kick-off and it no surprise when the Spurs attacker finally opened the scoring in second half. Getty -
Conor Townsend - 6: Fine curling cross into box almost found Maitland-Niles in opening 10 then picked out Diagne moments later but loan striker could only head over. Aurier’s surging runs forward kept him very busy at the other end. Desperate sliding lunge couldn’t sop Son making it 2-0. PA -
Romaine Sawyers - 5: A decent enough engine in midfield but looked like a lower-quality version of Spurs counterpart Hojbjerg. Getty -
Robert Snodgrass - 6: Hardly any impact attacking wise until a minute before break when fine cross from the right picked out Diagne whose header was saved. Same duo found the net on the hour but striker’s header ruled out for offside. Booked for kicking-out at Davies. EPA -
Conor Gallagher - 5: Midfielder on loan from Chelsea huffed and puffed but contributed little and was symbolic of the Baggies lack of flair in midfield. Reuters -
Ainsley Maitland-Niles - 5: Loan signing from Spurs’ North London rivals Arsenal will not have enjoyed this. Nearly got on end of deep cross from Townsend early on but was generally chasing shadows and found going tough. Has jumped on board a rapidly sinking ship. Getty -
Karlan Grant - 4: Former Huddersfield forward playing left wingback in Allardyce’s line-up and didn’t look comfortable. Tracked back well to stop Aurier getting into area in first half but little influence on game. Getty -
Mbaye Diagne - 6: Powerful striker headed Baggies' first chance well over bar. Great opportunity before half-time but saw header well saved by Lloris. Had ball in net twice in second half but offside both occasions. AP -
SUBS: Matt Phillips – (On for Grant 69’) 5: Game was as good as over by the time he came on. AP -
Okay Yokuslu – (On for Sawyers 78’) N/A. EPA -
Matheus Pereira – (On for Snodgrass 80’) N/A: Fine through ball for Diagne but Senegalese was denied a goal by offside flag. Manager clearly saving key player for battles to come. AFP
______________
Now Ancelotti hosts Mourinho in the FA Cup on Wednesday. They were FA Cup winners in 2010 and 2007 respectively, both with Chelsea. It is not the only common denominator. They managed in Milan at the same time, the Italian for AC and the Portuguese for Inter. Ancelotti was to succeed Mourinho at Real Madrid.
Tottenham’s run of three defeats in four games has brought renewed criticism of Mourinho. If his brand of football has gone out of style, if he is deemed an anachronism who is too defensive. Ancelotti disagrees and feels privileged to be bracketed alongside him.
“I think our ideas of football are really close,” he said. “How I see his team play is comparable to us. For me to be compared to Jose is an honour. Mourinho’s teams are always in balance. I think he is focused defensively and offensively, like I am. I don’t know if it is old style or new style; it doesn’t matter. But if they say to me, your team is playing old-style football, I am pleased.”
Ancelotti believes Everton have lost that balance a little of late. They mounted a stirring comeback to draw 3-3 at Old Trafford on Sunday, but have now conceded six goals in their last three games. Before then, they were breached just four times in six games.
They are one of a host of teams with a better away than home record this season but perhaps their most prestigious scalp on the road was the first: Tottenham, on the opening weekend.
“The last game against them was good so I hope we can repeat the first game of the season,” said Ancelotti. He will give James Rodriguez and Jordan Pickford fitness tests, pledging to pick the Colombian if he is fit. Like Mourinho, like Ancelotti, Rodriguez is a serial winner, but at least one will lose out on Wednesday.
