Jose Mourinho has denied that Tottenham’s loss of a three-goal lead in just 13 minutes against West Ham United makes his side ‘Spursy’.
Tottenham were 3-0 ahead in Sunday’s London derby before the Hammers’ dramatic comeback earned them a point.
But while the club had a reputation of falling short and disappointing – leading to the tag ‘Spursy’ – Mourinho is adamant that their weekend mishap was a one-off.
He said: "I believe that winning 3-0 in minute 80 we can play 50 more matches and it's not going to happen again so I don't want to be sticking on this and no stories about 'Spursy' and this kind of thing.”
While Mourinho’s teams usually excel defensively, Tottenham are yet to keep a clean sheet in all competitions this season but the Portuguese believes their current issues revolve around dead-ball situations. West Ham’s first goal came when Fabian Balbuena headed in Aaron Cresswell’s free kick while Manuel Lanzini’s equaliser came after Spurs did not clear a free kick. “We just need to defend better from set pieces,” he said.
Davinson Sanchez, whose own goal was West Ham’s second strike, was adamant there will be no action replay of Tottenham’s late collapse.
"The last 10 minutes we can't repeat or concede to any opponent,” said the Colombian. “It was hard to take, we know that. It had to be better.”
Midfielders Erik Lamela and Giovani Lo Celso could be available again for the Europa League tie against LASK of Austria and striker Carlos Vinicius could make his debut but Sanchez is certain to start with Eric Dier and Japhet Tanganga still injured.
Mourinho has strengthened Tottenham’s defence with the summer signings of full-backs Matt Doherty and Sergio Reguilon and centre-back Joe Rodon.
Wales international Rodon, who joined from Swansea City on Friday, is ineligible to make his bow on Thursday because he was signed after the deadline to register players for Europe. "We got him because we see a future in him and a player that can be adapted to the way we play,” explained Mourinho.
Danny Rose has been omitted from Spurs’ Premier League and European squads for different reasons. The left-back can only feature in the Carabao Cup in the remainder of 2020. The England international’s contract is up next summer and his Tottenham career is effectively over after he fell out of favour with Mourinho. The Portuguese blamed Rose’s agent for the fact he is still a Tottenham player.
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Tottenham v West Ham ratings
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TOTTENHAM RATINGS: Hugo Lloris - 6: His first half consisted of golf-like chips to Harry Kane. His final 10 minutes ended with him picking the ball out of his net three times. Could do nothing about any of West Ham's three goals. EPA -
Serge Aurier - 7: Solid enough, though was more reserved as an attacking force. Can feel aggrieved about being penalised for the free kick that led to West Ham's last-gasp equaliser. EPA -
Davinson Sanchez - 6: Cleared his lines well and could do nothing about West Ham's second when he headed past his own goalkeeper. Reuters -
Toby Alderweireld - 6: Enjoyed the physical battle against Michail Antonio. If there is a criticism of the Belgian it is a lack of leadership when things are going awry. Reuters -
Sergio Reguilon - 6: So comfortable on the ball and delivered an absolute peach of a cross for Kane's first goal. Blessed with electric pace that got his centre-backs out of trouble too. Reuters -
Moussa Sissoko - 5: Nonchalant attempt to challenge Balbuena for the goal that gave the Hammers hope of a comeback. Reuters -
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - 7: The Dane gives Spurs a foothold in the game. Simple yet satisfying but will be raging his team haven't walked away with three points. Reuters -
Tanguy Ndombele - 8: Brutal and balletic. It is telling that West Ham came back into the game after the Frenchman was substituted on 73 minutes. Reuters -
Son Heung-min - 8: Took his season tally to seven league goals with a superb finish after only 45 seconds. EPA -
Steven Bergwijn - 5: The Dutchman's first league start of the season lacked fizz and no surprise to see him replaced on 72 minutes. EPA -
Harry Kane - 9: Spurs' best attacker, passer and defender on the day. Set a new Premier League record of five goals and seven assists in his first five matches. West Ham manager David Moyes conceded the Spurs striker was "simply brilliant". Reuters -
SUBS: Harry Winks (on for Ndombele) - 5: Brought on to screen the Spurs defence. Instead they conceded three goals. Reuters -
Gareth Bale (on for Bergwijn) - 5: The scene was set for his triumphant return with a free kick 20 yards out with his first kick of the ball. While that was always wishful thinking, his rustiness was there for all to see when he shot wide from 12 yards with only the goalkeeper to beat to win the match. EPA -
Lucas Moura (on for Son) - 5: Caught ball watching for West Ham's second. Reuters -
WEST HAM RATINGS: Lukasz Fabianski - 6: Must have feared the worst with Spurs three up in the opening quarter but kept West Ham in the game with a fine save from Kane in the second half. EPA -
Fabián Balbuena - 7: Got skinned by Son's pace for the opener inside the first minute but started the West Ham comeback with a bullet header. AFP -
Angelo Ogbonna - 5: Didn't know whether to drop off or stick tight to Harry Kane. The Italian came off second best against one of the world's best centre forwards. Reuters -
Aaron Cresswell - 7: Looked like he might crumble after a first-half shellacking by the Spurs forwards but epitomised West Ham's second-half fightback with his drives forward. EPA -
Vladimir Coufal - 6: Shades of Tim Breacker the way the Czech goes about his business. Reuters -
Tomas Soucek - 6: Spent most of his evening chasing back towards his own goal. AFP -
Declan Rice - 7: The young Englishman showed great composure in the face of adversity. Never looked flustered even when his team were 3-0 down. Reuters -
Arthur Masuaku - 7: His combinations with Cresswell down the left were a major reason West Ham were able to pin back Spurs in the second half. Reuters -
Jarrod Bowen - 6: Always on the fringes of the game. EPA -
Pablo Fornals - 6: The Spaniard needs to find better ways of helping a team that will more often than not surrender possession. EPA -
Michail Antonio - 7: Had a sight at goal early on but otherwise reverted to type of never giving the opposition a moment's rest. Reuters -
SUBS: Manuel Lanzini (on for Fornals) - 8: The Argentine could play for another 10 years and still not strike a better ball than the one that clinched West Ham a well-earned point with the last kick of the game. Reuters -
Andriy Yarmolenko (on for Antonio) - 5: Few touches after replacing the exhausted Antonio. EPA -
Robert Snodgrass (on for Masuaku) - 5: Drew the foul from Aurier that led to West Ham's equaliser in the dying seconds. EPA
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"Danny is not part of our squad,” he said. “Danny wanted very, very much to leave in the January window last season. Why? Because he wanted to play and play and play. Then he went to Newcastle [on loan]. With Danny, the players and agents make the market. If the agent didn't find a solution for Danny to move then it's a question you have to ask him."
Mourinho has flagged up his fine record in the Europa League as he looks to complete a hat-trick of wins, adding: “We are going to try. It is the third time I played the competition. The other two times I won with Porto and [Manchester] United so the record in the Europa League is great, never knocked out. My job is to win it.”
Gareth Bale could make the first start of his second spell at Tottenham with Mourinho insisting Spurs should not expect to see the same player they sold to Real Madrid seven years ago.
He added: "No player is the same after such a gap of time. 2013 to 2020, we are speaking about seven years, not seven months. Not just Gareth Bale, every player in the world. They change. Sometimes not better or worse, it is just change, an evolution."
