Jose Mourinho launches into astonishing rant over Tottenham stars after RB Leipzig loss - 7M sport

Jose Mourinho launches into astonishing rant over Tottenham stars after RB Leipzig loss



Posted Thursday, February 20, 2020 by Express.co.uk

Jose Mourinho launches into astonishing rant over Tottenham stars after RB Leipzig loss
Jose Mourinho launched an incredible rant after Tottenham's loss (Image: GETTY)

Tottenham face a difficult task of progressing to the Champions League quarter-finals after losing 1-0 at home to RB Leipzig in the first leg.

Jose Mourinho has likened the current Tottenham injury crisis like “going to fight with a gun without bullets”. Tottenham proved toothless in attack in their Champions League last-16 first leg tie against RB Leipzig with Lucas Moura playing up front.

Harry Kane’s long-term injury meant Heung-Min Son had been the prominent option up front but the South Korea international suffered a fractured arm in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Aston Villa, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

The injury left Mourinho short of an out-and-out striker heading into the last-16 clash against Leipzig.

The Portuguese coach went with Moura up top with Steven Bergwijn and Giovani Lo Celso out wide with Dele Alli playing in behind the striker.

But they lacked true attacking threat and, despite an improved second half display, Peter Gulacsi barely had anything to do in Leipzig’s goal.

However, Mourinho launched a staunch defence of his Tottenham players with several of them looking desperately tired towards the end.

And he continued by taking a swipe at the Premier League for moving their crunch match against Chelsea to Saturday morning.

"Lamela [one of the substitutes] - you know how many training sessions with the team? Zero. Direct from injury to recovery with physios and then direct to 20 minutes in the Champions League,” he said.

"There are two perspectives - an amazing group and amazing guys but another side you see how we are at the moment.

"It's a situation like going to fight with a gun without bullets.

"You can say we had luck in some moments, but a great goalkeeper made two magnificent saves.

"I'm not worried with the 1-0 - we can go there and win. What worries me is that these are our players for the next however many matches.

"Moura was absolutely dead, Bergwijn was absolutely dead, Lo Celso was absolutely dead.

"We are really in trouble. If it was just this game I'd say no problem but we have FA Cup and Premier League games.

"I know Lamela could only give us 20 minutes and I knew Ndombele could not play for 90 minutes. I tried to manage the pieces I had.

"Don't tell me Lamela and Ndombele could have started the game, they couldn't have started the game.

"Here we go Chelsea [who they are playing on Saturday at 12:30 GMT] drinking sparkling water with lemon. Saturday morning [looking at the interviewer - the game was moved for BT Sport coverage] - thank you very much for the choice."



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