Mourinho spoke at length about Tottenham at his press conference on Friday, detailing how Spurs have “great conditions” for success, how life is far easier for the north London club than it is for Chelsea. From a manager who operates under forensic examination, this was an attempt to put some of that pressure back on to Tottenham.
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Everything you need to know for Spurs vs Chelsea
While the Chelsea manager is sometimes reluctant to talk about opponents before a game, he was happy to discuss Spurs yesterday, detailing why he thinks they are a genuine threat and why everything is set up for them to be one. He spoke warmly about his Tottenham counterpart and “friend” Mauricio Pochettino, but insisted he was no miracle worker.
“When I watch them play, it is not a surprise for me,” Mourinho said of Tottenham’s nascent title challenge. “If they said that they were fighting for the title, I would not laugh. I would accept it, because the team is very good, the manager is very good, the players are good. Good stability, playing well, a very, very good team.”
There was little doubt for Mourinho that Spurs’ challenge would soon lead them to their first trophy since 2008, or back into the Champions League for the first time since 2011.
“This season they have an ever better team than last season,” he said. “I can imagine, with the stability they are showing, that sooner or later – I think sooner – they will be there, winning trophies or in a Champions League position, for sure.”
Then there were positive words for Pochettino, a young coach who has been close to Mourinho since he started out at Espanyol, and who sought his advice when first offered the chance to work in England with Southampton nearly three years ago.
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