Jose's five-point preview - Wolves

Our regular sit down with Jose Mourinho - this time, Jose on this week, the top four, Wolves, Traore and Hugo Lloris...

1 - This week

As always, we started with Jose's thoughts on the week - a clear week to work before four matches in 10 days...

Jose: "It’s been very good, very good. After the series of matches in one week, this week was really good. We worked hard, a long week, we had time to go through different aspects of our game and preparation, really good. Now we have four more, the fourth a crucial one for Champions League knockout, that will be difficult, and all the matches have responsibility and difficulty. Wolves are one point behind us and in the same race as we are. Norwich is an FA Cup game, knockout, one match, no second leg, everything decided on the night. Then Burnley away and Leipzig, also decisive."

2 - Top four

Jose was asked in his pre-match press conference how he saw the race for places in the top four and qualification for Europe next season...

Jose: "It's an open fight for many clubs, and of course we (ourselves and Wolves) are involved in this fight. There is one point difference between us, four points difference to fourth. Manchester United is there, one point ahead, Sheffield United the same (as us), Everton and Arsenal - it's a big fight. A big fight where every point can be decisive. We have to fight for these points, and Wolves are not there by coincidence or by luck. I think they're a fantastic team. A really, really good team, so a big match."

3 - Wolves

What did Jose think about Sunday's opponents?

Jose: "We know how good they are. We know how difficult they are. We know the way we beat them away, such a hard match. I think they are a team where it doesn’t make any difference if they play home or away. They always have the same mentality. We are one point ahead of them in this race and we have to try to win. It’s not because Nuno was my player and is my friend, I think he’s doing an amazing job. Nuno, the players, they are doing amazing, great stability in everything, basically the same players, great intensity in their game, tactically they know exactly what to do in every moment. It’s hard for us, but they also know it’s not easy for them."

4 - Traore

One of Wolves' biggest threats - Adama Traore. The flying winger scored against us at Molineux and seems to be getting better and better - how do we stop him?

Jose: "He's very difficult to stop. If you want to stop on a sprint with him, just forget it, you have no chance. You cannot think about him as an individual, you have to think about him as a whole. He is so, so fast and fast and powerful, that is very, very difficult to stop. He had a great evolution with Nuno in the past couple of seasons. My former assistant (Aitor) Karanka was his coach in Middlesbrough and at that time he told me 'I have this boy that when he understands the game better and he has time to technically improve, I have a guy who is going to be unstoppable'. Unstoppable is a hard word in football but he is a very good player."

5 - Finally, Hugo...

Hugo made his 250th Premier League appearance for us at Chelsea last weekend and is now fourth all-time for the Club in terms of goalkeepers' appearances in all competitions, a list led by all-time great Pat Jennings. Injured when he arrived in November, what has Jose made of working with the skipper?

Jose: "The first thing is that he’s a fantastic goalkeeper. Everyone can see that, and we don’t need to say it. I remember when I was working for a TV channel, BeIn, on a Champions League night when he saved the penalty against City, I said that it wasn’t just Tottenham going into the next round, it was also Hugo making history by being the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in the new stadium. Detail after detail, he’s making fantastic history at the Club and as a person, he’s a guy with great experience, great stability, a positive influence on everyone around him. We have a young squad and we need people like Hugo, captain of France, Harry, captain of England, Moussa Sissoko, we need these players. We also need our Academy boys who, year after year, they are not boys anymore. Winks, for example, one day he was 18, but he’s not 18 anymore. We need these players to grow up with their leadership, their influence. One day Japhet Tanganga will not be 19, he will be 24, 25, we need these people to grow and to (be able to) look at the side and see people like Hugo and Harry can only be good for them."