Fri 19 June 2020, 13:45
Tottenham HotspurJose Mourinho's exclusive pre-match chat with Spurs TV is back, as our Head Coach looks ahead to the return of football and a huge match against Manchester United in the Premier League this evening (8.15pm)
1 - This week
Our usual starting point - how has this week's preparation been?
Jose: "All good, preparing specifically for the game because the preparation before that was more general, trying to bring some levels to the players - fitness levels, concentration levels, tactical improvements, principles of play. This week, of course with a match on Friday and three days to work, the focus was on the match we have to play."
2 - Football's back!
It's over three months since our last competitive match at RB Leipzig in the Champions League, with our last Premier League action at Burnley on 7 March. How does it feel to be back?
Jose: "It’s exciting. It’s probably even a better feeling than the first match of the season after pre-season, because this was really, really long, When we started, we had no idea when our next football would be, two weeks, two months, 20 months... we had no idea. Finally, we had the green light, finally we had fixture dates and now it’s arriving, and that’s a great emotion for everyone that likes football so much."
3 - A new start?
With such a long break, it was put to Jose if this felt like a new season, rather than the resumption of 2019/20...
Jose: "Yes, but without that excitement of a new season when everyone has new players, everyone starts on zero points and everyone has their targets clear. In our case, we know the targets, we also know it’s not a 38-match season, it’s a nine-match season, and it’s not a season where we start with zero points, like everyone else. We start with minus seven in relation to Chelsea, with minus four or five in relation to Wolves, Sheffield United or United. It’s a very difficult situation for us. Our passion for the game is very important, to give football to our fans is very important, to fight for results is very important. Let’s see at the end of the nine matches where we are."
4 - United
We kick-off against a United side sitting fifth in the Premier League, four points ahead of us. Just how important is this match?
Jose: "Yes, it’s very important. They are four points ahead of us and after this game, it can be seven, four or one, and that’s a huge difference between one and seven. I would say, with four, life goes on and with eight matches to go, four points is not an important difference. But the difference between one and seven is a gap, so it’s a very important match."
Our passion for the game is very important, to give football to our fans is very important, to fight for results is very important
5 - The 'new reality'
We played a behind closed doors training friendly at the stadium last week - Jose described it as the 'new reality' - what did he and the players make of that experience?
Jose: "It’s strange. It’s something we need to adapt to, like in Germany, in Portugal, they are adapting. They are playing already five or six matches. I think we’ll arrive, the time for us, I don’t know, match three, four, five, when the players are more adapted to it, but it feels weird. I think it’s very important for us to understand that millions and millions will be watching around the world and if we have that feeling, probably we manage to get over the weird situation of being in an empty stadium."
