Thu 05 November 2020, 12:12
Tottenham HotspurJose Mourinho's regular pre-match sit down with Spurs TV at Hotspur Way as we look ahead to our UEFA Europa League Group J match against Bulgarian champions Ludogorets in Razgrad this evening (5.55pm UK).
1 - Team news
Our first port of call, any team news to consider ahead of Matchday Three?
Jose: "We go to win, and we take everyone available. Lamela, Aurier and Reguilon have little problems, so they’re not travelling, apart from that, everyone travelling and we’re going to fight for the points. Hopefully I can make the players aware that the attitude can not be a replica of what it was (in Antwerp) last week, let’s go."
2 - At the double
Jose highlighted the importance of these middle fixtures, MD3 and MD4, within a six-match group phase as we now face Ludogorets back-to-back, this evening in Bulgaria and back in Tottenham on 26 November.
Jose: "The third and fourth matches, the double fixtures against the same club, are always important. After the defeat, we need points in this double fixture, six would be perfect, four would be okay. But we have to go seriously and not put ourselves under pressure because a bad result would put us in need of us to go into the last three matches with everything, so let’s try to make it an easy qualification, not a complicated one."
They are a technical team, very good quality, fast players, attacking good players, experience in the back. We have to respect
3 - Ludogorets, part one
Ludogorets have won the Bulgarian title nine times on the trot - what does Jose expect in Razgrad?
Jose: "We played against Plovdiv, and were in trouble, and Plovdiv are the second-best team in Bulgaria, Ludogorets are champions for nine years. This season they are already top of the league. It’s a team at a different level (to Plovdiv), technically better players, more quality, more offensive, not easy. They are a technical team, very good quality, fast players, attacking good players, experience in the back. We have to respect."
4 - Ludogorets, part two
How does Jose expect Ludogorets to line up?
Jose: "They play four at the back, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, basically this is what we’re expecting, but at this moment so many teams play with five that we are already ready to face a team with five. I would say last season when I arrived a team with five appeared by surprise and probably not enough tactical coaching to face it. At the moment, if a team comes with five, it’s what we get all the time, so no problem."
5 - Tanguy
Jose was asked in his pre-match press conference about Tanguy Ndombele's form...
Jose: "In this moment, I'm happy. I still think he can do better. His potential is huge. So, is he doing well? Yes. Am I happy with him? Yes, I'm happy with him but I still think that he can do more. He can be fitter, he can give us 90 minutes without problems. He can be better than he is. Of course, he's happy because he's playing, I'm happy because he's doing important things. I see the future probably better because as I was saying his potential is great, but I have to try to educate players, I have to try to give my best."
