Mourinho ‘not comfortable’ in Tottenham analysis; snaps at Solskjaer

Jose Mourinho said he was “not comfortable” discussing Tottenham’s shortfalls with the media after their 3-1 loss to Manchester United.

Spurs took the lead against United via Son Heung-min in the first half. However, United completed a comeback courtesy of goals from Fred, Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood. It leaves Tottenham six points adrift of a top-four place with seven games to go.

Mourinho has his work cut out for him to get back into the territory they are aiming for. After another blow in their pursuit of a Champions League place, he could not go into too much detail about where things have been going wrong.

“Credit to the opponent,” he told BBC Sport. “They have good players and lots of quality. They have incredible physicality in midfield.

“In the second half the things went against us too. They score but our reaction deserves a second goal. Then they score a second but our reaction deserves a second goal too.

“We lost but I praise my players. We have no complaints.

“For me it’s very difficult for me to analyse games with the media. I am always criticised when I try to analyse so I prefer to be general.

“To be general, I think we lost against a very good team. I praise my players and my compliments to United.”


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Spurs have lost a number of points from winning positions this season, with this being the latest example.

Mourinho tried to flip it around as a positive in terms of the way they start matches, but once again admitted he didn’t want to discuss the way they let their lead slip.

“It’s a compliment to me in the way we start matches, the way we are organised,” he said. “Then what happens during matches to lose points from winning positions is one of the situations I am not comfortable with talking to the media anymore.”

The manager seems to be hopeful he can still steer Spurs into the top four, although he said it would be a challenge.

“You look to the table and you see the distance to the top four,” he said. “You know it’s difficult but it’s mathematically possible.”

Mourinho ‘cannot fix’ VAR

The scoreline could have been wider if Cavani’s opener for United had stood in the first half. However, it was ruled out due to Scott McTominay making contact with Son Heung-min in the buildup.

United felt aggrieved by the decision but Mourinho said the question of VAR wasn’t for him to answer.

“It’s difficult for everybody,” he said. “For us, for the players, for the referees. Lots of contradictions and decisions you don’t understand very well.

“That’s not my problem, I cannot fix this.”

Mourinho also took issue with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s comments about Son during that passage of play. The United boss said that if that had been his own son, he “won’t get any food.”

Solskjaer’s opposite number hit back at him for that comment.

“Sonny is very lucky that his father is a better person than Ole,” Mourinho said. “Because a father you have always to feed your kids, it doesn’t matter what they do — I have told Ole what I think about his comments.”

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