Ex-Spurs playmaker slates former side and identifies where Mourinho must mirror Wolves
Tottenham Hotspur's Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on March 1, 2020. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Sunday in a match which could have an enormous implication on the remainder of the north London side’s season. The 3-2 defeat leaves Spurs in seventh place, leapfrogged by the weekend’s opponents and trailing in the race for the Champions League. After the match, former Tottenham midfielder Jermain Jenas identified what he believes Jose Mourinho must take from compatriot Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
What did he say?
Speaking about Wolves on Match of the Day 2 Jenas said: “When you have a system like that in place, and the players are used to playing it, you are stronger when the bad times come because you can be more resolute and rigid.”
However, referring to Spurs, the ex-England international revealed: “Tottenham are continuously playing in systems it looks like they don’t understand. There is no identity.” Jenas added: “It is a big worry. Tottenham are the worst team of those chasing that top-four position – I don’t see how they make the Champions League at this rate.”
Jenas’ criticism unforgiving of circumstances
It appears wherever Mourinho goes crisis follows, and his Spurs headache is sizeable without Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, who are sidelined. Tottenham have lost all three matches since the pair were ruled out for the remainder of the season, and their Portuguese manager has trailed a different system in each game. He is yet to find the solution to his problems but Jenas seems to believe that if the manager had a system in place his players were familiar with, he may not be in this mess.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have been utilising a five-man defence ever since promotion to the Premier League, if not before, and it is a system manager Nuno Espirito Santo has become synonymous with. He very rarely switches things around amongst the backline or midfield and it has created an incurably stable foundation for his side which has served them well.
Jenas may be being slightly unforgiving with his criticism of Spurs considering they are without both of this season’s leading scorers, leaving Mourinho with no choice but to adapt. If Wolves lost both Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota they may have been forced to adapt as well.