Tottenham Hotspur face RB Leipzig in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 clash, with the north London side facing the prospect of elimination after losing the first leg 1-0. Spurs will have to win to progress to the quarter-final stage, something they have not achieved in the last five matches across all competitions. However, regardless of the outcome in Germany, Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has promised to end the Lilywhites 12-year wait for silverware.
What did he say?
Speaking before the game, Telegraph journalist Matt Law revealed the Spurs boss said: “I believe Tottenham is not going to be my only club without silverware. I won it (silverware) at every club, and I believe I am going to do it also with Tottenham.
“I am here for three or four months. I get the team in a very difficult situation and now even more difficult. But I believe in me, in the players, in the club and I believe that during my contract I will help the club do it,” added the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss.
Signs of promise
When Mourinho was first appointed after Tottenham Hotspur had disposed of Mauricio Pochettino, the north London outfit were languishing near the foot of the Premier League table in 14th. Whether it is was due to regression to their mean or the Portuguese boss’ influence, Spurs flew back up the table and were contenders for a Champions League finish in the Premier League for the fifth successive season. However, that challenge has almost wholly derailed due to the injuries that Tottenham’s two leading scorers Harry Kane and Son Heung-min sustained, which will likely keep them sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Especially since he lost the South Korean, Mourinho has struggled to find the solution to Spurs’ striker dilemma, and his side have not won since. They went crashing out of the FA Cup at the hands of Norwich City and face an exit from Europe against Leipzig this evening. But based on his initial upturn there is reason to suggest that Mourinho could deliver on his promise of providing silverware when he has a fully fit squad.
