You're a huge fan of the FA Cup but you didn't seem to be enjoying it that much, what was your assessment of the result?
"I was enjoying but I'm there to analyse my team and analyse the match and try to help
my team. Sometimes the way players are frustrated on the pitch, I'm frustrated on the sidelines.
That's the way it is. In the end everyone that was in the stadium had a real cup match
when in this tie you're confused a little bit about the divisions. We don't realise
the teams are from different divisions. It was a difficult match, a match that if one
team has to win it has to be us because of our last half hour. If football was about
how many times you arrive in scoring positions we would win by a huge score. Football's not
about just arriving there as it's about the right assists, the right pass, the spin of
the ball and direction of the cross. We missed so many of that. We were very dominant in
the last 25-30 minutes but we didn't capitalise. In the end 1-1 is not a disaster. We take
the game home and give us a chance. Of course we are in trouble with so many injuries and
the squad is what it is. I took the players today that are available but we are in the
competition. A week I thought we could train, we could rest, we could train, we could work
on mistakes will be a week with another match. I am happy with that as we still keep our chances."
What frustrated you the most?
"Frustrated me to be in control of the game and to concede a goal. I know it is offside
but that is football. It can happen. It also frustrated me that we arrived after so much
creation we arrived in so many scoring positions and then the last ball, the last cross, the
simple one, we did it only once with a good cross for a good header. Of course it's a
new thing for the team to play without Harry, without a striker. We tried to give them the
mobility of Son and Lucas, we tried to give that to the team but it was not easy. It's
fair to say that Middlesbrough are in a good run of results, well organised and made it
difficult for us as they tried to explore the long ball or the set piece to try and
hurt us. In the end I think it was a good game."
Were you worried when you went 1-0 down given the lack of cutting edge and final ball?
"I would have to say yes but at the same time as you could see one minute after I was making
changes. When you are there you don't have time to be disappointed or to cry, you just
have to react. It's important for the players that the coach or the bench is reacting so
that they can follow the coach. We changed things and took our risks. We played, if you
look at our time in the last 30 minutes, we didn't even have a midfield player as Christian
Eriksen and Dele Alli are attacking midfielders. We played Dele and Eriksen and after that
we played Lucas, Lamela, Giovani and Son, so we played with six attacking players without
a striker. We played six attacking players so we took our risks. The boys accepted it
and the boys tried. They deserved to win by their dominance but I think it's fair to say
that Middlesbrough deserve their right to go to London and play us and try to stay in the competition."
What was the reason for Moussa Sissoko's absence today?
"Injured, he's injured."
How long are you expecting him out for?
"I don't know. I don't know but injured from the game against Southampton. A ball he had
with Ward-Prowse. He had it and felt it but kept playing until the end. He's injured."
How severe is Harry Kane's hamstring injury and how long will he be out?
"I think it is better for the medical department to speak about it or make an official report.
The only thing that I can add is that the feelings I had that it was not a small injury
were correct. It is not a small injury, but I cannot speak about times."
How did you feel about VAR?
"First of all we have to change the name of VAR, it is not VAR it is VR, Video Referee.
Video Assistant Referee you are there to assist the decisions of the referee, to help him.
VR is a different thing and the Video Referee makes the decisions and for me what we have
is VR. I like the VAR, I don't like the VR. Today there was no VAR and I think Stuart
(Attwell) and the boys did a good job. Their goal was offside, unlucky, but I think they
did a good job."
Was Harry Winks injured too?
"It was a tactical change but also because he had a little injury. At half-time he said
he was going to try and stay on and he did and he could have stayed in the game."
Are you worried about how you will get on without Harry Kane?
"I didn't speak, or if I did it was very occasionally, about Lloris. I am not coming here, or to
press conferences pre-match, you never hear me, 'Lloris, Lloris, Lloris'. So in this moment
it is not going to be 'Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry'. We have what we have and we stick
with them. The boys did what they can, you cannot transform Lucas or Son into a number
9 like Harry Kane. So we have to try other things and that is what we are going to do.
Until Harry is out, obviously every minute he doesn't play means a lot to us, it is a
big loss for us, but we have to accept it and we have to fight with the boys that are available."
What did you make of Woodgate's Middlesbrough?
"First of all, I hope they do well. I like the club, I like the owner, respect him a
lot. Since Karanka was here the club became even more important to me because of my connection
with Karanka. Jonathan and Robbie, I wish them the best. I see the team, well organised,
very competitive, new players coming. They are in a position of stability in the league,
can they reach the play-0ffs, I don't know. They go to our new stadium, that was never
their stadium, but will always be their stadium, because when you are a Tottenham player, you
are Tottenham forever, so I think it is great for them to go to London, to our new stadium.
The fans will show them the respect, Robbie scored so many goals for Tottenham and Jonathan
scored the goal that gave Tottenham their last silverware, so the fans will show them
respect, the same they did with Aaron Lennon came back with Burnley. It is good for them,
if they can take the second team, even better because we want to impress. They can show
they like Tottenham by taking the second team."