Could you give us an update on Hugo Lloris?
I am expecting good news before every match. Yesterday I was not sure that he couldn't
play tomorrow. He can't. I'm going to wait for good news for Saturday, I hope he can.
It's not the kind of injury where we know he's not ready to play for three, four or
five weeks.
It's not a situation like that. He's not playing tomorrow but I cannot tell you he's not playing
Saturday because maybe he can.
After his goal for the U23s last night will Troy Parrott feature tomorrow?
He will be on the bench tomorrow. We're taking very good care of him and we cannot tell you
obviously every detail. We're taking good care of a young player and also taking care
of a young boy in society, in life, in private life. That's a process.
He's 18. One month ago he was 17, so he's not even close to being 19. Yesterday we decided
it was good for him to play but we decided before the game, with the relations
we have with youth football, it was only for 45 minutes, to give him some match time but
not 90 minutes because tomorrow he's going to be on the bench. It's a process.
We take care of the players. It was not my work but for Winks to arrive in the
position of club captain in a Premier League match shows what can be done in this club.
A kid comes here, at nine or 10 years old, taken care of, plays in the first team and
arrives at a moment where he even wears the armband. Troy is a process. He's a very young
kid with a lot, a lot, a lot to learn.
Is that football-wise or off the pitch?
Also football-wise, yeah. He has qualities. He has potential but he's not an end product.
He has a lot to learn, a lot to develop at every level. He's going to be on the bench
again tomorrow again. A few minutes he played already, he already has two Premier League
appearances which is not normal for an 18-year-old kid.
He's a privileged one. I think he understands the privilege of being part of the first team
training every day, learning with experiences players and coaches, with very people also
in the academy. He's a privileged one. Step by step.
Eric Dier said he likes to play centre-back, is that his best position
The interview was before the game or after the game?
Ok. Because he played very well so he had very good feelings. He played very well, he
played very well. I think he has qualities to be a central defender and when you play
the majority of your career as a midfield player you learn skills and you learn positions,
and areas and situations that when you become a centre-back it's a plus, it's a plus. I
think he has work ahead of him, he has specific skills to develop to be a good solid cereal
defender but in the other day his performance was very, very good.
Of course in a system of three which is different to play than two so the feelings were very
good, playing in a defensive three and one day when he has the opportunity to play in
a two we are also trying to take conclusions.
Of course we are here to try and get the best results but we are also thinking about what
next, thinking about the future. Of course thinking about the team but also the future
of everyone. We know that he likes to play in that position and of course after a good
game because he played a good game I think the feelings are even better.
But do you think he's better as a defender or midfielder?
I don't know, I don't know. Of course he comes from my country and before he came to Tottenham
I knew about him and that his formation was shared between the two positions. And then
I knew the highlight of his career in this club was playing as a No 6. A No 6 was also
where he came an England player, playing in the top competitions.
But let's see, I think he has the potential to be a central defender - and of course the
feelings of the players are very important. It's much better for a coach and for a player
to be coincident in their feelings. At this moment I am very happy with his performance
I will give him the opportunity in the future to play as a centre-back with a back four,
and let's try together to make the best decision for him and for the team.
Given the situation this season does all your focus go on winning that piece of silverware at Wembley?
My focus is long term focus. That's with the long term focus, everything is the same for
me. I want to win a trophy with Tottenham. That doesn't change for me. This season the
circumstances are not easy.
The fact that I couldn't play the Carabao Cup gave me one less chance to win a trophy.
Twelve points behind fourth and 30 points behind first obviously made that impossible too.
So you are right, in this competition we are in this moment 15 teams because Portsmouth
is out. I think all the 15 teams we have a dream to fight for.
It doesn't matter Kane, Lloris, Sissoko or Sonny or whoever, it doesn't matter. Until
we are in the competition we are going to fight for the dream.
Would you see it as a failure if you don't win a trophy this year?
This year? No.
Because of injuries?
Because I come in mid-season, because I come with the train midway, because of so many
difficult circumstances I wouldn't feel it at all.
You played Norwich about five weeks ago, does that make it easier or more difficult tomorrow?
Very hard. It was very hard. I think if in the first game at Norwich we were very unlucky
to not win that match. I think in the match at home we were very lucky to win that match.
They played so, so well and it was very difficult for us.
So I expect another difficult game. I feel amazing, beautiful that on a Wednesday 9,000
supporters are coming from Norwich, amazing, beautiful. That's the FA Cup. 9,000 supporters midweek.
If we went away midweek to Norwich I'm pretty sure we would take every ticket possible with
our fans too. That's the beauty of the FA Cup. So I think a very good game.
I repeat what I said after the game we played here. That's not a team to be where they are.
They are fighting to stay in the division and I like their team and I think it's going
to be a very difficult match for us.
Have you begun to think about the summer and a possible overhaul?
Massive changes No. Not massive changes. First of all because that is not what we think we
need. Secondly because of the profile of the club. Third because of what the market is
and year after year after year is more difficult.
So I am not thinking of an overhaul. Of course we need to make our squad better, that is obvious.
Are you expecting to have Erik Lamela back tomorrow?
Yes.
Are you worried he might pull out again?
I expect, but I also expected him to play last Sunday and it was not possible. But I expect.
Was Toby Alderweired rested on Sunday with tomorrow in mind or was it a tactical decision?
It was tactical decision, yeah.
There was a video that went viral among Spurs fans (Mourinho starts laughing), I think you
know what I am going to talk about, of Pedro Neto's run, Tanguy Ndombele was very slowly
tracking him back...
(Laughing) Or Pedro Neto is very fast.
Is that a side of his game that concerns you slightly?
(Still laughing) Pedro Neto is very fast.
He is! He is very fast.
But he does have at least three opportunities to put his foot in
Yeah, but Wolves do fantastic work in the selection of the profile of their players,
they know what they want, they choose the profile of player adapted to the qualities
of their team.
We had 65 per cent of the ball and we almost doubled their number of passes. But they are
very fast. Traore, Jota, Pedro Neto, Podence, they are all very, very fast and it was impossible
for Tanguy to get him.
How has Gedson adapted to life at Spurs?
He is a kid, I think he is happy. He is adapting well to special life. He lives again with
his parents and his sister, it is a very good situation for him, he is happy. He works hard
as a young kid has to do.
He deserves his opportunities, he has already started at Southampton and the Champions League
match.
He is playing, he is playing in different positions, he gives us what we always thought
he could give us options. As a kid, you always expect that next season will be better.
Until the end of the season there will be more opportunities to play football and grow
up. But good kid.