Jose Mourinho made the headlines for all the wrong reasons during the early stages of the lockdown period when he was spotted training outdoors with Tanguy Ndombele, ignoring the UK Government’s protocols to exercise only with members of the same household.
The Spurs head coach came in for criticism for his actions and issued an unequivocal apology for his actions (The Mirror).
However, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes that the fact that the Spurs boss was so keen to work with his players amidst the lockdown is a sign that he is desperate to put things right on the pitch when footballing action resumes.
He suggested that it was evidence that the 57-year-old is planning a massive assault on the top four when the Premier League returns this week.
Speaking about the incident that occurred back in April, the former Liverpool defender told The Mirror: “It is typical Mourinho. He has been pushing the lockdown barriers to the extreme – and it was right that Spurs got their knuckles rapped when they were seen training in a park.
“But he is a manager who is always thinking about where he can gain an advantage. If that means bending the rules as far as he can, then he will do it.
“But I think it shows that he will have been looking at the lockdown and thinking the top-four race is still on.”
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The Sky Sports pundit insisted that the Lilywhites need to get the better of Manchester United on Friday to give themselves a realistic chance of qualifying for the Champions League.
He added: “Tottenham’s last Premier League game was against Burnley – and they were awful.
“They were just as bad against Norwich in the FA Cup and RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
“But Jose has a nine-game season now and he will be thinking that it is still possible to finish in the top four.
“That is why he was pushing the boundaries during lockdown, because he knows that if Spurs come out firing in the first game then they will be just a point behind United.
“But Spurs have to win that game. If United win then it will be very tough for them to qualify for the Champions League.”
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Throughout the lockdown period as well as the period before the return of the Premier League season was confirmed, Jose’s desperation to get back playing was evident.
Now that he has had time to drill the players on the training ground and a fully fit squad to work with, I believe he will be relishing the prospect of chasing down the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.
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