Brendan Rodgers has blasted Jose Mourinho’s critics and insisted that they do not give enough respect to what the Tottenham head coach has achieved in the game.
Rodgers was part of Mourinho’s coaching staff at Chelsea and the pair have gone on to have some memorable matches against each other since the Northern Irishman made the step up to become a manager.
The Portuguese coach’s Chelsea team famously stopped Rodger’s Liverpool team from winning a league title back in 2014, courtesy of a now famous slip by Steven Gerrard.
The two coaches will once again lock horns later when Spurs welcome Leicester City to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon.
The clash is a big one for both sides as the Foxes need a win to aid them in their quest to qualify for the Champions League, while Mourinho’s men are now preoccupied with the Europa League race.
Speaking ahead of the match, Rodgers insisted that Mourinho will eventually succeed at Spurs and defended the style of play that the Tottenham boss employs.
When asked about the criticism that Mourinho has received, the Leicester boss told The Independent: “Jose is a world-class manager. He has been until this point of his career and will continue to be that.
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“It (criticism) is a lack of respect and normally from people that have never stood on this sideline.
“OK, football continues to evolve and change, but you still have room for different types of football.
“Jose’s a master at getting his teams organised, difficult to beat and winning. There’s different philosophies and identities of managers and there’s no right or wrong.
“He’s proven over many years that he’s such a successful manager and he’ll be looking to bring success to Tottenham.
“His longevity in the game, what he’s done, and what he continues to do deserves a huge amount of respect.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I certainly believe that Mourinho is capable of making his critics eat their words. If Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side have shown one thing, it is that there is no given blueprint as to one goes about building a title-winning side.
Manchester City are arguably better on the ball than the current Liverpool side and certainly have much better midfielders capable of controlling the game. However, Liverpool have blitzed Guardiola’s side to the tile because they are better at controlling the game even when they do not have the ball.
There have been some positive signs for Spurs since the restart but there is no doubt that Jose has a lot of work to do if he is to get us anywhere near the level of the top two. However, he deserves time to show what kind of team he can build.
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