Proud Jose Mourinho reveals what his game plan was against Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur looked like two different teams in the first and second halves against Liverpool yesterday as they lost 1-0 to the Premier League leaders at home.

In the first 45, Spurs looked like the away side as they sat deep inside their own half, often with a back five or six, unable to get past the halfway line with any regularity. However, they did still look threatening on the break with Son and Lucas Moura.

Liverpool eventually made the pressure tell as they scored before the break, but it has to be said that Tottenham defender extremely well against the Reds.

In the second half, now behind in the match, Spurs came out of their shell and took the game to Liverpool, really pinning them back in the final half-hour.

Giovani Lo Celso had a golden chance to score the equaliser late on, as he and Erik Lamela really changed the dynamic after they were subbed on. Many Spurs fans decided to use their William Hill promo code 2020 following the tactical change in the hope it would see the home side secure victory.

Mourinho claims this was all part of the game plan, although they did not bank on conceding (Football London): “It was not just about saying, it was also about the plan. Liverpool have worked with this coach for about five years. The players are totally adapted physically to the football he wants to play and this is a very important thing. Sometimes when people talk about physical condition, the important thing in football is that the physical condition is adapted to the way the team wants to play.

“If we try to play the way we did in the last 20 minutes, if we try to play that way from the beginning, I think we collapse because the players are not used to playing with this style and they are not adapted.

“On top of that we don’t have many solutions and I think difficulty in midfield. Eriksen played central midfield with Harry Winks. You know, Jordan Henderson, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain, intensity, difficult.

“So I think our plan was good. What we didn’t plan was to concede a goal obviously. But we knew that without a striker, with creative players, even with Lamela, without starting a game for three months and being away for two months, we knew that Lamela, Giovani, they could for 25, 30 minutes turn the game. I think we did the maximum we could do. I think we deserved more. That’s my feeling.

“That’s why I have a good feeling with the boys. I think we tried everything. We speak about probably the best team in the world in the maximum of its potential.

“Even in conditions to play a big FA Cup match with the second team. We are a team with the difficulties that you know. Despite that, I think we deserve more than what we got. I only have reasons to be proud of the players.”

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