Rio Ferdinand suggests that Mourinho could be hinting his squad is not good enough

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has questioned the reasoning behind Jose Mourinho’s claim after Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea that he couldn’t have the set the team up any other way due to injury problems.

The Spurs boss said following the defeat, that injuries and fatigue meant that his side could not pose much of a threat going forward (BT Sport).

Tottenham lined up with five at the back and three in midfield as they set up to defend deep and soak up the pressure from Frank Lampard’s side.

Mourinho’s game plan went out of the window when Giroud gave the home side the lead in the 15th minute and Spurs struggled to impose themselves on the game after that.

The home side doubled their lead early in the second half and the game looked to be over from that point on, although the away did manage a late consolation when Erik Lamela saw his low cross deflected into the back of the net.

Ferdinand asked how the Portuguese coach can claim to lack the attacking talent needed to hurt Chelsea when he had the likes of Lucas Moura, Steven Berwijn, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele available.

The former England defender told BT Sport (22/02/20 from 12:30 – as relayed by The Express): “Spurs can’t seem to be underdogs in most games that they go into.

“When you take risks and you go forward you get a little bit of luck and you get an opportunity to get the luck in dangerous areas. But because they played so negatively it’s so difficult.

“That interview says that the attacking players like Moura, Bergwijn, Ndombele, Lo Celso – is he saying that they’re not good enough? That he’s inherited players that ‘I need to have wholesale changes in the next window’.

“It’s about £125m-£150m of talent that he’s saying isn’t really good enough for me to go on the front foot and attack the game.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I certainly sympathise with Jose and think it is tough to judge him too harshly given the fact that we are without our two best players and Chelsea had two more days to prepare for the game. However, what I found most worrying was our lack of ideas on the ball when Chelsea sat off us after going 2-0 up. I am not sure the loss of Kane and Son is enough to explain that.

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