Jose Mourinho has earned the right to play defensive, counter-attacking football with Tottenham Hotspur, according to Robbie Fowler.
Spurs travel to Anfield for a top-of-the-table Premier League clash with Liverpool on Wednesday and many expect him to use similar tactics to those he has employed in other big games this season.
Tottenham have managed to keep clean sheets against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal so far by sitting deep in an organised shape before striking on the counter-attack through Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
That tactic of ceding the majority of possession to the opposition has seen some criticise the Spurs manager for perceived negativity, but former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler rejects that argument.
“Jose Mourinho will be unrepentant when he comes to Anfield for that huge table-topping game on Wednesday. I agree totally with that, too,” he wrote in a column for the Sunday Mirror.
“He has every right to have his Spurs play in any way he believes can get a result and an edge in the Premier League.
“You can moan all you like, but his methods have been effective this season - and he’s not changing now.
“I remember Brendan Rodgers being so angry with the way Mourinho’s Chelsea played in that game back in 2014, which effectively cost Liverpool the title, branding him so negative that they ‘parked two buses’. I’ve got news. It ain’t changing.”
Spurs beat Arsenal 2-0 in the north London derby last weekend despite having just 30% of the ball at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Mourinho’s side had 40% possession in the 0-0 draw against Chelsea at the end of November and 34% in the 2-0 win over Man City the week before.
Considering how effective that tactic has proven, with Kane and Son in red-hot form at the other end of the pitch, Fowler knows what to expect against his former club on Wednesday.
“Look at the way Spurs have played this season and it’s not hard to predict what they’ll do at Anfield,” he wrote.
“They beat City without any possession, they beat Arsenal the same way. 'They can keep the ball and we’ll keep the points,' says Mourinho. And I can almost guarantee Liverpool will have at least 70% possession. I can guarantee they will be frustrated and asked to break down strict, organised lines of deep defence.
“City knew they’d be up against that and prepared all week for it. So did Arsenal. Both lost.
“You can see it coming, but it’s hard to do anything about it - especially with the quality Tottenham have at their disposal to implement those plans.”
