Good morning, Tottenham fans. Here is your morning digest for Friday, October 30.
Mourinho wanted more from squad players
Jose Mourinho says his selection choices going forward will be “very easy” following Tottenham Hotspur’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Royal Antwerp in the Europa League.
The Portuguese coach rotated his side for the trip to Belgium, with Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg among the substitutes.
Gareth Bale was handed a start while Dele Alli made only his third appearance of the campaign. Yet neither made a significant impact on the game.
Alli was withdrawn at half time alongside Giovani Lo Celso, Steven Bergwijn and Carlos Vinicius as Mourinho attempted to kickstart his side. But the changes were to no avail.
"You know what our best team is,” the Tottenham boss explained during his post-match press conference. “I always like to think the players deserve an opportunity. We have a big squad.
"It's also their opportunity to catch the chance with both hands and ask for more. Tonight my future choices are going to be very easy.
"They got in a situation where we let them win. I don't want to take credit from them."
You can read Mourinho’s full post-match thoughts here.
Hart reveals why he joined Tottenham
Joe Hart has explained why he joined Spurs this summer despite knowing he would be behind Hugo Lloris in the pecking order.
The England international was released by Burnley at the end of the 2019/20 campaign but was handed a Premier League lifeline by Spurs, who were searching for a replacement for third-choice Michel Vorm.
“I realised I just love being at the top,” he told the BBC. “I love being around a club where you play three games a week and if you don't win it is a big deal.
"I am not stupid. That opportunity was not going to come in a given number one slot. After working out what Jose wanted from his squad and what he thought I could bring to it, it matched what I thought.
"I haven't come to shake it up. I have come to make Tottenham better."
Vertonghen tips Pochettino for Premier League return
Jan Vertonghen expects former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino to again coach in the Premier League in the future.
Next month will mark the one-year anniversary of the Argentine’s departure from Spurs and, despite being linked with a handful of top jobs, including Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, Pochettino has yet to return to management.
Vertonghen, however, believes the man he worked under for five years will be itching to return to the dugout and will be keen to work in the English top-flight once again.
"I can imagine he's impatient," the now Benfica defender told CBS Soccer's Que Golazo podcast. "I think the English league suits him very well as he's a manager that prioritises fitness levels and the physicality of the game.
"I think managing in the Premier League is probably the best thing he can do. He will always want to coach a big team I guess, so you have to look at the biggest teams in the league and there are only two or three you can really look at I think at this point.
"I won't name them out of respect for the other managers, but I think that's what he's looking at as well and he wants that big team to confirm what he's been doing with Tottenham and what he did very well.
"If I was him I would be impatient because he really loved his job and you want to continue that."
