José Mourinho sent a not so subtle message to Tottenham’s board after Lucas Moura’s equaliser kept alive his side’s hopes of winning a first trophy since 2008.
“We are playing without a striker, we played with six attacking strikers but no striker,” claimed the visiting manager, seizing on a question about the hamstrung Harry Kane’s absence with the opportunism of a forward presented with an open goal. “But I will not be talking about Harry, Harry, Harry all time.”
There was more than a hint of the martyr about Mourinho as he assumed a grave expression when Kane’s name was mentioned. Despite the arguable potential of Moura and Son Heung-min to cover in a more central attacking role, he is clearly hoping for further reinforcement this month.
Middlesbrough’s Jonathan Woodgate, whose young Championship side have so many injuries that two midfielders, Jonny Howson and Paddy McNair, were forced to operate in his back five, fully deserved the replay in north London after choreographing a performance studded with grit, guts and guile, with those two excelling.
Almost 12 years after heading the winning goal as Spurs won the 2008 League Cup final at Chelsea’s expense Woodgate has reinvented himself as a young manager of considerable promise on Teesside.
“I like Middlesbrough and I wish Jonathan the best,” said Mourinho. “His team are organised and competitive; our fans will show him respect in the replay – and, if Jonathan brings his second team, it will be even better.
“We missed many chances but it was a real cup match, a difficult match and 1-1 is not a disaster. Middlesbrough made it difficult for us; I’m happy we still have a chance.”
There were moments when Spurs rode their luck. McNair’s cross provoked considerable visiting first-half consternation, leaving Paulo Gazzaniga performing wonders to keep Dael Fry’s header out before doing well to repel George Saville’s follow-up. As the ball ricocheted, Bagatelle style, around the area Saville had a second shot cleared off the line.
That little cameo vindicated Boro’s bold pressing of Tottenham’s high line but there were other, sometimes prolonged passages of play when Christian Eriksen – surprisingly included in a strong visiting XI - and company dictated midfield with autocratic swagger. Yet, even though McNair very nearly deflected an Eriksen cross into own net, half-time arrived with the game goalless and Boro playing with the confidence of a team bolstered by four straight Championship wins. With Tottenham largely restricted to long-range speculation, Dele Alli was booked for diving.
Five minutes after the interval Ashley Fletcher left Mourinho scowling after Saville’s perfectly calibrated lofted through pass sent the uber composed striker racing into the area with only Gazzaniga to beat. Although the goalkeeper touched his resultant shot he could not hold it and Fletcher, initially played onside by Eric Dier, notched his fourth goal in five games.
Tottenham protested, half heartedly, he had been offside but such complaints fell on deaf ears and with Patrick Roberts, a winger making his debut on loan from Manchester City, exerting influence, Mourinho re-set his tactics.
Off came Ryan Sessegnon and Harry Winks as he introduced Giovani Lo Celso and Érik Lamela while shifting from a back three featuring Dier to a back four. It proved a game-changing switch which brought almost instant dividends when Serge Aurier - one of the best visiting performers - crossed superbly for Moura to dodge Djed Spence and head the equaliser.
Although Tomás Mejías subsequently saved brilliantly to keep Moura’s deceptively curving, high-velocity, right-foot shot out, Boro were on course for a replay Mourinho could do without.
“We had to hang on,” said Woodgate. “But we stayed with it, stayed calm and caused them problems at times. We showed our team spirit.
“Tottenham are an incredible team but upsets happen. And no, I’m not going to play my second team down there – because I ain’t got one.”
