Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko has admitted that Jose Mourinho was "not the only one at fault" following the sour ending to his spell in north London.
The Portuguese chief, who will officially take charge of Italian giants Roma ahead of the start of next season, was axed by Spurs almost three months ago following an indifferent run of results.
After leading what appeared to be a genuine Premier League title charge in the first few months of the campaign, Spurs' form suffered a dramatic dip in fortunes after climbing to the top of the table with a 2-0 win over north London rivals Arsenal in early-December.
Despite leading the club to the Carabao Cup final, Mourinho was sacked just six days before the clash with Manchester City at Wembley, following a 2-2 draw with Everton at Goodison Park less than 72 hours prior to his dismissal.
Although Mourinho came under growing pressure from large portions of the Tottenham fan base for his style of play, Sissoko has said that the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss was not the only one to blame for the club's failings and drop-off in form.
Sissoko told Foot Mercato: "For me, it was a real pleasure to be able to work with him.
"We all know his experience and his career. He is an immense coach, but with us, he was not able to achieve his goals but he was not the only one at fault.
"He left and I wish him the best. I would have liked to be able to do better like the whole team. For various reasons, it didn’t work out like that.
"We cannot go back in time and we need to move forward into the present."
Mourinho was poised to be replaced at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium by Antonio Conte, but talks came to an end last night after Conte decided against pursuing the opportunity.
Chairman Daniel Levy now finds himself in a difficult position as his search for Mourinho's successor continues.
