Here are your Tottenham Hotspur evening headlines for Monday, December 14.
Gareth Bale aspires for Madrid chance
Tottenham's Gareth Bale aspires for another chance to prove his worth at Real Madrid, according to reports in Spain.
Spanish outlet AS via The Boot Room reports that Bale wants to finish his time in Madrid on a positive note and he is keeping an eye on proceedings at his parent club.
Bale is currently on loan from Madrid in north London, but he has struggled to make an impact so far this season, scoring just twice in all competitions. He has made nine appearances in total, but six of these have come in the Europa League. He has totalled just 116 Premier League minutes.
The report states that Bale's prospects in Madrid will likely depend on the future of Zinedine Zidane, who previously froze out the Welsh international.
Spurs face Wolfsberger AC in Europa League Round of 32
Spurs will face Austrian side Wolfsberger AC in the round of 32 of the Europa League knockout stages next February.
The two-legged tie will be played on February 18 and 25, although the specific kick-off times have not yet been revealed.
Wolfsberger finished second in Group K behind Dinamo Zagreb and will host the first leg as Spurs qualified as group winners. Jose Mourinho's side are considered one of the favourites for the trophy.
Mourinho will give his thoughts on the draw when he speaks to the media on Tuesday afternoon to preview the team's crunch Premier League clash against Liverpool.
Robbie Fowler defends Jose Mourinho's big-game tactics
Robbie Fowler defender Mourinho's big-game tactics as some have criticised the Tottenham boss for his defensive approach against the most dangerous teams.
While Spurs have secured some excellent results against the big six and other high-quality Premier League sides, Mourinho's team have rarely looked to control matches, and instead have sat deep in a defensive shape and counter-attacked.
Some have criticised Mourinho for this approach, but Fowler believes he is perfectly justified to implement this tactic.
"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."
