Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has defended the way he sets up his side, insisting possession is the most over-rated statistic around.
Spurs have climbed their way to the top of the Premier League recently with victories over both Manchester City and Arsenal, as well as a 0-0 draw with Chelsea, but Mourinho has come under fire for what many perceived to be negative performances from his side.
In those three games, Spurs managed no more than 40% possession, dropping as low as 31% in the 2-0 win over Arsenal, but Mourinho was adamant that controlling the ball doesn't say anything about the quality of a team.
“Well, this ball possession story is more for sports philosophers than it’s for me," he told Brazilian journalist Renato Senise. "No one has ever seen me say: ‘I lost that game but I had more possession.’ You never saw me say anything like that. You may have heard me say: ‘We lost that game, we didn’t deserve to lose, we had more opportunities than the opponent.' You can hear me say that.
“But you never heard me say in 20 years: ‘We lost that game and the opponent had more ball possession than we did.' What matters is what you do with the ball. Whatever you want to do with the ball. And with the ball we scored two fantastic goals today. And when we had it, we never lost it in conditions where the opponent could hurt us.”
It's criticism to which Mourinho is no stranger. During his recent spells with both Chelsea and Manchester United, he was famed for his ability to avoid defeat in big away games by setting up in a defensive manner.
Having said that, Mourinho was less successful with United, with whom he failed to lead to a Premier League title, but the boss hit back at suggestions that his spell at Old Trafford showed he was past his peak.
“When people said my peak was over, I won three titles at that club,” said Mourinho. “So my peak passed, I won a [League] Cup, a Super Cup [Community Shield] and a Europa League. It was at the moment that my peak passed. Imagine others who never get that.
“I’m calm, I’m happy. Obviously Tottenham are Tottenham, people are not used to it. But I’m used to it. And maybe that feeling of deja vu, this situation of having already lived these positions many times, maybe it helps to reassure the players.”
The tricky run of fixtures doesn't get any easier for Spurs. After Sunday's meeting with a Crystal Palace side who just put five past West Brom, Spurs will take on Liverpool, Leicester and Wolves in the run-up to the new year, which will be a real test of the team's credentials.
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Source : 90min