TOTTENHAM may have had six at the back at times — but do not accuse Jose Mourinho of ‘parking the bus’.
Mourinho, of course, made that infamous jibe about Martin Jol’s Spurs when they ground out a 0-0 draw at his Chelsea in 2004.
The onus was on Chelsea to win so don’t have a pop at Jose Mourinho for ‘parking the bus’Credit: EPA
In the Stamford Bridge stalemate Spurs were very strong and organised defensively and at times looked a threat on the counter-attack.
Mourinho had Moussa Sissoko and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in front of the two centre-backs — Joe Rodon and Eric Dier — and they worked really well together.
Hojbjerg is a magnificent addition, an early candidate for signing of the season.
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What would happen was that, when Serge Aurier and Sergio Reguilon were going forward, Sissoko and Hojbjerg were happy to go into those full-back positions in case of a turnover.
Sissoko drifted over to the right and Hojbjerg to the left.
They always had a back four together so they weren’t going to be caught on the counter.
When defending, Sissoko and Hojbjerg sat in front of the two centre-backs.
They made sure there was no space for Timo Werner to capitalise with his pace.
Tammy Abraham has good movement and he can look to stretch the game or come short.
But if he dropped off, instead of one of the centre-backs going, either Sissoko or Hojbjerg would pick him up.
You looked at Tottenham and it was like a back six on occasions but it was very organised – even if some did accuse Jose of ‘parking the bus’.
There seemed to be four centre-backs at times — Dier, Rodon, Sissoko and Hojbjerg — allowing the full-backs to push wider.
But I don’t agree Mourinho was just parking the bus.
Only Liverpool and Chelsea have scored more than Spurs — 22 compared to 21 — but they have got the best defence in the league, with just nine conceded. And, of course, Tottenham are top.
It is getting that balance right and Mourinho has done that.
The onus was on Chelsea, being at home, but the big thing for Spurs was if they went forward they weren’t leaving themselves open — with Sissoko and Hojbjerg ensuring that did not happen.
After his Manchester United stint, plenty have accused Mourinho of being a busted flush.
But there is an argument at Old Trafford his hands were tied, with the players he wanted to get in but wasn’t able to.
This season Spurs have had an outstanding summer transfer window, bringing in Hojbjerg, Reguilon, Gareth Bale, Matt Doherty and Carlos Vinicius.
They are 100 per cent title candidates, as are Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.
This January is going to be one of the most important in a long, long time because the games are so condensed — and it could be the next batch of signings will decide who becomes champions.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
