JOSE MOURINHO takes Spurs to Middlesbrough with memories of Villa.
The Tottenham boss has vowed to take football’s most famous domestic cup competition seriously.
Jose Mourinho wants his injury-ravaged stars to summon the spirit of club legend Ricky Villa as they begin their bid to reach WembleyCredit: Getty – Contributor
And he wants his injury-ravaged stars to summon the spirit of club legend Ricky Villa as they begin their bid to reach Wembley.
Villa’s sensational solo winner in the 1981 FA Cup final replay win over Manchester City is still rated as one of the tournament’s greatest goals of all time.
Mourinho, 56, said: “For me, the FA Cup is the biggest domestic cup.
“I played the Copa Del Rey, Barcelona against Real Madrid, and the Italian Cup, Inter v Roma, and they are not comparable with the FA Cup final, even when the two teams competing are not the biggest in the country.
“The FA Cup is a very, very special cup. Me as the Tottenham coach, I know what the competition means to the Tottenham supporters.
“The history they have, the memories they have, the victories they have, the unforgettable goals they scored.
Villa’s sensational solo winner in the 1981 FA Cup final replay win over City is still one of the tournament’s greatest goalsCredit: Hulton Archive – Getty
“The Ricardo Villa goal I watched as a teenager, I don’t forget. I watched the game with my dad in Portugal.
“In those days not many live matches were on TV. The FA Cup final was always shown and I remember all of them.
“I am not saying we are going to win it but I am saying we have to play this competition seriously.
“You can tell me, ‘Jose you are in trouble, you have lots of injuries and not many options and you have to try to finish in the top six or fourth’.
“But I am not going to give more attention to the Premier League than the FA Cup.”
The Special One has been rocked by news of Harry Kane’s hamstring tear and with his defence struggling, there have been calls for him to reinforce this month.
But the Portuguese insisted: “When I took the job I knew what the situation was. It was important to me to know.
“As I have said before, this is not our last transfer window, it is our first.
“We will have another in the summer, then another next January, then one in the summer of 2021 and so on.
“So we have to be intelligent and try to make the right decisions, not only now but looking ahead.”
Spurs have now confirmed the torn hamstring, with the striker facing a spell on the sidelinesCredit: Rex Features
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho confirms that Harry Kane’s injury is serious and there won’t be any good news
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
