HUGO LLORIS says Jose Mourinho is the only person at Spurs with the right to indulge in title talk.
Lloris, 33, may have lifted the World Cup as captain of France but when it comes to winning the Premier League, he is happy to defer to Mourinho and his three triumphs with Chelsea.
Only Jose Mourinho can talk about the title, according to Hugo LlorisCredit: EPA
The Tottenham captain said: “It’s too early to talk about that [the title] but he’s got the capability to talk about it.
“He’s a winner. His motivation every day is to win and try to share this approach with his players.
“You just want to stay calm, stay focused on the next game and to enjoy the moment.
“Of course you need the best from each player in the changing room but also in the approach of the games, he knows where we go.
“Behind every big team, the main leader is the manager and then the players need to respond to the demands of the manager and the staff and to deliver on the pitch in the best way.”
The mark of Mourinho’s title-winning teams at Chelsea was the balance between a tight defence and letting attacking players express themselves.
High-flying Tottenham have the meanest defence and a goal tally of 21, second only to the 22 of Liverpool and Chelsea.
Lloris said: “This is the style of Jose Mourinho, no? His team are used to playing with a very solid block.
“He always gets the best from his offensive players but at the same time he needs a good organisation, a good team balance.
“We have a competitive squad, we have a lot of talented players in the squad and then the only answer is to show it on the field. Every time we need to show we are a competitive team, we have to do it.”
That next game is the small matter of tonight’s North London derby.
It will also be Spurs’ first game in front of their own fans, albeit only 2,000 of them, since the pandemic began.
Lloris said: “You don’t look at the table when you play the derby.
“We know it means a lot for the fans. And you just want to win. For pride, for sharing emotion with the fans.
“But of course it’s not enough in the season. It’s not only about one game or two games in the season. We just want to finish as high as we can.
“We can see the improvement over the years.”
If Lloris misses out today through injury, Joe Hart could play his first Premier League game for nearly two years.
A knockout early in his Tottenham career has given keeper Lloris first-hand experience of football’s head-injury debate.
Arsenal were criticised for letting defender David Luiz play on last Sunday after a sickening clash of heads with Wolves striker Raul Jimenez.
And Spurs were slammed in 2013 when they allowed Lloris to return to action despite losing consciousness in a collision.
The Tottenham captain, 33, said: “I knew after the game that I made a big mistake to stay on the pitch.
“Today I think we take safer decisions for the players, that’s the main thing. It’s important to trust the Premier League to take the best decision for the players.”
Jose Mourinho reveals Harry Kane is likely to be fit for North London derby vs Arsenal
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
