Jose Mourinho has admitted he wants his Tottenham team to ‘reflect the coach’ when they face Arsenal on Sunday.
Mourinho is set to take charge of his first North London derby, with a poor run of form that has seen Spurs out of contention for a Champions League qualifying spot.
Mourinho has a good track record of winning important derby matches. / James Bayliss-AMA/Getty Images
The Portuguese boss has a proven track record of motivating his players for the big occasion, though, and has told Sky Sports he hopes they can do so when they take on the Gunners at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The players will do justice to the club.
“When I’m in a club I like to be one of them and I want to feel what my people feel… The moment I first set foot in a club, I automatically I learn,” Mourinho began.
“When I go to the derby as Inter manager, I know what it means to them. When I go to Real Madrid manager, I know what it means to them. It means.
“They can trust me that they have exactly the same passion that they have. When you’re a player or coach of a particular team, it can’t just be a job for you.
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“For me, my club, my passion, my love, the club where I belong. At the moment, if you ask me if I know how important it is for Tottenham fans to watch their biggest rivals, So of course I know. This and of course I share that.”
Spurs have won twice since the Premier League resumed in June, with Mourinho’s tactics again under the microscope. But he insisted his team will have a different approach next season – as it is only the second time he has taken charge of a club during the campaign – and even compared his plight to Arsenal’s. What with Mikel Arteta?
“It’s not easy for a team in this situation to come into mid-season,” Mourinho continued. “I think it’s good for next season, because it helps you prepare. But at the moment it’s not a very easy situation, especially for me because it’s only the second time I’ve been in my career. What is the bar?”
Tottenham and Arsenal are separated by just one point. /gettyimages/gettyimages
“I think it’s a similar process with us[at Arsenal]a coach who comes in mid-season, now tries to do things that will help the team to get a position in the table but he can’t do it the next time. May also transfer over the season.”
Arteta’s Gunners are currently one point clear of Spurs in the Premier League table, with a win crucial to both teams’ Europa League qualification aspirations.