Tottenham have too much time between games, says Mourinho

Spurs play Sheffield United later on Thursday, nine days after their last match, a 2-0 victory over West Ham United on June 23.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho says he is unhappy with the long break between matches his team have had since the Premier League resumed following the COVID-19 shutdown. Spurs play Sheffield United later on Thursday, nine days after their last match, a 2-0 victory over West Ham United on June 23. “I am not happy to be waiting for this match for so long,” the Portuguese said in a pre-match news conference.

Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - June 23, 2020 Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho on the pitch at half time, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Neil Hall/Pool via REUTERS/Files (REUTERS)

“The perfect time in between matches I would always say is three days, especially in this moment when you are chasing your best form, your best intensity.”

Mourinho also said record signing Tanguy Ndombele could turn things around. Ndombele was hauled off at halftime and singled out for criticism in Spurs’ last match before the league was suspended in mid-March and has not played since.

“I believe Ndombele can turn it around,” Mourinho said.

“Football is full of players who have made difficult starts and then ended well. When the talent is there many things can happen with adaptation.

“In many other clubs it looks like it’s normal to have great players on the bench: Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich.

“At Tottenham I feel is every time a top player is on the bench, it’s a drama. The players and everybody else have to understand it’s not a drama.”

Spurs are eighth in the league on 45 points with seven games left to play.