Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho, never one to be shy when it comes to expressing his dissatisfaction with something, hit out at the Premier League, slamming their late decision to postpone Spurs’ match against Fulham on very late notice.
The call to call it off came about three hours before Wednesday night’s 6 pm kickoff, and the decision was reached due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the Craven Cottage club.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Leeds United FYIs
Kickoff: Sat, Jan 2, 12:30 GMT, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction: go here
Odds: Tottenham Hotspur win -134, Leeds United win +320, Draw +300
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Mourinho felt it was unprofessional in the manner that it was handled.
“I felt [it was] unprofessional, but that is the way it was,” Mourinho said today.
“We were preparing ourselves for that match and of course we didn’t play and that is disruptive of what is a week of work.
“Training sessions before that would be different if we were going to play that game. People say good for me that there was no game, but only good for me if I knew there was no game.”
The match will be made up later, and Mourinho can worry about preparing for that one later. Because it’s far less than 24 hours now until the next one, which is a visit from a very plucky Leeds United side.
Tottenham Hotspur Team News
Spurs will now come into this one on five days rest, while Leeds have just three. The North London side also has a shorter list of fitness concerns than their opponents.
Lucas Moura and Carlos Vinicius, two underrated but key players, are both doubts with undisclosed injuries. Giovani Lo Celso is out, due to a hamstring problem while Gareth Bale (calf) is unavailable as well.
Thus far, the summer splash signing has fallen far short of expectations, as the Welshman winger continues to struggle with injuries.
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2, Leeds United 1
Spurs have really had some issues lately regarding ambition in attack, and trying to kill off games. That said, the added advantage of extra rest should serve them well here.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.