Tottenham made a perfect start to their Europa League group stage campaign with a win over LASK. Speaking after the game, Jose Mourinho told BT Sport about the high impact new signing Carlos Vinicius had on the game.
Spurs looked comfortable throughout the game and ended up 3-0 winners. With goals from Lucas Moura, an own goal from Andres Andrade and one from Heung-min Son, the North Londoners ensured they got all three points.
It was a bit of a surprise to see Vinicius start over Harry Kane, but the Brazilian made a good impression. Though he didn’t score, the forward was a constant threat that LASK had to deal with and played well until he was substituted.
This was mentioned by his manager who spoke about how he will be able to do even better. Though the striker does not understand English, Mourinho said that he is learning the process of the team. He went on to add to BT Sport:
“He is still in a learning process, Vinicius can be much more than this. But first match I am really happy, the only thing that was missing was a goal.
“But we can see he is much more than… he is not selfish, he is a good target man, he can even play with Harry Kane when his good period arrives.
“It is a bit of a shame still, it is not easy not to speak English so the adaption to the group, in spite of having amazing guys that try to make him feel well, is not easy.”
Getting the forward on loan from Benfica was one of the best moves that Spurs made during the transfer window. Having a player who can provide backup to Harry Kane was hugely important. This allows the Englishman to play with a little more freedom as he has someone to share the workload with. This also makes it easier for the manager to rotate his squad and ensure that they stay fresh.
Additionally, Tottenham have the option to play with two strikers, and they can be utilized depending on the situation. Spurs will now look focus on their Premier League game against Burnley on Monday. Getting that win on Thursday gives them a lot of confidence and they’ll look to improve their league standing. Given the way he played in the Europa League, there could be a chance for Vinicius to impress on Monday as well.