Jose Mourinho has lashed out at his Tottenham players for lacking motivation after their draw against Austrian side LASK, according to Daily Mail.
Spurs looked like they were getting the three points today when Dele Alli scored a late penalty. But a very late goal from the Austrian hosts meant that Tottenham could only manage a draw. However, the single point they acquired from this contest was enough to put them into the Round of 32.
The manager wasn’t pleased with the way his players performed on Thursday. He further added that the Europa League atmosphere could be one of the reasons for the lack of motivation. When queried about their performance, he told the Daily Mail:
“The result was better than the performance. The second half was better than the first. Some players, individually, very good. Some players, individually, very poor.”
“Nothing new really. The fact is the Europa League group phase doesn’t motivate some of the players. When we go to Antwerp, to Ludogorets, to Linz, the stadium, the weather, the emptiness, the atmosphere, I have a feeling that some of the players feel that they shouldn’t be here.”
This was one of the rare blips for Spurs this season.
Domestically, they are flying high at the moment as they sit on top of the Premier League table and they will be facing one of their most anticipated games this season as they gear up for the North London derby on Sunday.
For this next match, it will be very easy to find the motivation that the manager found to be lacking in Austria. What this draw did is leave them in danger of not qualifying for the next round as group leaders, and that could impact their matchup in the round of 32.
Goign throuhg as group winners would lead to a more favourable draw. They sit two points behind leaders Antwerp who they will be facing next week.
So the top spot is not out of their reach, but it is much harder now. The strong statement made by the manager is definitely a tactic aimed at trying to get the players to take these games more seriously.
Tottenham will have to put this result behind them and focus now on getting the win against Arsenal on Sunday. If they can do that, it will send a statement to the other clubs in the league that they are here to stay and truly challenge for the Premier League.
Mourinho will be hoping to see a more motivated bunch of players for the next game.