JOSE MOURINHO IS still a world-class manager and could be the right man to end Tottenham’s long wait for a trophy, according to Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta.
The pair will meet in opposite dugouts on Sunday as the Gunners make the short trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Arteta is beginning to earn praise for slowly turning things around on the pitch but Mourinho, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino in November, has come under fire for failing to lift his faltering side.
Spurs currently sit in ninth place — a point and a place below their neighbours — and did not manage a shot on target as they drew 0-0 at relegation-threatened Bournemouth on Thursday.
Tottenham reached last season’s Champions League final but have not won silverware since they lifted the League Cup in 2008.
Mourinho’s approach to management has come under scrutiny, with his inconsistent spell at Spurs coming after his sacking by Manchester United last season.
But Arteta believes the former Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid boss remains among the managerial elite.
Asked at his pre-match press conference on Friday if Mourinho was still world-class, he replied: “Absolutely. They have had some ups and downs, but overall you can clearly see what he wants to bring to the club.
“He makes sure that he wins, and he has won in every single club that he has been,” he added.
“Obviously the situation, the timing when he arrived, is different than starting a new project right from the summer, but I am sure he will be successful.
“He has always been. He always finds the right way to do it and, it will take him a bit of time, but I am sure he will do it.”
Decent game to watch… Liverpool not amazing by any stretch tonight but results like that is how you become champions….fair play to them…it’s their year.
@Billy Big Baws: it’s obviously thier year.. But salah and mane are a disgrace at times, make them very unlikeable players. Cheating When there’s no Need
@Billy Big Baws: oh shut up
@Ross: stop!! Nonsense
@Ross: Yeah but that’s not as bad as capital letters When there’s no Need :)
Epic stuff , no team is gonna play 100% and cruise through 38 league games comfortably, tonight was another uncomfortable one but this team just never gives up and keeps creating chances , begrudge at your peril , to have played 27 and won 26 at this stage of the season is phenomenal , on the back of being European and World champions and on the league run they have created … just appreciate ..
I could care less about results at this stage. Enjoyable game to watch though. End to end. Bobby Firmino got through some amount of work. Does everything right but can’t get a goal at home. Has to be one on the way for him. 3 points in the bag and miles in front
@my name: well done mick
@A: thanks Aido. Best of luck with that Mayo thing
@my name: If you could care less why don’t you? or do you not want to?
@eoin carroll: I’ve just noticed my typo there Eoin, could care less about “performance”. Thanks for pointing that out
@my name: embarrassing there Mick
@A: not half as bad as you forgetting what profile you were signed into
@my name: you couldn’t care less you mean?
@eoin carroll: that’s the one
Even when far from their best, this team keeps on winning. They are well on their way to being the most dominant league winners in the history of English top flight football.
To have equalled the league points tally of United’s treble winning side with 11 games to go is incredible. 4 more wins.
@Seàn Mc: possibly the most dominant winners of every league not just PL!
@Ado Smith: could happen but unlikely, I think PSG hold the record (in Europe anyway) with a 31 point lead. City’s English record of 19 points is definitely achievable though.
On the ball Paul, the live updates didn’t even have the full time score by the time this was up!
4 more thank you
Somebody will be on to say that it was a fluke / lucky / won by VAR. They were far from top of their game – hardly the first time this season – but that’s resilience.
It says a lot about the spirit and never give up attitude that Klopp has instilled in this team that when they losing with 25 minutes to go I was 100% certain of a win. Thanks Fabianski I hope you get a nice pay out if Liverpool do go unbeaten. If Salah, Mane and Firmino play like that against Atletico there will be no chance of a league/CL double.
@Ger Power: need a hug Ger ,aaw poor diddums:)
@Ger Power: it’s just one of those years for Liverpool
We got a glimpse of it last season Just enjoy it
They can’t even loose a coin toss this season
That’s the way it goes I guess
They’d want to defend better against Atletico Madrid that’s for sure. Firmino and Keita were so wasteful it was shocking.
@Ashley Rowland: Europe is not there priority this season
@James Lynch: That statement would hold some water if they were involved in a tight title race. The league is done and dusted and they are in a position where complete focus can shift to the Championz League. It’s only Poil fans that are throwing up that excuse in case they get knocked out by Ath Madrid.
@Pools Punter: haven’t seen many pool fans saying this, in fact he seems to be the first. Europe absolutely is a priority and they will have to do very well to get through the second leg of this tie.
LuckyPool get lucky again
@A: ……and not a Howard Webb in site!
@A: yeah dam var helping Liverpool again tonight… Oh wait.
@A: when you’re the best people always think you’re lucky.
@A: As I’ve said before A it is lucky being a Liverpool supporter and you can be one too. Go on… you know you want to.
@Manbackonboard: u do remember those white suits from 96
@A: Nope, I’m too young.
@A: LOL – You’re a United fan just bitter this LFC team will soon be considered the greatest ever team and so erasing the memory of United in ‘99, the jammiest ever bunch of flukes.
@Manbackonboard: To become a Liverpool supporter I’d need to move to England. No thanks!!
@james dimaggio: I don’t see anyone suggesting you become a Liverpool supporter in this thread? Unless…. no, wait, A, is that you? Oh Dear…
@Hakaman: Interesting statistic, this Liverpool team have now achieved the same points total as Man United’s ’99 team, 79 points with 11 games left to play!
@Roger Paltry: more competitive teams in 99
@A: Man United and Arsenal drew a third of their games (25 in total), Leeds and West Ham finished 4th and 5th. Do you want to have another go at that?
@james dimaggio: Oooops. You messed up there A.
@A: in any sport you make and earn your own luck
@james dimaggio: Liverpool is the capital of Dublin
@A: I remember those white suits very well. It had been six years since Liverpool won the league and the players were all loving stardom and not doing it on the pitch.. (reminds me of the social media hoors at a club who haven’t won the league in 7 years) Took quite a while to get back to the top for Liverpool. Here’s hoping it’s a good 23/24 years before we have to look at a United league win again.
@A: 26 wins out of 27 games. Yep, luck. Good man.
Disjointed performance, although I felt like it was similar to the Villa game back in…eh…long time ago..;-) Their muddlefield was just that…sloppy, slow, sticky…it never pushed on. Glad to see Trent got out of that horror show from last Tuesday…still..a win is a win..resilience, vigilance to the end prize…yeah..3 wins..3 draws in that order I’ll be happy..puts a few records to bed…
Out of Jail
The only thing that will stop Liverpool winning the title is the Corona Virus.It looks like it could be threat.I doubt if its going to get contained in Italy.
Arh the Liverpool of the eighties …. last minute winning goals snd then …….. obscurity. Lightning can’t strike the same spot – can it?
@Nigel Barlow: yes
@Nigel Barlow: the Liverpool of the 80’s, the teams that were preceded by the teams of the 70’s is that what you meant to say?