TOTTENHAM’S BID for a top-four finish in the Premier League suffered a setback as Joe Willock’s late strike rescued a 2-2 draw for lowly Newcastle, while Aston Villa also aided the Magpies’ bid for survival by beating Fulham 3-1 on Sunday.
Jose Mourinho’s side were just five minutes away from moving into fourth place thanks to Harry Kane’s first-half double.
Joelinton had put Newcastle ahead and Steve Bruce’s men were rewarded for a much-improved performance when on-loan Arsenal midfielder Willock smashed in off the underside of the bar five minutes from time.
Tottenham edge ahead of Liverpool into fifth but are still two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with eight games left.
“I’m frustrated. We needed to win the match. We created some instability with so many individual defensive mistakes that we made,” Mourinho said.
Asked why Tottenham have struggled to hold onto leads when his teams have been so solid defensively in the past, Mourinho replied: “Same coach, different players.
“The Premier League is hard and is high-level football, and when in some actions you don’t show that you belong to that high level of football, it’s difficult.
“I’m not being disrespectful to Newcastle, but I think that is a match to win, so the result is not a good one.
“If I analyse the performance, separate it from so many mistakes that lead to instability and instability leads to hope in the opposition, if I want to analyse it separate from that, I think we were good, I would say very good in some moments.
“But I cannot do it. The game belongs to every moment and I cannot separate the game from these moments of instability, and that’s the reason why we didn’t win the game.”
Willock’s goal could prove invaluable for fourth-bottom Newcastle as they moved three points clear of Fulham in a big day in the battle to beat the drop.
Bruce dismissed suggestions of a split in the camp after seeing his side fight back.
The Magpies have endured a dreadful run of form which has now seen them win only two of their last 21 games in all competitions and slip deep into relegation trouble.
However, head coach Bruce is convinced there is a unity within the dressing room that can get them out of trouble.
He said: “That is the big thing that frustrates us all, a so-called mole in the dressing room, certain players unhappy, blah, blah, blah, the spirit is not good, this nonsense.
“A lot of players here have been here a long time and it matters to them. A lot of them were playing today who have been here four and five years, and there’s a certain spirit amongst them which they need to have because they’ve got to be at full tilt to get something out of the Premier League week in and week out.
“I’ve got no problems with the spirit amongst them. They’re a really really good group who want the club to succeed.”
Newcastle got off to the perfect start against Spurs when £40million striker Joelinton, who had not found the back of the net in the league since November 27, a run of 16 games, scored just his fourth goal in the competition with 28 minutes gone.
However, their joy was short-lived as Kane levelled within two minutes and then fired the visitors in front four minutes later, on both occasions profiting from awful defending.
The Magpies, however, refused to be beaten and got their reward with five minutes remaining when Arsenal loanee Joe Willock smashed home an equaliser off the underside of the crossbar to snatch a 2-2 draw, prompting wild celebrations on the sidelines.
Bruce had taken a series of bold decisions ahead of kick-off, handing midfielder Matt Ritchie a first appearance since the pair were involved in a training ground bust-up.
The former Manchester United defender said: “In management, I never hold a grudge. As soon as I have a row or a disagreement, whatever you want to call it, it’s forgotten the next day as far as I’m concerned and we move forward, simple as, and Matty is the same.”
Additional reporting by Press Association
As much as I want England to win the World Cup and Erasmus to lose it, I’d absolutely love if Jones walked away with a World Cup winners medal. I know he had an offer on the table from munster and he turned it down but I can’t help but feeling he’s a loss to Irish rugby and that the IRFU and munster should have done more to keep him involved, even if it wasn’t with Munster.
@Jim Demps: really. Surprised.
Dont want to bad mouth the man, he was a great player. But tbought, he was a very poor attack coach. Herd from a source in the camp, that the players were getting depressed with the lack of invention in regards to attack play.
Do wish him well tho
@Paddy Waggon: era he’s only 32 as well, if we want to be developing Irish coaches then we need to give them a chance.
@Jim Demps: It was probably the best time for him personally to get away given he’s not tied down with family yet so the world is his oyster and a change of scenery is probably needed given how much of a target he became for the keyboard warriors. He’ll have no trouble finding himself work and there’s no way that’s the last of him coaching within the IRFU.
@Eddie Hekenui: yeah I’d hope he’ll come back in alright. As it stands there aren’t a whole pile of Irish lads in front line roles, Carolan and Duffy in connacht, Leo Cullen and Jared Payne would be about it. It’d be nice to see a few lads progress a bit and have a few more Irish lads ready to take on big roles. Rog, Davidson, Kidney, McCall are all top class coaches and the IRFU should be trying to get them employed at home.
@Jim Demps: I don’t see the need to have them all employed in Ireland. That just creates a closed loop. Far better to have them start off here, earn their spurs and then head off to wherever they can get jobs to experience different ideas, experiences and cultures. Then they can take all that knowledge and bring it back to Ireland. Them moving on also clears space for another young coach or two to move up the ladder.
@Jim Demps: Hugh Hogan is doing a good job at Leinster. He gained most of his knowledge in the AIL, good to see coaches from that level stepping up. Can see him continuing to progress.
@Eddie Hekenui: yeah that’s fair enough but the Irfu haven’t seemed too interested in bringing lads back yet. Of the last few high profile jobs in the country I’d love to have seen how many of the Irish lads I mentioned were spoken to by the IRFU. Conor o Shea is another guy who would have been a huge addition.
@Jim Demps: Well I think they have had their chance a few times with O’Shea, he took up a job with the RFU now so that’s him lost for a few more years. I’d really like to see him in the IRFU Management side of things rather than coaching, he does a good job on the field but I think he’s strategically better than most people think and his role with the Olympic Team GB prior to London shouldn’t be overlooked either. Is there an Australian out of contract in two years which Conor might be good at???
@ThatLJD: I think that’s be the ideal situation, having o shea in for nucifora. Conor has shown time and time again that he’s one of the best rugby administrators out there and it’d be great to have him running the show.
@Eddie Hekenui: yep. Rog gaining massive experience
@Jim Demps: I heard from a source? Yeah right
@Chris Tobin: fellas get too excited on here when they see me comment. Don’t even have to say anything anymore to trigger lads
@Chris Tobin: yeah, I’d also question the insistsnce that players became depressed by tactics. It should have told the commenter all they needed to know about their source.
@Eddie Hekenui: married, mortgage and 2 young kids. That’s about as tied down as you can get.
@Joe O’Doherty: Not really. Much harder to move when kids are older and you’re thinking about schools etc. You never hear coaches talk about mortgages etc when it comes to jobs but you hear them talking about their kids all the time.
Delighted for Felix. Contributed so much to Munster. He will be the first Irish man to win a rugby World Cup medal. Will it be gold or silver?
@Ivan O’Riordan: Kyran Bracken in 2003
@Eoin Jaypee: Wouldn’t be calling Bracken an Irishman. Lived his whole life in England.
@Eoin Jaypee: A couple of other candidates
Stephen Moore – Silver in 2015 – has strong Irish connections
Two Irish parents. Lived in Tuam for 5 years. Not born in Australia (not here either though).
John Gallagher from the 87 NZ team was similar and won the tournament. Born to two Irish parents in London before they emigrated to NZ, but I don’t think he ever lived in Ireland
@Chris Mansfield: Gallagher played for Ireland a back in the day too
@Chris Mansfield: Father from that great rugby stronghold ….Limerick City!!
@Ardmore02: and yet the Duke of Wellington can be considered Irish too. Different countries have different rules.
All his famous attacking expertise was really on display last Sunday.
@KH: Obviously worked better than Schmidt’s !!
@KH: Not Jones gig as he’s not the attack coach.
@KH: so quick to throw in a negative comment that you forgot what his role is.
@KH: made a right fool of yourself there kid
@Timmy O’Toole:
Dont worry @KH just look at the posters that are hitting at you .
@Martin Quinn:
He is a good guy, talked to him when he was up in Leinster and him and some other coaches dropped over to our club:: Down to earth and knew his stuff !!! Very happy for him as this could be a good thing to have on your CV.
As stolen from the internet….the moment you realise Matt Damon has won more world cups than Ireland.
Sad but true.
Good luck to Felix.
@Hirrison Mirk: you understand how movies work right?
@Dave O Keeffe: and France Scotland Wales and Argentina. Not just Ireland
@Dave O Keeffe: they act as a distraction from our World Cup campaign?
Absolutely delighted for Stephen Jones. I hope he gets a winner’s medal in Japan. It is fantastic that we have so many young Irish coaches going overseas to gain experience outside of the Irish model and bodes well for the future. I would love to see a structure in place that got them spending some time working in school rugby.
@Mr. Common Sense: Stephen?
@Ivan O’Riordan:
Lad read the page for God sake
FELIX JONES
Every time you want to praise England your reminded of how much of a foul, smug, little odious man Eddie Jones is.
Was going to support England, as the Northern Hemisphere team, in Saturday’s RWC final. But this bolt-from-the-blue revelation of a young Irishman, former International, being so closely involved behind the scenes with the Springboks has left one in a serious but very short-term dilemma.
Go Felix!
Hon’ the Boks!
Great experience for him.
Well deserved, especially after the way he was treated at Munster. They could regret that.
@Tom McGirr: Explain to us how he was treated at Munster please?
It’s such a shame that Felix had to retire from playing so young. He could easily be backup up to Bob until next RWC.