Furious Jose Mourinho blasts Tottenham ace Dele Alli for 'creating problems' in Stoke win - 7M sport

Furious Jose Mourinho blasts Tottenham ace Dele Alli for 'creating problems' in Stoke win



Posted Thursday, December 24, 2020 by Express.co.uk

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho was not impressed with Dele Alli in Spurs' Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Stoke.

Jose Mourinho chose to blast unsettled midfielder Dele Alli last night despite Tottenham cruising into the Carabao Cup semi finals. A comfortable 3-1 victory against Championship side Stoke put Mourinho two games away from securing a first trophy for Spurs since 2008.

But the Spurs boss admitted a mistake from Alli which gifted the ball to Stoke and led to their equaliser had him fuming.

Asked whether he was upset with Alli, Mourinho said: “Yes. A player that plays in that position has to be a player that links and creates not one that creates problems for his team on the counter attack.

"In that situation when they were able to counter attack behind our defence, we were unbalanced.

"Our full-backs were wide and one midfielder was also out of position. They caught us on the counter attack.

Furious Jose Mourinho blasts Tottenham ace Dele Alli for 'creating problems' in Stoke win
Furious Jose Mourinho blasts Tottenham ace Dele Alli for 'creating problems' in Stoke win (Image: GETTY)

"They transformed the result of the game that was totally in our hands yes I was upset.

"Some took their chances to impress, some no. But the most important thing for me is not the individual performance, it is the collective performance and the result.

"We always say the team above individualities and the team won."

Gareth Bale put a smile on Mourinho’s face with his third goal for the club but the striker did not make it out for the second half after feeling a twinge in his calf.

"It was his decision to come off," said Mourinho.

Furious Jose Mourinho blasts Tottenham ace Dele Alli for 'creating problems' in Stoke win
Furious Jose Mourinho blasts Tottenham ace Dele Alli for 'creating problems' in Stoke win (Image: GETTY)

"It was something he felt in the last part of the first half and he didn't want to come out so he stayed in the dressing room.

"While he was walking to the dressing room he told me immediately that he couldn't come for the second half.

"Something I think with [his] calf. I'm not sure as at that time I just want to reorganise the team and make the change."

Victory puts Spurs one match away from Wembley given the semi finals are over one leg with home advantage determined by the first team drawn.

Mourinho refused to say it was Spurs best chance of silverware insisting there were two tough games to come.

"We need to win two matches to win this trophy but of course they will be two difficult matches," he continued.

"In terms of winning a trophy in the FA Cup we have not even started and Europa we are the last 32 so really far from getting there.

"In the Premier League I have already told you what we are. If we win one of these we will still have a difficult game because of the quality of the teams still in it.

"Man City are very difficult. Brentford for me the way they play they are not Championship, they are Premier League.

"And Everton or Manchester United are one of the very top teams. But we are in the semi finals and we will be there to fight."

Stoke boss Michael O’Neill lamented a slow start from his men after taking until the second half to put themselves in the game.

"In the first half we were a little bit timid and passive but in the second we were far more positive in our approach," he said.

"We got ourselves level but unfortunately their players showed their class."



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