Jose Mourinho analogized ball possession statistics and accurate passes as meat being cooked too raw- not a good meat to eat. Mourinho only cares about the number of dangerous chances and of course the goals and wins. This statement was certainly made by Mourinho to defend Tottenham Hotspur’s playing tactics when Liverpool were dramatically win on Matchday 13.
The Portuguese coach is indeed synonymous with playing with a low defense line and is adept at playing on the counterattack. Even before fighting Liverpool, Mourinho’s Spurs seemed to have only two options, to go deeper and win on the counter-attack, or just defend and come home with a defeat.
As anticipated, in the first half at Anfield, Spurs held on solidly, having only 21 per cent of possession with a total of 75 successful passes – Mourinho’s fewest records since Real Madrid’s game against Barcelona in 2012 (54). But they were able to end the first 45 minutes with a score of 1-1. However, in the second half of the match, Spurs appeared different as many people had anticipated.
Liverpool, which have not lost at home to the Premier League since April 2017, do seem to have the grip to get up when things are tough. Despite Roberto Firmino’s goal from a corner that made Mourinho furious at the end of the game, Tottenham took control in the second half.
The Spurs made three good opportunities, one of which was Steven Bergwijn’s shot which hit the post. Looking at Opta, Liverpool don’t even have a single big chance like that during the 90 minutes of the match. Referring to the xG indicator, the quality of the Spurs’ chances of being a goal in the second half reached 1.15 and the hosts with a record of 0.96. It was the Spurs’ highest xG in the last five matches, or since the 1-0 win against West Bromwich Albion.
“You like the word ‘possession’ and you love statistics. It’s like the efficiency of the players and you would say: ‘Player B’s passing statistics of 92%.’ However, that figure doesn’t say the player only passes two meters, nor does it say that the player is a center-back who passes to “Another center back, or number 6 who feeds to number 8,” said Mourinho.
“And a player who has a pass efficiency of 65% is a player who scores an assist, is a person who is good at passing, is someone who makes a 60 meter pass and changes the course of the game. So, the stats are mostly like a piece of meat or a poorly cooked fish. [The statistics] don’t tell much. What matters most is the number of goals and the number of opportunities you create, “added Mourinho.
Perhaps, Mourinho should be angry with his team’s good performance which is not directly proportional to the results of the match. Also, when you refer to Mourinho, his current team results are always compared to what happened to his past teams, whether good or bad.
Even though they only won one point from the last two weeks, Tottenham are still in second place in the standings, only three points away from Liverpool. It is worth remembering how bad the Spurs were when they last lost in the Premier League against Everton, the first gameweek ago. 12 matches later, The Lilywhites don’t look the same team. They are serious challengers to the Premier League trophy this season.
The Spurs’ progress in the last three months was as unpredictable as their second half appearance at Anfield. Mourinho understands that. And defeat against Liverpool must be buried. “We will play a tough match on Sunday (20/12) and we have to keep going,” said Mourinho highlighting the match against Leicester City.
During his coaching career on British soil, Mourinho has lost only one of 10 occasions against The Foxes. Leicester themselves also recently suffered a defeat from the Merseyside (Everton) team and will carry out the same mission, winning three points. However, Brendan Rodgers has never beaten Mourinho’s team (two draws, five defeats).
ASL
