Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has had his team selection against Wolves on Sunday questioned by Anthony Costa of The Last Word on Spurs podcast (March 2nd, 4:10).
What’s he said?
Spurs went ahead twice against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men but were ultimately beaten 3-2, with Raul Jimenez scoring a 73rd-minute winner.
Mourinho opted to start the game with a rather unfamiliar back three, playing Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, and Japhet Tanganga together. Serge Aurier and Ben Davies played as wing-backs.
That left both Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld on the bench, and Costa, a member of the boy band Blue, believes that the decision was the wrong one.
He said: “I’ve got to question some of the defending.
“To drop Toby, to drop Jan. What’s going on there?
“Have they picked up a knock in training, I don’t know?”
Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?
A valid question
Costa makes a good point.
Both Alderweireld and Vertonghen have been key figures within Spurs’ defence this season and they have not missed the same game since November, when they drew 1-1 with Sheffield United.
That was in Mauricio Pochettino’s final game in charge and so to completely change the defence, with both players on the bench, seemed like a shocking decision from the Portuguese.
Admittedly, Spurs have not kept a clean sheet since the beginning of February, when they beat Manchester City 2-0, so one can perhaps understand why Mourinho was attempting to change things up. After all, that is their only clean sheet in their last five games.
Nevertheless, they conceded three goals against Santo’s men, with no single defender appearing to play well.
Leaving the Belgian pair out came back to bite Mourinho.
Meanwhile, Spurs fans have blasted one man!
