Mourinho fearful of life without Kane as Spurs boss blames WEIGHT of ball for Middlesbrough struggles
JOSE MOURINHO fears Spurs will struggle without Harry Kane after drawing at Middlesbrough in their first game since the striker’s injury. Tottenham’s 17-goal top scorer Kane is set to be out until March after tearing his hamstring at Southampton. Mourinho confirmed Kane’s injury is “not small” and is worried how his side will cope after […]
JOSE MOURINHO fears Spurs will struggle without Harry Kane after drawing at Middlesbrough in their first game since the striker’s injury.
Tottenham’s 17-goal top scorer Kane is set to be out until March after tearing his hamstring at Southampton.
Mourinho confirmed Kane’s injury is “not small” and is worried how his side will cope after missing a host of chances to beat Championship Boro, when Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura led their line.
The Spurs boss said: “We arrived in so many scoring positions and then the last ball, the last cross, the simple one, we did it only once.
“Of course, it’s a new thing for the team to play without Harry, without a striker.
“We tried to give them the mobility of Son and Lucas, but it was not easy. We played with six attacking players without a striker.
“We have what we have and we stick with them. The boys did what they can, you cannot transform Lucas or Son into a No9 like Harry Kane.
“So we have to try other things and that is what we are going to do. Obviously, every minute Harry doesn’t play means a lot to us – it is a big loss for us.
“But we have to accept it and we have to fight with the boys that are available.”
Mourinho also bizarrely moaned about the weight of the BALL that was used in the FA Cup tie.
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And he insists Ashley Fletcher’s 50th-minute goal would have been ruled out for offside if VAR was in action at the Riverside.
Mourinho said: “I think this ball is a beach ball. It’s too light. I don’t think it helps the players.
“The Middlesbrough goal is offside. VAR would give it. But the referee was not some guy in an office 200 miles away.”
Mourinho switched to a back four after Fletcher’s opener and Moura equalised for Spurs in the 61st minute against Jonathan Woodgate’s side.
He added: “I was worried but you don’t have time to be disappointed or to cry, you just have to react.
“In the end, 1-1 is not a disaster. We take the game home and it gives us a chance.
“Woodgate can show he likes Tottenham by bringing his second team!”
Boro boss Woodgate was proud of his side’s performance and believes they can cause an upset in the replay next week.
He said: “They are a team that were last year in a European final and who have an incredible manager in Jose Mourinho.
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“But we caused them real problems. I’m so proud of my lads. The replay is going to be a really difficult game but you never know.
“In this life, upsets do happen it’s been proven over the years so let’s hope we upset the apple cart.
“I went to the new stadium at the end of last season, it is an incredible arena, the atmosphere is fantastic and it’s something our players are going to enjoy.”