This archive report was first published on 4 July 2020.
Published on July 4, 2020, Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho expressed concerns about his team's mental strength following their dismal 3-1 loss at Sheffield United, which has severely impacted their chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
Harry Kane's equalizing goal was disallowed by VAR after Lucas Moura was deemed to have handled the ball, a pivotal moment in the match that ultimately decided the outcome.
Mourinho acknowledged that he had learned a lot about his players' character through their poor reaction to the disallowed goal.
'You have to be ready to cope with negative moments and go until the last minute,' he said. 'In spite of my efforts in the dressing room, now I feel I know more about the profile of my players.'
He also praised Sheffield United for their defensive strategy, saying, 'I felt that in the second half we wouldn't be strong enough to cope with a team that when they're winning just defends and counter-attacks. So congratulations to them.'
Mourinho emphasized the importance of self-motivation among his players, stating, 'The motivation should be self-motivation, directly related to your professionalism, directly related with respect for your job, your club, the fans.'
Spurs winger Steven Bergwijn expressed his disagreement with the VAR decision, saying, 'In my opinion it is a goal. He (Moura) can't put his hands anywhere. They also pushed him in the back, so there are two things wrong.'
