[ad_1]
TOttenham was 4-0 up in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time against Ludogorets on the Thursday before last. The Europa League tie was over. There was nothing left to play. But Pierre-Emile Højbjerg did not see it that way. The Spurs midfielder doesn’t see it that way.
Ludogoret’s deputy, Ivan Yordanov, had moved around him and was approaching the middle. The Spurs had comeback players. There was little and Højbjerg, also as a substitute, could have let him go. But he couldn’t bear to be hit. And then he was fouled and was reprimanded.
It was the definition of an unnecessary yellow card. But at the same time, it shed light on something more basic, on who Højbjerg is and how he plays the game; competitive fires roaring every time the ball is in play.
José Mourinho wants to instill a mentality in which Spurs go into every game, every phase of the game, every duel, believing that they can win. You want them to have a particular advantage. Højbjerg has become the embodiment of it and has been one of the main drivers of Spurs’ good start to the season, which has them at the top of the Premier League and they feel the possibility of entering Sunday’s home derby with the Arsenal.
Mourinho’s top priority in the summer transfer window had been a No.6, a pivot in midfield to energize a game plan geared toward giving up no space, and Højbjerg seemed to tick all the boxes. After four seasons at Southampton, the 25-year-old was ready for a new challenge and, having made it clear that he would not extend a contract that had 12 months to run, he was available and within the Spurs price range.
Mourinho liked Højbjerg’s pedigree, his strength of character. It was about a player who had moved from FC Copenhagen to Brøndby at age 14, a risky decision, and who trained at Bayern Munich from the age of 16. He made his debut with the German club at 17 and started of the DFB-Pokal 2014. final victory over Borussia Dortmund at 18.
“Eighty percent of what I experienced at Bayern was about mindset: preparing, getting back in, knowing when to do what,” Højbjerg told The Guardian in 2018. “There was one goal: to finish the season with titles. It begins on July 1 and lasts until May 20. It’s in the blood. You get horny for the titles. “
It hadn’t been easy for Højbjerg in Southampton, where he played with four coaches and the team spent a lot of time fighting fires. They fought for identity and cohesive leadership under the top three, Claude Puel, Mauricio Pellegrino and Mark Hughes, but Højbjerg impressed with his ability to think quickly, to take responsibility. His teammates were clear that he had a football education, the capacity for lucid analysis, and Mourinho felt that, in the right structure, he could improve his level. But did even Mourinho expect him to make such a quick difference?
Højbjerg has played in every minute of Spurs’ first 10 league games and statistics show he has made the third most tackles in the division. But it also makes the team play. He’s the best in the league for the number of passes made and the number of passes completed, at a healthy rate of 89.4%, and has been involved in eight sequences that have led to goals – another high competition.
As is so often the case with transfers between English clubs, there was a dispute over how to publicly frame the amount of the initial fee. Southampton claimed it was £ 20 million; Spurs £ 15 million. Either way, it seems like a bargain.
“I think maybe his training at Bayern had an effect on his mentality, but I also think that his DNA is his own personality,” Mourinho said. “He is a guy who works hard every day. He wants to be better every day. He really, really wanted to join Tottenham. He is the type of man who when he arrives, he becomes very, very happy. And he wanted to prove himself on a different level. He’s a great professional. “
Højbjerg had other options. It is well documented that Everton wanted him, and Ajax and Monaco were also in the running. Bayern would have recovered it. Could have made more money elsewhere. But the Mourinho factor should not be underestimated here. When the Spurs coach made his pitch, Højbjerg’s decision was decided.
Mourinho said he didn’t offer him anything special, he didn’t make any promises. “I just said that I was going to a team with ambitions and the way we try to play, we need that type of player, the qualities that he has,” added Mourinho. However, it was easy to see this as something special. Højbjerg certainly did. Mourinho wanted the to be your number 6, the player at the heart of your team.
The Fiver – Sign up and receive our daily soccer email.
Mourinho had realized he needed to remodel his midfield, to instill more security, in part to create a platform to bring out the best in Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso, the club’s most expensive signings. While Lo Celso has struggled to stay in shape, Mourinho has been drawn to the industry and the leadership of Moussa Sissoko.
Many Spurs fans would like to see Højbjerg and Lo Celso start with Højbjerg in a slightly more offensive lineup, but, at the moment, it feels like a selection of one or the other for Mourinho. One thing is clear. Mourinho’s midfield has fully evolved from the one he first used when he took over last November, which was Eric Dier and Harry Winks behind Dele Alli. Dier has returned to central defense; the other two have slid down the hierarchical order.
Mourinho has always favored a solid block – organization and balance are key principles – and, in Højbjerg, he has found his general, a player he describes as one of his “fundamentals”, whom he always needs on the field “in any game. circumstance “. Højbjerg was the only first-choice team to play the entire 90 minutes in Thursday’s 3-3 Europa League draw at Lask.
Two weeks ago, Spurs tweeted a photograph of Mourinho snarling in Højbjerg’s face after a 2-0 home win over Manchester City. “This, this and more of this,” read the legend. “Beast mode,” Højbjerg replied. Whatever it takes, nothing will happen.
[ad_2]
