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LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur manager José Mourinho played down criticism of his team’s conservative playing style following Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool, saying there is too much emphasis on pointless possession statistics.
Spurs had just 24 per cent of the ball and 19 passes in the final third compared to Liverpool’s 200, but Mourinho insisted the better team had lost after a 90-minute header from Roberto Firmino denied him. North London club a very close point.
“I like everything about football,” Mourinho said before Sunday’s Premier League game at home to Leicester City. “I like the organized attack, I like football with more transitions, I like to defend with a high block or with a low block.
“The media loves the words possession and statistics. Sometimes you say, ‘the statistics say that player B was 92 percent efficient on his passes.’ But they don’t say that the player only made two-meter passes. Say that this player was a center-back who only passed the other center-back.
“Statistics are often like an incredible piece of meat or fish but undercooked. It doesn’t tell me much. What it tells me is the number of goals he scores and the opportunities he creates. He can have less of the ball but score more goals. “.
Spurs are second in the table with 25 points, three behind leaders Liverpool.
