The Top Flight
Fansided

Spurs’ awful injury woes are like something out of a horror film

By Mahith Gamage

Tottenham Hotspur's Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho (R) looks on during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in London on February 22 2020. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur's Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho (R) looks on during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in London on February 22 2020. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Jose Mourinho has not done particularly well as Spurs manager, but the injury woes he has had to face are almost unbelievable – like out of a horror film.

First Harry Kane went down with an injury. Then it was Heung-Min Son. Lastly, this week, new January signing Steven Bergwijn injured his ankle, and is now expected to miss the rest of the season, according to his manager Jose Mourinho.

While Mourinho has not had a great tenure as Spurs boss so far, it’s fair to partly blame these injuries for his lack of success. I think most would agree that Kane and Son are the 2 best players at the club, and losing them has made a massive difference to Spurs’ forward-line, with Mourinho having to interchange the likes of Moura, Alli, Lamela, and Bergwijn regularly.

It’s such an unfortunate situation for Mourinho because this is extremely rare, for a club to lose 3 key attackers in the span of just a few months, right in the middle of the business end of the season.

Kane was having a subpar Premier League season by his standards, but he is still the best player at the club and was doing well in the Champions League. Heung-Min Son was continuing his world-class form until the injury, and Bergwijn was just finding his feet, despite having plenty of responsibility on his shoulders after the first 2 key injuries. His loss is a big one at this stage.

With their shocking 4-0 aggregate loss to high-flying RB Leipzig in the Champions League round of 16, the pressure has turned up even more on Mourinho, as Spurs are now in the thick of a top 4 battle which could be crucial to their financial health, as they are in the midst of paying off massive stadium debt.

Before the end of the season, Spurs still have to play Manchester United (this weekend) and Arsenal away from home. Other tough fixtures include Leicester City and Sheffield United. With Spurs currently 8 points out of the top 4, it’s safe to say that they aren’t among the favourites to succeed in the quest for Champions League qualification.

The injuries are partly to blame, yes, but there are still a few things that Jose Mourinho could be doing better. If things don’t improve for Spurs by the end of the season, their long-term financial future might hang in the balance, and their summer transfer window could suffer because of it.

Home/Tottenham Hotspur