Football news - Jose Mourinho: All the players on Leipzig's bench would play in my team
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Updated 11/03/2020 at 10:52 GMT
Jose Mourinho believes that his side's 4-0 aggregate Champions League loss to RB Leipzig could be a positive thing for the club after a winless six-match run and suggests all of Leipzig's bench could have made his team.
ose Mourinho of Tottenham Hotspur gestures during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between RB Leipzig and Tottenham Hotspur at Red Bull Arena on March 10, 2020 in Leipzig, Germany
Image credit: Getty Images
Spurs failed to overcome a 1-0 home loss to the German side, succumbing to a 3-0 defeat in the return leg in a widely panned performance.
However, Mourinho is looking to the future and is hoping a low in the season could prove to be a turning point.
"I think probably it’s good [going out]. Difficult moments can prepare the future in a better way," he told BT Sport.
All the players on the Leipzig bench would play at this moment in my team.
Several players underperformed in the game in Leipzig but Mourinho refused to single out any individuals from his injury-hit squad.
"It's hard for us to score at the moment. Our first couple of mistakes they score and then it's very difficult. Their physicality is incredible, their defenders win the duels, they stop the game. They are very fast in attack. They can hurt us all of the time, they deserve to go through.
"If I can be critical of some of my players, I keep this for us. They tried to give what they can give.
"We made mistakes, mistakes that we have analysed in previous matches. I never blame players with some difficulties. It's hard for me to cope with players who cannot express their potential, not those who are at their limit. I am with the boys."
Midfielder Dele Alli meanwhile has admitted his team-mates are drained of confidence at this point in time and admitted that they have simply not been at the required level.
"It's devastating. We had belief before the game and we didn't perform. This is the Champions League, if you don't step up you will be punished.
"After the first one went in it didn't change much but we conceded too many chances as a team. It's hard to come back from those two goals. We had to show our maturity and fight and we didn't do that.
"We can't use excuses, we still have quality on the pitch. We are missing good players but that happens. The players coming in have to step up and we haven't done that today. We apologise to the fans, to go out and lose like that, they deserve better.
"We have to fight. We can't be in the position we are in in the league, we can't hide. This hasn't been a good season for us. The reality is we are in a bad situation, confidence has gone at the minute.
"All the players are mature enough to know we’re not doing well enough. You always have to look at yourself first and I’ll do that and I’m sure the others will as well."
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