Jose's five-point preview - Sheffield United

Our regular, exclusive sit down with Jose Mourinho, this time ahead of our Premier League clash against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane this evening (6pm).

You can watch this interview first on the Spurs Official app...

1 - This week

After games against Manchester United and West Ham, we will have had eight days between fixtures by the time we step out at Bramall Lane – how has that gap been for Jose and the players?

Jose: “We’ve worked hard. Not happy to stop the evolution of the team, not happy to stop that surge of normal intensity, it’s too long, but we managed to work and knowing that we played against United and West Ham, two teams playing in a 4-3-3 system and now going to play against a team that plays tactically completely differently, we had the opportunity to think about it and work with the players on a strategy and a game plan, so we are ready.”

2 - The Blades

What has Jose made of Sheffield United’s season?

Jose: “To come from the Championship and to be fighting for European positions with seven matches to go is an incredible achievement. I think they were a big surprise, they had incredible work before the Premier League and when they arrived, they adjusted a few things and they were ready for the fight. So incredible work and many congratulations to them for that.”

3 - Tactics

We spoke about Sheffield United’s acclaimed system of pushing centre-backs forward and creating overlaps down the flanks...

Jose: “They do the overlapping centre-backs but at the same time, when it’s time to defend, they defend with a block of eight players, a line of five plus three midfielders, and then the strikers also close the space in front of the midfielders very well. They can defend as a compact unit and then, when they have the ball and they go to attack, lots of bodies in the box, projection of wing-backs, projection of the centre-backs, very dangerous set-pieces, a team of giants, great service and incredible throw-ins. Everything for them fits into a very good puzzle.”

4 - Form

A lot has been said about Sheffield United’s form since the return of football – one draw, three defeats in four matches - but those who watch the Blades regularly believe they’ve deserved more...

Jose: “The results can happen. To lose against Newcastle playing with 10 men for more than 30 minutes is normal. To lose at Old Trafford is normal and to lose very unluckily against Arsenal in the last minute (FA Cup on Sunday) is not a drama. The results are not what they are, they are a very difficult team and, not in my time, we felt that difficulty in the first match at home.”

5 - The bigger picture

Champions League qualification remains our target, but Jose explained that he’s also using these remaining seven games as base work for next season...

Jose: “Of course we want points, of course we want the maximum points we can, and we are going to wait to see what those number of points give us in relation to the table. We play for points, we play for the table, no doubts about that. But we depend a lot on other results, and this is work that we are going to transfer into next season. What we were doing in January, February, March, that period, was not to prepare for anything, it was just trying to survive and trying to get the best possible results that were, of course, not good in that period. Now we’re working, also building, so when you have Bergwijn, Lamela, Dele, Kane and Son, Lo Celso, we are speaking about players who are going to be here next season, and we are speaking about building something that we couldn’t do before, because we didn’t have them. The work we do now is a very important base for the beginning of next season.”