Nuno on Leyton Orient test and pre-season so far
Fri 16 July 2021, 18:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
Nuno Espirito Santo takes the squad to Leyton Orient for our first outing of pre-season on Saturday – and is keen to see a continuation of the hard graft that he’s witnessed so far in training.
We take on the O’s at The Breyer Group Stadium (kick-off 3pm UK) following two grueling weeks of work in the gym and out on the pitches at Hotspur Way.
As he prepares to take his place in the dugout for the first time as our new Head Coach, Nuno has explained what he’s looking to get out of the fixture.
“Let’s compete!” he said. “It’s been a hard week, the match is part of the schedule and part of the idea that we have for the week, but it’s a good chance to play, to enjoy ourselves and put together things that we’ve been working on, aspects of our organisation, all these things that we want to see and that we take for the next cycle – it’s all about building and building.
“It’s what we work for, to play matches and tomorrow is to help the boys find the right solutions, help them in their fitness, finding problems that may happen in the game, adjust and do our job. We’re going to do it together.”
Saturday’s game sees both teams competing for the JE3 Foundation Trophy in memory of beloved former Spurs player and Orient manager Justin Edinburgh, who tragically passed away following a cardiac arrest in 2019.
The JE3 Foundation aims to support UK heart health charities and to campaign for legislative change – Justin’s Law – to make it compulsory for all health, fitness, and sports facilities to be equipped with a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD).
Orient won the inaugural trophy last year against our Development Squad, and Nuno said: “It means a lot for us because it’s a good chance to help raise funds, all in the memory of Justin, someone who played more than 200 times for Tottenham. It’s a game so we have to compete but, for us, we’re delighted to join in, raise awareness and try to help people to help others.”
Asked how the first couple of weeks have gone since his appointment at the Club at the end of last month, Nuno said: “It’s been hard work, especially for the boys. We’ve had hard training sessions – normal in pre-season – but we have to get ready, get fit, that’s been the main focus.
“We are really pleased with the attitude of the boys, the way they are working, the way they commit themselves, every action in the training sessions and this is what it’s all about, trying to create this belief that we must be faster and stronger than anybody else. This is our main goal.”
Supporters can watch Saturday’s match for free on Spurs TV. Find out more and register for free now.
