Dimitar Berbatov says some Tottenham Hotspur players are not playing for the team as he urges fans to be patient with Jose Mourinho

Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur are yet to completely click under boss Jose Mourinho, with their inconsistencies costing them heavily prior to the suspension of the Premier League.

Spurs failed to win any of their last six games across all competitions, crashing out of both the F.A Cup and Champions League at the hands of Norwich City and RB Leipzig respectively.

41 points from 29 league games have left them in eighth place in the table, and while they still have a realistic chance of finishing in the top-four/five and playing Champions League football next term, not many are convinced that Mourinho has what it takes to lead them to the next level.

Former Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov believes the Portuguese shouldn’t be judged until after a full season in charge, though, and he reckons some of the players haven’t been playing for the team.

“I thought Mourinho was a good choice to replace Mauricio Pochettino. I still have faith in the Portuguese and believe any head coach deserves a full season to bring in his players and implement his philosophy. Judge Mourinho on next season,” the Bulgarian said.

“The injuries to Harry Kane and others have been very unfortunate but Spurs still have quality throughout their squad.

“Sometimes I get the feeling that some players are not playing for the team and are trying to take the glory for themselves. That can ruin goal-scoring opportunities. Spurs should try to release the forwards quicker on the counter-attack.”

Tottenham have scored 29 goals in the Premier League since Mourinho’s arrival, and while it’s a decent return, they failed to find the back of the net in both legs of the Champions League last-16, shipping four goals on aggregate.

While injuries to Harry Kane and Son Heung-min have without a doubt limited Spurs’ goalscoring chances, the quality of other players means they shouldn’t struggle to score goals, and failing to fashion out clear-cut chances for each other has cost them.

With league action suspended until at least April 4, the break should give the North Londoners a huge opportunity on the injury front, with the treatment room expected to be almost empty when play resumes.

A fully fit squad should boost Tottenham’s chances of finishing in the Champions League zone over the course of their remaining nine league games, and it will be interesting to see what happens going forward.

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