Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho says he is treating the FA Cup in the “same way” as the Premier League, as Spurs aim to overcome their trophy drought.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy’s appointment of Mourinho, following the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino in November, signalled an ambition to win trophies.
Mourinho recognises the FA Cup is likely to be his side’s best opportunity to pick up their first piece of major silverware since the League Cup victory in 2008.
Tottenham travel to Southampton, where they lost 1-0 on New Year’s Day, on Saturday in the FA Cup fourth round, and Mourinho, who won the FA Cup with Chelsea in 2007, insists he will be treating the tie like a Premier League match.
Mourinho said:
“It’s just a game. I don’t even want to think about the competition. If it was Southampton away in the Premier League it would be exactly the same for me. Nothing changes.
“In the FA Cup, let’s see. In this moment there are 32 teams, let’s try to be in the last 16.
“[Southampton] are really good, they are strong. I expect a team 24 hours fresher than another, because they have 24 hours advantage (playing a day earlier than Spurs in midweek).
“A team with big self-esteem, big confidence and a very difficult team to play against. It’s going to be hard.
“We have to fight against so many things we cannot control. The only thing we can control is the spirit that the players showed (against Norwich). We are going to try.”
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