Jose Mourinho has little interest in external scrutiny after three consecutive Tottenham defeats, insisting he places enough pressure on himself.
Spurs host struggling West Brom on Sunday but head into the weekend eighth in the Premier League, 14 points off top, after losing to Liverpool, Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea consecutively.
That miserable run has made Mourinho the first Tottenham boss since Andre Villas-Boas in November 2012 to suffer three defeats in a row in the league.
Indeed, the reverses against Liverpool and Chelsea represented the first time in 327 home league matches in Mourinho's managerial career he has lost back-to-back games.
Speaking ahead of the West Brom game, where Spurs will aim to bounce back at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Mourinho offered a spiky response when asked about increasing pressure, referring to the club's wait for a league title that stretches back to 1961 and a total trophy drought of more than 12 years.
"I put pressure on myself every day," he said. "I don't need others to put pressure on me, I put pressure on myself every day.
"Since 2012 without three defeats in a row, correct? How long since a title? Maybe I can give one."
Mourinho added his focus remains on the short term and again getting the better of Sam Allardyce, the West Brom boss against whom he has never lost in 12 Premier League meetings.
Even with West Brom 10 points shy of safety after losing to bottom side Sheffield United, Mourinho is aware of the threat they pose.
The Baggies have held Manchester City and Liverpool away from home this term and beat Mourinho's Manchester United at Old Trafford during their previous relegation campaign in 2017-18.
"The most important thing now is West Brom," Mourinho said. "I don't even want to think about [subsequent fixtures against] Everton or City.
"After City, we go to Austria in the Europa League, which is a big competition for us that we have good expectations in.
"But I don't even want to think about that, I want to think about West Brom. That's a big game. Sometimes big games are just against the top six or the London derbies or whatever it is, other times big games are games like this.
"It's a big game for West Brom because they need a victory, they need points to survive, to get out of where they are.
"It's a big game for us because we need to leave the position where we are, which is not a dramatic position like theirs but is a very bad position for us, so we need to leave it.
"We need to break the dynamic of three defeats like you saw, so it's a very important match for us.
"But the reality is until the end of the month we have great motivations in front of us. The Europa League is something that since the beginning we put a lot on.
"I cannot forget that we had to play many games to qualify for the group stage, games with two days in between, travelling around Europe to play.
"The team wants and the team is waiting for that, maybe the squad needs that, but let's focus on West Brom because it is the next match and, after three defeats, we have to win against West Brom; we cannot even think a different thing."
Tottenham must bolster attacking options in January, says Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou said that Tottenham must make signings during the transfer window to strengthen their attacking options.
Tottenham find themselves seventh in the Premier League after 13 games this season, but have been unable to find consistency with results thus far.
But their form has not been helped by injuries in the forward areas, with Richarlison and Wilson Odobert out of action until next year with respective hamstring issues.
Dominic Solanke, who missed Tottenham's 1-1 draw with Fulham on Sunday, is expected to feature against former side Bournemouth on Thursday, however.
Despite those injuries, Postecoglou's side top the scoring charts in the top-flight this term with 28 goals, but the Spurs boss said he is in need of attacking reinforcements.
"With Richy, it has been frustrating because I see the potential in him and, to be fair, when he’s been fit he’s always made an impact," Postecoglou said.
"That’s what you kind of hold on to, but there’s no doubt we need some bolstering in that front third over the next couple of transfer windows."
“Dom coming in has been great, but again we can’t overload him either, because ultimately, even if he stays fit and nothing happens, performance will invariably drop if his energy levels drop. So it’s something we’re aware of and need to plan for."
Cristian Romero is also unavailable for Thursday's game, adding to the absences of Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario and the suspended Rodrigo Bentancur.
Tottenham's squad is likely to be stretched once again during December, with eight games coming up this month.
Following their trip to Bournemouth, they take on Chelsea, Southampton, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Wolves in the Premier League.
In between those league games, they face Rangers in the Europa League as well as a quarter-final EFL Cup tie against Manchester United.
"It's a Thursday Sunday cycle for us pretty consistently," he added.
"Monday is recovery day for the lads and yesterday training with the guys who didn't play the majority of the game.
"They've all recovered well, no issues from [Fulham] and we're ready to go for a big game tomorrow."
But up first for Tottenham is a trip to the south coast against Andoni Iraola's in-form Bournemouth side, who beat Wolves 4-2 in their last Premier League encounter.
And Postecoglou will have confidence of returning to winning ways at the Vitality Stadium given their recent meetings with the Cherries.
Tottenham have won 10 of their 14 Premier League games against Bournemouth (D2 L2) – of the sides they’ve faced at least 10 times in the competition, only against Swansea (79%) do they have a higher win rate.
Along with that, each of their last five top-flight away wins have been to nil, including a 4-0 victory at reigning champions Manchester City last time out.
Spurs, however, haven’t won any of their last 14 when conceding on the road (D5 L9), since a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace in October 2023, and Postecoglou is expecting another difficult task away from home.
"A tough challenge, not just of late but from last year. They came here and were really aggressive with their football and especially at their place," Postecoglou concluded.
"They've beaten City and Arsenal at their place. They are one of those sides where they have real consistency in performance and approach, so you know that you're in for a battle. I'm really looking forward to it."
Shaw 'devastated' by yet another injury setback
Manchester United and England defender Luke Shaw has said that he is devastated after suffering the latest in a long line of injury issues.
Shaw made his first appearance of the season coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw away to Ipswich Town on 24 November, which was Ruben Amorim's first game in charge.
He has since made another substitute appearance against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League last week and on Sunday in the 4-0 home win over Everton.
Now a new injury, which is not thought to be related to his original calf issue, will keep him out for a few weeks.
"It's hurting a lot having to write this as I really thought I had got through my recent struggles and was on a positive path going forwards, but unfortunately I've had a small setback," Shaw wrote in an emotional statement on his Instagram account.
"I've been through a lot and had a lot of ups and downs, but this has definitely been my toughest period. I'm absolutely devastated, and it's extremely tough to come to terms with reality at this moment in time.
"I understand there is going to be people frustrated, angry, disappointed and I understand all that. There is no one feeling that more than me at this moment in time.
"But what I can promise is I will do everything I can to come back better soon to help this club achieve its ambitions this season. Thank you to everyone for the support. It really doesn't go unnoticed, and I really do appreciate it."
Prior to his appearance at Ipswich, Shaw had not played since England's 2-1 defeat in the Euro 2024 final.
That was his only start of the tournament, while his last start for Manchester United came in a 2-1 victory away to Luton Town in February.
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw named November’s Etihad Player of the Month
Jamaican star Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has been named the Etihad Player of the Month for November, capping off a phenomenal period that showcased her goal-scoring prowess and undeniable impact on the pitch. Shaw beat out fierce competition from Jill Roord and Alex Greenwood to claim the coveted award.
The prolific striker netted six goals across five matches in November, leading her team to four victories and securing qualification to the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-finals with two group games to spare.
Shaw kicked off November in style, rounding off the scoring in a commanding 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace in what was the club’s 200th Barclays Women’s Super League fixture. Rising to meet a pinpoint cross from Jess Park, Shaw’s clinical header further cemented her reputation as one of the league’s most lethal forwards.
The standout performance of the month came against Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium, where Shaw delivered a sensational hat-trick in a 4-0 victory. Her first goal came just 21 seconds into the match, setting the tone for her historic display. With this treble, Shaw not only moved to the top of the WSL all-time hat-trick chart, surpassing teammate Vivianne Miedema, but also became the first player in league history to score three hat-tricks against the same opponent.
Shaw’s contributions extended beyond domestic competition, as she played a starring role in Europe. In a gritty encounter against Sweden’s Hammarby, she scored both goals in a 2-1 victory. Her first was a deflected strike that found the back of the net, and her second—a venomous effort from the edge of the area—restored the lead shortly after the hosts equalized.
Shaw’s consistency, clinical finishing, and ability to rise to the occasion in key moments were instrumental in her team’s success throughout November. Her achievements underscore her position as one of the top players in women’s football today.
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