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Mourinho rubbishes 'Spursy' tag despite West Ham collapse

COMPLETE SHOTLIST AND SCRIPT TO FOLLOW

VIDEO SHOWS: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR TRAINING SESSION, NEWS CONFERENCE WITH TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR COACH, JOSE MOURINHO

SHOWS:

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 21, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES, NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020")

1. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR PLAYERS WALKING OUT ON TO TRAINING PITCH, STRIKER, HARRY KANE AND SON-HEUNG MIN (WEARING A HAT)

2. TOTTENHAM DEFENDER, SERGIO REGUILON (PINK BIB) DOING KICK-UPS WITH BALL / KANE WARMING UP / KANE AND REGUILON SHAKING HANDS BEFORE EMBRACING

3. PLAYERS WALKING ACROSS TRAINING PITCH, INCLUDING GARETH BALE

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 21, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR COACH, JOSE MOURINHO, SAYING:

"So, this game (3-3 draw against West Ham United in the Premier League) was completely out of context. I believe that winning 3-0 in minute 80 we can play 50 more matches and it's not going to happen again. So, I don't want to be sticking on this and no stories about 'Spursy' or this kind of thing. We have just to defend better set-pieces because the team, even defensively the team is playing very well. We conceded one single goal from open play against Southampton. One. Apart from that, penalties lateral free-kicks, VAR goals and we are quite solid."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 21, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES, NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020")

5. PLAYERS JOGGING

6. PLAYERS JOGGING, INCLUDING BALE, KANE AND SON

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 21, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR COACH, JOSE MOURINHO, SAYING:

"We are a team in evolution. I believe that nobody played better than us with the ball, which is a big evolution from last season. We are a very exciting team to watch I believe and that is very important and that's the DNA that we want to have. Is that enough to win football matches? No and you have the proof that we have only eight points when we played so amazing in every match apart from the Everton match but Southampton, Man United, Newcastle, West Ham, we played amazing football and this is very difficult to do and we are doing that. But of course, we need to play for a result and we have to learn how to do it."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 21, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES, NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020")

8. PLAYERS TRAINING

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 21, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR COACH, JOSE MOURINHO, SAYING:

"We are going to try. It's the third time I've played the competition. The other two times, one in Porto, one with United we managed to win it. So, the record in the Europa League is great. Never knocked out. Of course, lost a few matches in the group phase and so but managed always to win it but it's difficult. We know that it's difficult. It is a very long competition. The group phase is tricky. Then you go into the knockouts, then you get teams coming from the Champions League, which in my opinion is very unfair because you've played Champions League. If you don't qualify, you go home. In the Europa League, we play the group phase, if a team finishes third, goes home - doesn't have another competition to play but it is what it is. So, it's a long competition and very, very difficult. In this moment let's focus on the points that we need, the 10, 11 points that you need to qualify through the group phase."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 21, 2020) (UEFA - NO RESALES, NO COMMERCIAL USE. MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY "©UEFA 2020")

10. VARIOUS OF TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR'S GOALKEEPERS TRAINING - HUGO LLORIS, JOE HART, PAULO GAZZANIGA AND BRANDON AUSTIN

11. PLAYERS INCLUDING KANE, MIDFIELDER, DELE ALLI, SON , DEFENDER, TOBY ALDWEREIELD, DEFENDER, DAVINSON SANCHEZ, AND BALE WARMING UP

12. TRAINING SESSION IN PROGRESS

STORY: Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho dismissed on Wednesday (October 21) suggestions that his side's late collapse against West Ham United at the weekend was another example of the club's so-called "Spursy" habit of capitulating when success is near.

Spurs missed a chance to move up to third in the Premier League table on Sunday (October 18) when they threw away a 3-0 lead, with West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini's goal denying them victory with the last kick of the game.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of Thursday's (October 22) Europa League clash against Austria's LASK Linz , Mourinho said Tottenham's implosion against West Ham was an anomaly in an otherwise impressive campaign.

Spurs also let in a last-ditch equaliser against Newcastle last month, but that was due to a penalty for a harsh handball.

Mourinho is aiming to win the Europa League for the third time with a third club having also claimed the title while in charge of Porto and Manchester United.

(Production: Tim Hart)